The Democratic sentinel and Harrison County farmer. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1851-1852, 1852-06-16
Forlhs Sentinel.


preceding numbers. | saw several attempts
made by Mr.. Hatton to cry The present tax
law down. as unjust and unequal; for which
purpose he uses mostly the editorial scissors
instead of his own head and pen. The arti-
cles referred to do not boast of much bl ain.
but seem TO make pretension TO wit; and if
Mr.. Hatton does actually acquiesce and sub
scribe to the meaning Of those articles. his
name does not indicate his editorial ability,
"Hatt-on, for he viii not receive congrat-
ulations for his skill, and nobody will take
has Hat Of as 4 sign of acknowledgement for
geniIs. But the tax law. o the awful tax
law. Yes, t WAS an awful Law, the old tax
law, full of inequality and injustice In the
exemption of said law were not chickens
and eggs enumerated? But did those men
who appear now to be 50 very scrupulous a
bout not fulfilling the law, it they do zot say
and mention "chicke." ''chicke,' severaI
times before they will take the oath, that to
the best of their knowledge and belief, they
have all given in to be taxed what the law
requires; so scrupuious under the old law?
The Tiffin Wing does, according to the Re-
publican of June 10, cry about a fop who
sports gold watch and chain, and drives
his horse and carriage over roads constructed
by the poor man, and pays no tax, whilst
the poor man with his family on forty acres
of land worth 5000 is taxed upon every dol
lar gift. This appears to be unjust to the
above paper. But has the poor man not the
same advantage of the law, when he has
personal property to the amount of 5000;
and is it the business of Government to pre-
scribe the article of clothing and fashion
what men should wear? The usurpator,
Louis Napoleon, dare not attempt to do so
but the above mentioned papers would, it
appears, ii 1t was in their powe'. That the
tax law is not perfect we admit, for we short
sighted creatures are not able to make per-
feet law: but the present tax law comes
nearer to perfection, justice and equality than
the old law OF the wings, and the whig edi-
tors know it too, for they dare not shelter
themselves behind it, nor even compare it
with the present.
The author of communication in the last
Republican says "the law is corrupting," >"
for he knows of persons having all the usual
appearance ofliving comfortable, ETC., hav-
ing horses, cattle, hogs, sheep, chickens. dogs,
etc, and by sort of legerdemain pay no
tax, because the father, sons and daughters
each own some of the stock on hand, which
could be purchased ofthc father on the next
day after the assessor leaves, etc, and attri-
butes the dishonesty of the above indi ,idual
TO the law. think the law docs require an
oath to avoid abuses, and if such individual
will make the oath, can any law cause him
to swear to the truth? Any law will suffer
improvement, nothing here is perfect, and if
those "Solons" are able to make improve
mcnts, am sure it will be received gladly.
But is this present lwnot better than the
last? | think it is more just and equal
Take an instance of two men, Who having
each ST 900 to lay out. A goes out and
does buy for his 81 900 five hundred sheep
at SO per head. B purchases 10 fine but
poor horses at 3 100 per head. A keeps his
sheep until shearing time to get the wool
and then scllthe sheep. B keeps his horses
Il few weeks to improve them, and then puts
them into market. During this time the as
SCISSOR comes to them to assess their proper
ty under the whig tax law. B shows his ten
horses which have been considerably impro.
we'd, and the assessor values them at y 100 q
piece. Now AS sheep arc also produced,
the assessor values each noked sheep (the
law cxempting the wool growing on them,
at SOC per sheep, (ahigh estimate in Harri-
son county, for sheep have been rated from
so to 75c only, makes 500 sheep at G0c per
head, 81 o. Here is whig justice and whig
equality. A is worth $1,000 and the law
requires only for tax $400. His neighbor
B is not worth more than A but has to pay
tax for vi 900. A young man purchases
dray or wagon, harness, and two horses, all
for $500, and owes 500 of that. He COM
mences draying Or hauling to earn a livcli
hood. The old law exempts nothing, but
makes him pay tax for $500, although he
actually owns only 5000, and is in debt for
the other hundred *.@
For the Sentinel.
The editor of the Republican last week