The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1855-11-28
FUSION PROFESSIONS AnD FUSION
PRACTICE.

Never in the history of Ohio politics
were the opposition to the Democracy 50
profuse in tleir promises Of retrench-
ment and reform :, as ia our last State
campaign. We were told By Fusion
speakers that our system of taxation was
unjust-that the high taxes were the re-
suit of the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Of our
State oficers-that the salaries of the
State officers were too high, and that the
per diem of members of the Legislature
ought to be reduced. These, and q
thousand-and-one other imaginary evils,
we're held up before the people, and prom
Uses were made, plenty as leaves in An
tun, of r~etrenchment and reform. In
vain did Democratic speakers and press.
es warn the people of the incincerity OF
these promises. Elect them they would
land they will ere long be compelled to
lat the bitter bread of repentance.
Now that the election is over, the
people are coolly told by the Xenia
ATorchlight, a rabid Fusion paper, that
+ they expect these promises to be full
lied, they must PREPARE FOR
DISAPPOINTMENT The G0lum-
sus EEsrator, another CnAsE paper, says
That " if all the money actually expen-
He'd for State purposes were stricken
from the levy, the change would scarcely
;be perceptible !" and then adds with I'M
fparalleled impudence, that the man is
a KNAVE or FOOL who pretends to
expect relief from the next Legisla-
turep =, The Cleveland Herald wants to
increase the salary of the State Audit
or to three thousand dollars per annatn',
and also proposes to further "retronch
and reform J" by building the Governor
a mansion at Columbus, with a gorgeous
" East room - in it, to cost Gfty thou
sand dollars! and the Cincinnati Ga
Sette seconds the motion. The State
Journal, the Black Republican State
Organ, thinks that the salaries of the
Supreme Judges ought to be increased,
and that the per diem Of members of the
Legislature is httle enough! And to
cap the climax, we are universally told
that the only reforms that can be efee-
ted or that they will attempt to make,
viii be to sell the Public Works of the
State, and to pass a LAW restricting the
taxing powers Of focal authorities An
other such a set Of graccless liars. can't
be found cut of PurgatOry-
But these promises of /" retrenchmeut
and reform" were not the only ones they
made to the people. Tho tax law, said
they, is unjust and oppressive. 1t taxes
men upon what they osce, as we'll as up
on what they own. Democrats said that
the Supreme Court had decided that tho
present mode was the only mode known
to the Constitution, and that therefore
the tax Law could not be changed. No
such thing, said the Fusionists. Elect
us and well change the tax law, and the
Constitutions too, if necessary. In they
went. Now hear how the Xenia Torch
tight talks after the election
as.The rule of taxation in tins country
is to tax all real estate and chattle prop
erty according to its full value, WHEREBY
er found, and without regard to the
condition or circumstances of its ewner.
or without permitting any deductions,
on account of Indebtedness. Nobody
proposes to alter this rulci But trad>rs
and business men demand that THEIR
debts shall be deducted from their mon
eys and credits, or otherwise they will be
taxed on what they owe. This may be
tfue-but il is ne more true in their
case than in that Of farmers, and the
owners of horses, cattle. &c. Why a
deduction of debts should be allowed on
moneys and credits and not on houses,
Hands, &c, We confess we are not very
well able to see. and zee hare no hesita-
itton IN saying SO.
1Under tho new constitution. the Leg
.~islature may by law EXEMPT from taxa
%tion, the property of individuals net ex-
ceeding two hundred dollars in value /;
but it requires the return of all property,
Il dNO WudS may NC C&ctnp t60 anu al
moneys and credits for taxation, and
specially FoRBrDs any reductions. The
act Of 1852, which admitted of deduc-
%tions,s qcas unquestiona6ky contrary
TO HE constitutional requirement, and
the Supreme Court was right in SO de-
feiding. This fact is now, we believe,
aveyy generally conceded.
eeTo remedy the supposed wrong, some
stof our Republican brethren propose an
aanendment of tho constitution. We
Hope, however, that the Legislature uiH
submit no such propositions 10 the people.
Hf CANNOT BE ADOPTED 1T OUGHT
mot TO BE, and therefore its discus
ssion would do the Republican cause no
good. The amendment ought not to be
sadopted because its effect would be TO
increase the burden of taxation D
those who are already sufficiently op-
preesed5the farmers and mechanics Of
the State the owners of lands, and hou.
ses, and lots, and to relieve the mercan.
Little and monied interests from an equit.
fable share of the burdens of Govern
tment -
Were it not that the Torchlight is
known as one of the leading Fusion pa.
lpers of the State, and it's editor fully
competent TO write his " articles, we
should be inclined to charge him with