Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1855-09-25
From the Belfontan Gazette, lWhig)
Taxes !..Whence do they Arise !.-Who
is Responsible

Everybody knows that taxes are grcvious
burden. Everybody knows that they amount
to per cent on his property equal to the av'r.
age rate of interest paid on money in England
viz: two or three cents on a dollar. Every
body erimb e; and scoids about it, and climei-
Gus for reform Everybody knows that some
body is TO blame--lhat there is mismanage-
ment somewhere. But as to who is blamabl @
or where the blame rcsts. there seems to be
very vague and indefinite apprehension. Some
think the Catholics are in fault and that our
b. avy taxes result from the tOleration Of nunc'
ries; others suppose that they are attributable
TO the repeal of the Missouri Compromise and
many believe that The enormous am)unt ot
more than TEN MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IS
exhausted in the maintenance OF The Stale
Government. The truth is, the people, as
mass, have grOaned under their oppressive tax
alton without making any directed effort 10
learn why and how they are thus leeced.
The physician mast know the seat OF the
disease, and something OF its nature, before he
can proceed intelligently to eradicate 1t from
the system; and it is quite as essential that the
people should be advised OF what is wrong, ard
wherein wrong exists, in the political system.
before they can begin the work OF reform with
any prospect Of success.
Bear in mrd: The grand aggregate OF tax
alton in Ohio is SO .092, ,339 so. (Nine milo
ninety two thousand, three hundred and lhlr-
ty. nine dollars and fifty cents
The expense Of the State government proper
for lS5i-including The salaries Of State Off
GERS, the maintenance of the public ins,ilu-
tons the appropriations for the erection ol inc
Slate Eonse, the new lunatlc asy Inns, &c.
are only six hundred and six thousand and fry
dollars In other words, the expense OF the
State Government salaries of officers, c'iarila-
al met, h,,,l
charges only constitute ONE FIFTEENTH part OF
the more than NINE MILLIONS of taxes
which we pay! What becomes of The remain
der?
Why, for principal and interest of the State
debt we paw little more thau million OF dol
lars; and the State ,mmon School and LIBRA
r, Tax amounts to million and third more.
But st.ll, this makes in the aggregate only ONE
THIRD of the total amsunt of taxes. Were this
all, the people would have no reason to Com
plain of exhorbtant tayation.
We have It II two-;hirds of our taxes to ac-
count for. After paying literally for the sup
| port OF the Slate Government. aftei munlhcent
| appropriations for the erection of public bull
ding, and then, after paying in addition double
this amount in liquidation Of the public debt
twice the aggregate amount is still exacted
from the people.
The secret of oppfess We taxes is 10 be found
in our loose and inconsderate system of local
taxation.
The taxes in Ohio fer 1856, imposed by 10.
cal uthoriiies-township, city town, and
school district officers, acting under and direct
ly amenable TO our own constituents and tn
tirey Independent of Stale control-the lakes
so imposed amount to six millions, fourteen
thousand seven hundred and thirty -eigat d /.
lars
These facts will do to think about.