The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1851-01-23
(FSr the Journal.

says "we may be justly proud Of our n'ue
county, in view of the manner in which she
meets her obligations. We may be, and
are, justly proud III her; and if all the coun-
ties in the State had been of the same metal
as little Vanderburgh, our State would never
have had fixed upon her the stigma oil repu-
tatien. Indiana always was, is now, and ever
will be able to meet her obligations. And
but for the iaithless howl of high taxes'-
"we can't pay %" we are taxed beyond en-
durance "-"down with the taxes" &C.,
which was set up by demagogues all over the
State, Indiana would never have been dis
graced; but would have maintained posi- |
ton as exalted as that of the proudest State
Of the Union, through the monetary crisis, in
which for the want Of an honest effort to save
her, she sunk in shame and degradation.
While you. correspondent Iauds little Van
derburgh, and says "nothing is better calcu-
lated to keep capital out of apIace than high
taxation" he adopts the means best caIcu-
lated to acquain; the world with the fact that
we are taxed numerically. In the columns
of newspaper OF wide circulation, published
in our own city, he complains that our city
and county expenditures are too great, and
suggests that, perhaps it is because we pay
so well that our city and county fathers tax
US so numerically" He is, no doubt our
friend, but if high taxes are an evil, an enc
my could not select better weapon than his
letter.
Are his complaints and suggestions of this
character likely to do us any good? If they
were well founded, prudence would suggest
the propriety of uttenng them with compar-
alive privacy. in the ears of our own citizens.
that they might remedy the evil, before ts
existence was known abroad to such an ex-
tent az to prevent capital from being brought
here. Our taxes are high, in comparison to
those of counties and villages around Us, but
they are not high as compared to those Of
other counties and cities which are prospecting
as ours are. II is because ipe pay ta.res, and
pay them promptly andliberaiiy, that we are
prosperous as community; and it is as alb
/ surd to expect corn to grow and yield good
5 crop without cultivation, as to expect a city
or county to become populous and wealthy.
without taxation on liberal scale. Such ex-
| pectations never were, and never will be re-
. allied.
There are those who would not consent to
be taxed at all; and others, WIN, tho not ex-
e actly willing, do not object to being taxed
{ barely enough to pay niggardIy stipends to
5 public officers, such as will work cheap and
G barely keep the government machine 10 mo.
: aPolis correspondent is one Of them) who are
y not content to drag out lazy listless exis.
tence, and wait for little Vanderburgh, and
the pocket city, to be drirea forward by the
'orce oil their superior commercial position
Such men are in the majority with us, and to
them we owe the circumstance that little
: Vanderburgh, the smallest county in the
State, perhaps, save one, averaging abou,
l2a miles wide by 20 long, has the smales,
delinquent list and pays more taxes than any
county in the State, except Allen, Jefferson,
TipPecanoe and Wayne.
But your correspondent complains not alone
that the taxes are too high, but also that they
are rendered SO by making improvements
that might we'll be left for those who shall
J come after u.s." What improvements Of this
character have been made at the public cost.
; especially in the city?" We have wharf
+. of more than 1900 feet in length, and unsur-
passed by any on the Ohio or Mississippi
5 Should that have been left Tor those who
shall come after us 1t is acknowledged by
all to be not only judicious but profitable
work. And what sort ola city would ''those
who shall come after US" have found here
withoutit2 The construction Of the wharf
0 rendered it necessary, that the streets run
r Mug at right angles with the river should be
graded and the great number Of wagons
: drays and constantly traversing those streets
: rendered it necessary to have them covered
: with plank, stone or gravel.
1t was necessary also to grade streets else
where, in order to keep pace with the rapid
growth OF the city. There was no aterna-
y tive but to grade, or say to the citizen wish.
> ing to improve his property, "bulId your
house OH the face Of the earth as 1t is, and lie,
those who shall come after US. if they please
cut down the street, and leave your first floor
= ten feet above the street, or fill up, and bury
:. your house up to the top Of the door," II
: was necessary, also, to have market house
fire engines, and engine houses. and csterns
These are the works which. in connexion with
the Railroad have rendered it necessary to
levy high taxes. The wharf is completed