The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1860-04-25

From the Ofiio Statesman.
ETOm INC OHiU otatesfnan.
The Finances of the State of Ohio.

The Finances Of the State of Ohio
: TIE cSadition Of stase 7Tsas,sS.
There is one fact known to the people q
the State ofOhio, and That is that there is an
{ nualI collected from them an enormou
amount OF money for the suppoft of the Stat
Governmeht. Wheeler the earth Yields he
fruit in due season or the crops fail, whethe
the business of the people be prosperous o
otherwise, the demands of the tax gatherer ar
: niade,and the people are compelled to NEE
/, them. The whole amount must be paid with
: out abatement, and We all know that there ha
D been a gradual augmentation Of: the taxes an
nuaHy collected from the people. Of this fac
4EesReed presentano proof@tos theztax payers
They all know it, in their own experience, t
be true. Every man in Ohio who owns a piec'
OF real estate, is aware that the demands upol
him IN, the shape of taxes, amount to a fai
rent upon his own property which he Is com
\ PEELED to pay for its use. ~ 4s.,- IN, Is.r
What disposition is made OF, the enormou,
sums drawn from the people in the shape Of
taxes, is not SO well known. Indeed there ap'
pears to be a mystery about the expenditure
OF the public money not easily unraveled. The
'Ipeople know that they, pay their taxes, but
they do not know how all the money is ex-
pended. Official statements and investigations
seem to be successful in producing confusion
Il anu nOtllnS else. 800 -..E- art-R -spaFs
The Republican party has claimed, and
iGey. Chase, Gov. Dennison and others have
asserted, that in the four years ending Novem-
Der I5th, 1859, (the four years of Gov. Chaseis
enthusiastically the State Government was
managed with remarkable economy and integ-
rity. They have ali claimed for this term that
it was q model to be followed in the future,
andTwhen compared with the e~xtfavagance of
the Democracy for the four years preceding 1t
Ira term ending November Is, 1S55-it con-
trasted most favorably. We are assured by
these Republican authorities that in Gov.
Chase's four. years there was expended in the
administrator of our affairs, s401, 165 80 less
than in the four years imm ediately preceding.
Ifsthis claim be founded in truth, there can
be no reason, that we can imagine, why the
public Golfers should not now be f1n, since du-
ring all of this term the total amount of taxes
was regularly collected from the peoples; and
in addition thereto, there was paid into the
treasury in 1856, bank taxes which accrued
prior to November Is, 1866, but the payment
of which was suspended, because of the suits
pending between the State and the Banks, the
sum of Si80,96l 20. 1t being an admitted
fact which no man can have the hafdihood to
deny, that the taxes of the people were regu-
larly collected from them during Governor
Chase's term-thats these taxes wereFas large
if not darger than they were ever. before, and
in addition that there was paid into the Treas:
uryin 1856, suspended Bank taxes which ac-
crued piror to- November Is, 1885, the amount
of S1s0,961 20, how does it. happen that the
Treasury is now bankrupt? Why should it be
SO, and what Is the cause of it? 1t is alleged !
by these Republicans that the Democracy were
very extravagant for the four years immediate
ly preceding Gov. Chase's term but yet they
paid as they went, and they collected no great
err sum annually from the people than was col
ieoted during his term. The claim for extra
ordinary economy set up by the Republicans
for Gov. Chase's administration cannot be true,
or if it be, then a Large amount of funds be-
to the State of Ohio must have mys-
disappeared, or the Treasury WOULD
not aoso be compelled to- turn ascay the public
scithout paying their just demands
Tbs announcement which we made some
weeks ago1that the Treasury of Ohio was un-
able to eay the current demands against it, has
eur cotemporary of the Ohio State
to attempt an explanation of the ex-
traordinary condition of the Finances, and it
has unwittngly made some singular develop
meats In that paper of the l2th instant, it
is said that p ai[55 @1JE ISL n
eLast year {1859) the Legislature adjourned
On the 9Th of April. By the middle of that
general revenue fund was exhausted.
The Comptroller, on the 18th Of April, drew
upon the Treasurer of Hamilton county for
$4,000, which was paid. On the 7th of June
draft on the same officer for $15,O00i
was made, and promptly met. By the 25th of
June, drafts on various county treasurers to
The amount of s105,44S 27 had been made,
nd the proceeds paid out. And before the
county treasurers came in to settle in August, I
the se%mi-annual system there had been :
from them and used in the treasury,
he sum of S180,557 or. This was all in adj: 4
'ance of the period where it properly belonged.
Of course, when in August, the county treas
lrers made their settlements, they presented
he drafts of the Comptroller upon them in :
of the general revenue fund, due !
rom them, which they had previously paid; |
nd at the close of'the settlements the treasury !
vas in about the same condition it was in April. c
$50 soon as the full payment of taxes com
nenced, the Comptroller again began to draw a
pom the Treasurer for general revenue. On
he 2dof November he drew for s22, 600. On =
be 28th of November he drew for 1857 600. .
md before the February settlements began, :
e had drawn from the County Treasurers the
Inn of $240,240 80, or nearly a quarter of a
lillion of dollars. These sums were required u
!, pay the appropriations of the Democratic
legislature of 1859. They were applied to
nat purpose They were just SO much drafts d
pom the funds that ought to have been in the a
reaSuTy lot tHe CuFTeHt expenses OF lOOU.-
heir use for the expenses of 1859, leaves the
reasury destitute of general revenue this
BRING. 1t is now in precisely the FIX it was a
ear ago. 1t must depend upon the tolls of
lie Canals, and the proceeds Of the %peniten- p
airy labor to keep the Benevolent Institutions Il
operation till the County Treasurers begin {
collect some of the taxes due in june. The o
comptroller will then draw upon them In adj st
rnce of their settlements, and their drafts will d
paid. When they come to Columbus to "
tile in August and September, they will II
them, with which they will pay the amount S
le from them to the general revenue. And nj
the general revenue fund will be exhausted &c
ain, and the same process will be gone over pi
ain and again, till something is done to re- p'
enish that part of the State Treasury" m