Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1846-09-02
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Il & From tho Cscloville Watclnnan.
Third Letter Of DR.. 0lds on the Tax Law.

"a &. From the gCircicvlte WatcffnaH. ~
Third Letter efDf. 0lds on the Tax Law.
MN. EDlroR---lny this commanicationI
propose u notice Il few addispnal iucls
showing the injustice and inequaiity 81 the
Tax Law.
For one, sir, do not find SO much fault
with what is taxed, as do with the exemp-
tions made. and the unequal manner of
taxing such articles as are assessed.
Believing asI did last winter, and as
still do, tina: bank capital is not taxed any
thing like as much as our farms, our cattle,
our horses, &c, ! proposed an amendment
which would have been harmless in itself,
if the whig doctrine be true, that banks al
ready pay as much or more tax than our
farmers and our mechanics s--an amend
ment that oughtto have been adopted, if it |
be true that banks pay less tax than other
kinds Of property. The amendment was
as follows, and mny be found on. page 6e3d
of House Journal,t to wit:
r.. Provided, that no farmer, mechanic,
merchant, or other person, shall be subj ec-
ted to any higher rate oftaxation than now
is, or hereafter may be, imposed upon the
banking institutions ofthe state.
This amendment was voted down by q
strict party vote; every whig voting against
the amendment. Let me enquire, why
was this amendment voted down? Did the
wings, knowing that the amount of public
revenue would be diminished one halt, fear
Reputation if this amendment prevailed?
Did they fear for their new and splendid
State House? Did the whig Office holders
fear for their increased salaries? If SO, let
them honestly acknowledge that the bank.
ers are not correctly taxed, and that as
party, they are in favor Of unequal and un-
Just taxation.
But, again; an effort was made by the
democracy, in the last Legislature, 70 tnx
ljewelry and trinkets..s ME Williams el
Coshocton, blouse Journal, page $685.
/ moved to amend said bill in Sec. 9, so as to
exclude jewelry from the list OF property
exempt from taxation. Does not honest
and equal taxation require that gold guard
CHAINS. diamond necklaces, and diamond
bosom and finger rings, should be taxed, as
well as hogs and sheep as well rs orna-
mental and fruit trees? Is not the farmer
and the laboring man taxed upon sstis or
his ass, and epery thi,,g ihat as his ~ Why
then, should dnot the rich and affluent be tax
ed also upon all that they possessa AT
your splendid city balls and parties, the
wife or daughter Of the rich city nabob, or
the sweet scented and dandyfed sprig Of
nobility, may appear, decorated with thou
sands on thousands ofdollars' worth of this
kind of property; and yet, under this whig
tax law, it is all exempted from taxation;
but the poor, the .laboring man, the toiling
multitude, for fear tha. they will not yield
| up every cent oftaxable property, must be
required to make out a written statement,
under the pains and penalties Of perjury!
And in order to defeat a proposition SO rea-
sonable and just as that OF taxing jewelry,
the great leader Of whiggery in the House,
attempted to ridicule the proposition, by
moving to amend Mr.. Williams PROPOSE
ton, BY adding ''ladies' bustles and side
combs"
/ Alexander Hamilton, in the formation Of
our glorious constitution, soughtto give the
rich and well born certain rights and priv
/ ilege not enjoyed by the great mass Of our
I citizens; and the party OF whom Hamilton
was the acknowledged leader, although de-
Ifeated in securing in the constitution such
!. exemptions and privileges to the would be
nobility Of the country, have ever since
sought to obtain the same object, by means
Of special legislation. This doctrine Of
4 Hamilton is manifested in almost every
section Of the Tax Law and marked every
. step Of its passage through the Legislature;
and this exemption Of iewelry from, taxation
\ lis but another evidence of the attachment
j ofthe leaders ofthat party to the doctrines
and opinions OF their great founder.
Il If any thing more is necessary, to sub
I stantiate the correctness Of this charge upon
] the whig leaders, it may be found in the ex-
l. emption from taxation Of many millions oil
/ tho actual wealth Of the State invested in
State stocks. These stocks are yielding q
4 semi annual interest Of six and seven pei
cent, and are considered avery safe AND
i desirable investment, by our most wealthy
men; and many Of them have their fifties
II and hundreds Of thousands Of dollars invest
A cd in them. They are owned exclusively
i by the rich; and are consequently, exempt
4 Cd from taxation. It's confidently believ-
Z led, that more. than eight millions of thecap-
II ital Of the rich citizens Of Ohio, are invest
Z ed in these stocks. WilF Fsonneeof our swhig
Headers explain to us why the meney ot our
lrich men, invested in these stocks, is ex-
y enpted from taxation. st the same time
"A .f nY m