The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1855-08-25
!. from me BeliefounsaiH Gazette, (whlg.) *
TaxeS!-Whenee do they arIse!--
--.tt Who is ResnOnsihIe. .,-.

Everybody knows THAT taxes are a griey-
Gus burden. Everybody knows that they
amount to a per cent. on his property, equal
to the average rate Ofinterests paid on mon.
ey in Engfand-viz: two or three cents on
the dollar. Everybody grumbles and scolds
about il, and clamors for Reform. Every.
body knows that somebody is to blame
that there is acknowledgement somewhere
But as to- who is blaimable or where the
blame rests, there seems to be a Vefy vague
and indefinite apprehension. Some think
the Catholics are In the fault, and that our
heavy taxesresult from the liberation ofnun-
neries; others suppose that they are attribu.
table to the repeal of the Missouri Compro.
mise; and many believe that the enormous
amount Of more than TEN MILLIONS OF
DOLLARSis is exhausted in the maintenance
ofthe State Government. The truth is, the
people, as a mass. have groaned under their
oppressive taxation without making any we'll
directed effort to learn why and how theyare
thus feeeed.a .'siG.m st' asa.a .ss4 80
The physician must know the seat Of the
disease, and something Of it's nature, before
he can proceed intelligently to eradicate it
from the system; and it is quite an essential
that the people should be advised of what
is wrong, and wherein wrong exists, in the
political system, before they can begin the
work of reform with any prospect of sue
cessa-h, 'd.l.aa !r.A a.tb aennH.sol b.
Bear ia mind: The aggregate of taxation
in Ohio is 50. o92,339,5o. (Nine millions,
ninety two thousand, three hundred and thir-
ry-nine dollars and fifty cents.) .S a5.1
The expenses of the State government
proper far, l854--ineluding the salaries oI
State officers, the maintenance of the pub
lie institutions, the appropriations for the e'
rection Of the State House, the. new luna.
tic asylum, &c.,--are only six hundred ant
six thousand and fifty light dollars. In 9th
er words, the expenses of the State Govern
ment, salaries ofoficers, charitable instits
tions, public buildings, and similar charges
only constitute oNE-FIFTEENTH part of the
more than NINE MILLIONS of taxes which
we pay! What becomes of the remand
er! Sf@-'S'-' 91' Y ''2e ~t'. '"''''~'
Why, for the principal and interest Of the
State debt we pay little more than mill
ion ofdollars; and the State Common Schools
and Library Tax amounts to a million and
third more. But still this makes in the
aggregate only ONE THIRD ofthe total amount
OF taxes. Were this all the people woult
have no reason to complain Of exorbitan
taxation. '''.1> s''' - 'as+.+ +'@t&' q. ..' fa
We have still two thirds Of our taxes t.
account for. After paying literally for tht
support Of the State Government, after mu
nifcient appropriations for the erection Of
public buildings, and then, after paying in
addition double this amount in liquidation
Of the public debt, twice the aggregate a.
mount is still exacted from the people.
The secret of oppressive taxes is to b.
found in our loose and inconsiderate system
of local taxation.
The taxes in Ohio for 1854, imposed by
local thorites-township, city, town, anf
school district officers, "acting under and di
rectly anne ldable to our own continuants, ant
entirely independent Of State control"-th
taxes so imposed amount to six millions
fourteen thousand, seven hundred and thirty
! eight dollars!
These facts will do to think about.