M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1855-03-30
Our Taxes.

Citizens Of Vinton, now is the time
to select men in your different Town,
ships, for the purpose OF serving you
another year; this is the time to raise
the question, Will these men that aln
going to vote for, be cautious in levy
ing our local taxes? BY recent legis.
lation the local taxes are raised to a
considerable extent by our township
officers, hence, the Importance OF hav>
ing good Democrats to fill these posts;
after next Monday it will be too late.
We clip the following remarks from
the Ohio Statesman, and believe them
applicable 10 our citizens; the questions
suggested are well worthy Of your con.
slderation:
"What is the exact and entiIe system
Of finance a t present in o9eration2 What
are the reasons of its peculiar form2-
What objects is it designed to accom-.
plish? What is the legitimate purpose
of general or local taxation2 How far
fatal does our existing system depart
from those objects7 What obligations
rest upon us, justifying such departure
ifany there be? How nearly consistent
with those obligations, can we appro&i
mate the system truly adapted to our
character as state? Are the almost
universal complaints of the people wei
founded? Can we BY an equitable ad
iustmeut of The whole subject of it, so
reduce the burden, as to allay public |
complaint Where lies the cause of the
evil in the goverEment,-is it in the
constitution, or is it in legislation un
der the constitution? Such questions
as these, and other which might be and
pre- daily propouded, must engage public
attention. A long and heated war of
words as 10 who has brought on the
trouble, we repeat, is very far from the
proper purpose. Such a controversy we
shall not court; but if truth should rem
der it necessary, we shall not hesitate to
bear such a share in it as we may deem
due at our hands.
We believe, let US say frankly, that
the taxes are too heavy--that the mur
murs Of the people are grounded on good
cause, and therefore should not be trea t
ed with contempt-and we further be-
lieve that remedy can be found We
believe that our people are taxed far
more than is necessary; and We firmly
believe that the causes are both consii
tutional and legislative; whether ad.
ministrative or not, is matter for fu.
ture consideration. The time is al hand
when the subject must be taken up,with
candor and with courage. This is de-
manded by men Of all parties, and Of
every degree OF fortune. 1t cannot Ion
ger be evaded, and that party which re.
fuses to grapple at olce the questions
both of the necessity and character Of
reform, will find itself far in the rear Of
popular action. 1t is :ime for the Dem
ocratic masses to look the crisis fully
and fearlsssly in the face, and to treat it
with the seriousness becoming its digni-
~ and importance. 1t will be our task 4,
from tine TO time, to talk with our rea &.
ders upon it, fully apprecating the diff
iculties which have been made to un
necessarily surround it, yet feeling in
those very difficulties an additional in
centive to its solution. We shall talk
plainly. No good purpose can be sub
served by approaching the subject with
timid steps. Wherever an unnecessary
addition has been made to the tax list of
the citizen, in our opinion, we shall say
80, and furnish whatever has operated
on our minds as proof, as a reason for
looping Off so mnch Of the burden. !;
is in this spirit alone that the subject
should be treated, and will be treated, in
our columns"