The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1856-01-17
Value of towns q. LAO, ,622 .943 las .596, ,754
Value of chattels. .297 ,06l ,572 263,0lS,el5

4 i
So, ,O77. .601, ,4G 6; and for 1855 $2, 1874
807, 81 6.
The total County Taxes for 1854 were
2.725, lT6, ,94 8. and for 855 $9. .762,-
t305,02 8. The total township. city and
special taxes for 1854 were $3.O72. .428,-
60 g. and for 1855 2,943, $500 o.
Delinquencies and forfeitures for 1854
were S2l7,1l2,75 7; and for 1855 were
$493 78l.353. The total local taxes for
ll85l were S6. .0O4, 1873, ,O8 o; and for 1855
$6.199 7O1, ,38 /. The total taxes on
duplicate for 1854 were 5000. 337, 40 z;
and for 1855 1854 5ll 80 7.
was anxious to present in tabular
/ Statement such detailed Information in
reference to our county, township and
| city transactions, as would enable the
people to comp ire their own local admin
istra ions with those of other portions OF
the State. | found, however, that this
was not attairable at the seat of govern
meut without much labor. and certain ad-
ditional fac S which those organiza ions
themselves can alone supply. Existing
laws provide for the publication at home
Of the amount of their lev les, e'llections
and expenditures; but it would greatly
facilitate the object il view fthe affairs OF
each county township and city admins
tration were annually published in con
densed form. for general information
throughout the State. "aa.'-t
| Such comparisons and suggestions
would naturally spring from these expo
sitious as would gradually lead to The
adoption Of the desired restraints upon
their action, and eventually TO more heal
THY legislation on the subject f.
/ OF the fees of county. township and O.
! ther local officers, no account appears to
be kept which is accessible to the public
IA matter TO which | again call the at
-teniion of the General Asse ,bly and re
specfully suggest that law be passed re-
curing every public officer, co.npensated
by fees, TO keep an. accurate account Of
his receipts and expenditures, and trans
nit die same TO the appropriate depart
ment atth seat of government. with al
view that general synopsis OF such ac
counts be published once year f,,r the
fees are generally luc' ative, and it-is be-
lieved that not less than two millions are
annually collected by fees from the people,
and can see no good reason why th~
latter should not be able to ascertain the
compensation which is severally achieved
| by their own agents. 1t is almost i'm
possible to secure proper legislation on
his important subject while SO little tang
ible information Is before the General
Assembly. '-.7
The proceeding statements contain, it is
believed, all the information that is nee
essary, with the accompanying reports
and exhibits, to enable you to see in what
particular divisions of the pu5ic service
and for what objects the exactinns are
improp. rly high. and where our efforts
should be especially directed to bring a.
bout reduction. The local causes which
have SO disproportionately swelled the
burdens of the people, you, coming from
all parts Of the Stvte, can no doubt ex-
| plain to each other
! In reference to these causes, however,
and especially the fees of the county and
other local officers. it would prove of
much assistance in your deliberations, if
in the early part of the session you would
order suitable inquiries to be addressed to
the proper authorities.
All will admit that the public burdens,
for government happily SO very crcum-
scribcd in its sphere as ours, are li2 h be-
yond apology. True, high taxes are not
of themselves conclusive evidence of bad j,
nor low taxes always proof OF good
government, yet the amount is matter
proper for comparative inquiry, especially
where the rise is sudden. Such exami-
nations lead to reliable information, both
AS TO the amount, and, which is a more
important point. the purposes to which the
money is applied. Sound poli'icalecono-
my does not rest on any sp cihc amount
of taxation, tut rather on such an admin.
istration of public affairs. as. guided by a
Iproper spirit of frugalily and republican
simplicity, discharges scrupulously every
duty essential to the public W, flare. Ev-
cry financial transaction should be sub
jected to the most rigid accountability,
and all misapplicatious ofthe public mo-
ney be severely punished.
| Public virtue is essential 10 the main
tenance of republican government, and
he is the offender who attempts to un Ter
mine or destroy it.
The people of Ohio justly complain of
high public exactions. They have depu
ted you 10 reduce them. Every property
holder in the State enjoins this upon you
as your first great duty. But reform TO
be beneficial, must tax. the right dl-
rection. To p oduee high taxes, or 20
connive at exorbitant fees and salaries, is
wrong; but to misdirect endeavors to
correct pub ic abuses is n, less mischiev-
Gus. Unmatured Who'll sale ducLions
/ OF fees and salaries are sure to be soon re-,
pealed. Such measures always lose to
the people the real reform which they de-
mand. True reform first ascertains care
fully where extravagance and malfcasanee
exists. II exposes and corrects them
1t screens no public abuse from mcrited
obioquy, and yet it shields from unjust,
sweeping censure the upright public SER
want. 1t examines into and therefore
understands public evils, and the laws
which follow become, in consequence o:
their wise discrimination, the permanent
policy Of the State.
Questions arising out Of and connected
with public revenue have been vexa,ious
in all ages and in all governments. They
are SO in ours. Taxes whether levied by
monareh's arbitrary will. or through The