The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1845-07-12

Let the history of the last ten or twelve years
answer. But it may be asked, Are you confident
that you are not mistaken that it was absolutely
necessary to call on the moneyed interest for thci
contributions, answer, No, it was not absolute.
iy necessary. We might have authorized an issue
of State bonds, bearing high rate Of interest. to
be sold in the market at any price they would bring
from forty eight to fifty two cents on the dollar.
Or we might have suffered the rate Of taxation on
lands, houses, and live stock, to rise higher and
higher Or we ght have suffered BASE RE-
PUDIATloN, that imp Of utmost n.fdmy, to do
its worst, and make our very name to s,iak in the
nostrils of al! nations!
But, fellow citizens, the real question is, wheth-
er in adopting such courses we would have con-
suited your real welfare and happiness, or the real
welfare, glory and happiness of this great State
Moreover it is due to historic truth, to say that we
were stimulated and urged to the course which
we adopted by some OF the best and purest and
mlghtiest minds in the bounds of the DEMO-
CRATIC PARTY, that glorious party which
owes to its own honor always to consult the hap
State. Amongst many others, witness John Brough,
our late State Auditor who in his report to us in
Dec 1913, gives it as his opinion, that not one
hundredth part of the mercantile and money cap
ital OF the State was entered upon the grand levy
under the old system. Listen to him, these are
his words. THE PRESENT LAWS, it is ad
mitted oD every hand, are excessively unequal in
the distribution of the public burthens The real
wealth of the State does not pay its adequate pro-
portion of taxation, and an undue excess is there
by thrown upon its LABOR. This assertion may
seem to be strong one, but the more tt is invest-
gated, the clearer will its truth appear. The
amount of capital held and invested in the State
may be safely said to be HUNDRED FOLD
greater than the portion which is actually returned
and falls under the taxing power. large pro-
portion of this is used as to be far more produc-
tive than the cultivation Of the SOIL" Again, on
the next page, he adds: "The INV itself is contin-
ualy evaded. Wealth not only brings power, but
cunning and shrewdness to its possessor. A man
may not have his money at interest on the lst day
of March, else he must pay tax; but under the
construction of the officers he may take his interest
in advance, or he may embody it in the obligation
he takes, and then he has no "money at Interest,"
which is the expression of the law. He may buy
judgments, mortgages, notes, or other obligations,
at fifty cents upon the dollar, and yet he has no
"money at interest" He may deal in deprecated
paper, speculate in stocks, hold bonds Of town or
other corporations, and yet he has no "money at
Interest," These are mere evasions OF the law
under strict construction of its provisions; but
they are SO numerous as well as mutifarious in
their character, that they cannot be reached or
punished So that if I have been seduced and
have done wrong, can point to the most skilliul
fiscal officer that the State ever produced, and the
favorite of the Ohio democracy, and say, "there
sits mn seducer." 1t is true that the plan which
he proposed OF general cash valuation, is more
extensive than that which we actually adopted,
and it is equally true that the act introduced Tor
that purpose tailed, and the present was adopted
in its stead
Reader, suppose only one hundredth part of the
value of our cattle and horses, lands and houses
was placed on the tax list Suppose plantation
which now pays five dollars, only had to pay fce
cents, while other species OF property were taxed
beyond the limits of endurance, would we be
justified in raising clamor loud enough to rend
the Heavens in support of such state of things
and to prevent an equal assessment? But ought
not all men to stand equal in the eye Of the law'
Ought the moneyed interest to enjoy privileges
and exemptions, which are denied to us' And is
not every unexecuted statute nuisance on the
statute book, which ought to be repealed or amend
ed? pretended tax law suffering nlnety-nine
parts in one hundred of the property pretended to
be taxed to escape taxatiOn!!!
To advance all the arguments on this subject,
which might be advanced, and say all that could
be said would swell this address to a treatise and
exhaust the patience of the reader 1t is said that
the mercantile community will demand higher
price for their goods and SO throw the tax upon
their customers. What minuteness of arithmetic
would enable them to apportion this tax upon the
articles of their retail dealing il is difficult to d.
vine. 1t admits of very different consideration
from duty of forty fifty or sixty per cent levied
upon goods at the United States custom houses in
the Atlantic cities. Fellow citizens, if you detect
any of your retail merchants engaged in such un-
generous and dishonest tricks, just curtail your
bills with him, take the less of his superfuties, and
save your share of the tax and ten times as much
in addition. 1t is upon such reasoning as this that
we are, in effect exhorted, to burden the farmer
with all the taxes of the community. He sells the
first necessaies of life and if unduely loaded with
taxation he can enforce rise Of price. And this
is the actual fact in all countries unfortunate
enough to be burdened with high taxes. All their
writers tell us so.
For further arguments on this subject, the read
er is referred to my letters to the Spirit of Democ
racy signed " Oscar" That series of letters was
originally commenced, and the eleven first numb
ers written in order TO expose to my Fellow citi-
zens the deformties and the enormties of the plum
der system; but it became absolutely necessary to