True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1856-01-16

amount Of taxatioD, but rather on such
an administration Of public affairs. as gu-
ded by proper spirit Of frugaliiy and
republican simplicity. discharges scrupu-
lously every duty essential to the public
welfare. Every financial transaction
should be subjected to the most rigid ac-
couutability, and all mi.applications Of
the public money be severely punished.
Public virtue is essential to the main.
tenance ofrepublican government. and he
| is the most dangerous offender who at
tempts 70 undermine or destroy it.
The people Of Ohio justly complain
Of high public ex.clions. They have
depuled you to reduce them. Every
property holder in the State enjoins this
upon you as your first great duty. But
reform, 10 be beneficial, must take the
right direction. To produce high taxes,
or TO connise at exorbitant fees and sala-
ries, is wrong but TO misdirect endea-
vors 10 correct public abuses is no less
miscbievous. Unmatured wholesale re-
ductions Of fees and salaries are sure to
be soon repealed. Such measures always
lose TO the people the real reform which
they demand. True reform 6rst ascer.
tains carefully where extravagaoce and
meiieasance exist. 1t Itexposes and corIecls
them. II screens no pubic abuse from
merited obloquy. and yet It shields from
unjust. sweeping cehsure. the upright
public servant. 1t examines into, and
therefore understands public evils, and
the laws which follow become, in conse.
quence Of their wise discrimination, the
permanent policy Of the State. s ,..
Questions arising out Of, and connected
with public revenue, have been vexations
in all ages and in all governments. They
are SO 10 ours. Taxes whether levied by
a monarch's arbitrary will, or through The
legal action of popular government, are
unpleasan, to those who pay them. The
number Of those who are anxious 10 share
The. expenditures of the government is
Tar greater than those who voldEicefto
contribute towards them Propositions t.
deplete the Treasury for objects Of spccu
lalion, ornament aud pride, and frequent.
ly more supporters than those Of acknoW J.
edged general utility. The revenue off
Ger who collects the taxes rendered ne
cessary in consequence Of some ll-advs
ed appropriation. isalways blamed, while
be who occasioned them. often escapes
the public censnre. The Constitution
wisely provides "that every law imposing
a lax shall state distinctly the object o.
The sames TO which onlyit shall be appli.
ed" II this provision in its full mean
ling and intent we're properly carried out
SO as TO enable the public to fix with Ger
tainly the responsibility of taxes upon
those who really occasion them, it would
to great extent, guard against inconsil.
crate public oullays. Prohigacy would
be earlier exposed and the required re
form appliedin season to prove a remedy
We should discriminate between the
mere machinery for the collection Of taxes
and the influences leading TO, and the au.
thorilies directing the levy. Ourievepue
laws should afford to the taxpayers ire
quent aud early opportunities to watch
Judge and direct our financial policy,
The fewer indirect and special taxes we
have the less chance there is to concea
Improper expenditures. and the more GER
tainly will Inc rise ami fall OF direct tax.
es indicate the financial quality OF oul
government. We are rapidly approaching
The period when our direct property tax
alton will afford such indications, unles,
we purposely counteract this tendency. -
Special taxes are becoming imperative
their levy indeed being Of doubtful con
stitutionaliiy. The exlraneous reve nues
10 the State Treasury are likewise con-
stantly Diminishing. and nearly all our re,
sources will soon have to be derived from
The grand duplicate. We shall then. will
greater certainty and simplicity in oul
finances. have the unerriDg index aboy,
alluded to. s
IDe constitutional provision upon the
subject isa guaranty against arbitrary
taxation. Heretofore such a guaranty
has been secured 10 corporations alone
through judicial interposition now they
and the people equally enjoy il by con.
stitutiohaI rule. Ia other Governments
the taxing power is without limitations
in ours it Is restrained to a property tax
The power to borrow is also wisely con.
fined within very narrow limits. Under
such system financial abuses cannot be
long concealsd, because the amount oi
taxation will indicate to each tax payer
the degree Of economy and wastefulness
that may at each period charac.erze the
sGogernment. The fact that taxes are
one thing, the tax law another, will then
become apparent 10 all; and we will look
10 the General Assembly. andto the local
authorities Of the State. for reduction
Of taxes, ralherthan 10 Executive officers.
Any attempt TO reduce the taxes in the
aggregate by mere change in The mode
and manner Of collecting them. will prove
as futile as an analiempt to change The wea.
thsr BY breaking the barometer. Real
retTeDehment, TO have a lasting effect,
must spring from and be maintained by
General Assemblies whose economy aud
wa,ehi0Iness shall rtAecl he wishes Of "a
fFuesl and enlishtpned nsople. sl,siser
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