The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1845-05-31
THE TAX LAW.

THE TAX LAW.
We have no doubt but our subscribers ar
becoming tired OF seeing so much of our pape
occupied with the discussion of the new tax law
There's a time when the discussion of any subjec
should cease-still we must beg the indulgence @
our readers while we offer few further thoughts
In the discussion of This subject, we have here
tofore undertaken to prove that this law was une
quail and unjust IN its operations, and that it wou
not be the means of incre ising the taxable capita
ON the grand list. How far we succeeded in thu
proving, we leave our readers to judge.
BY the first clause of the fourth section OF tina
law, "every individual, company or firm that shal
be engaged in the business of purchasing ant
selling personal property Of any kind or desc'ip
fion, Tor the purpose of making profit thereby,
is liable to be taxed on one half the capital EN-
ployed. Under this section OF the law it was
supposed that one half of the capital employed by
the merchants of this county, in the business o.
''purcha,ing and selling" tobacco would be taxed
nnd as the last years crop is estimated TO be worth
two hundred thousand dollars, that we would have
an increase of taxable capital of one hundred
Thousand dollars Such is not, however, the fact
We doubtve much, after examining the returns
OF the assessors if the increase will be more than
II would have been under the old aw-at any rate
the increase will very little, if any, more than pay
the increased expenses.
We are told that under the new law species of
property or capital is brought the grand list that
was before exempt; such for instance as the pro.
perty Of hotel keepers, stage owners, &c. To that
feature OF the law we have nothing to say 1t is
against the odous, and.not against the good fea-
lures, if it has any, that we war. 1t would be
very strange, il in law so lengthy there could be
nothing good found Good and wholesome max
inns can no doubt be found in the Koran.
We are told also, that unless such law was
passed, we would have to submit to higher tax
on horses and CATTLE and that at this time Monroe
county is paying cattle tax of sixty cents and a
horse tax of forty cents, while the rich county of
Hamilton is paying only one dollar. For the life
OF US, we cannot see the object in thus eternally
harping on the horse and cattle tax, as if there
were no other taxable property in the State. 1t
wsud be just as fair and reasonable to argue, that
because Hamilton county pays an average of near
ly five dollars tax for every man woman and child,
while this county pays but one, that therefore the
taxes bear more hea,iIy on the citizens of Hamil-
ton county 1t tappearS to US to be disposition to
evade the true question which prompts such a
mode Of argument.
We repeat again that every democratic paper in
the State, so far our knowledge extends, has
spoken out against this law; while the whig papers
are almost unanin ously ysupporting it and publish
ing any and every thing they can find by any of
the democratic members of the legislature in de.
fence Of it.
II this law is odious in the canal counties, as
we have been led to suppose, why did it receive
the sanction of almost all the members from those
countes' Why does it still receive the sanction
of those counties,
We will notice, next week. the comments of the
Belmont Chronicle on the speech of Mr.. Archbod
delivered by him in St. Cairsville, ,on Monday last.