The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1862-01-21


any one Justly complain of this. Why
should any one of our people claim that
he should enjoy all the benefits of civil
government and be exempt from its bur-
thens-that he should have all these ad-
vantages at the expense Of his neigh
bors ?
1t may be said that some are unable to
pay their taxes. This it seems to me is
erroneous. The amount Of tax each one
has to pay is in proportion to the proper
ty he has, the greater the tax, the great
er the amount of property from which TO
raise means Of payment. l am well con-
vinced that taxes are paid most prompt
ly by our farmers and by men of COM
paratvely small means, and that there
are very few of us who do not spend year
ly for articles of luxury which do not
promote either our health, our prosperl-
ty, or our happiness, more than the sum
required from us as taxes for the sup
port of the government that protects us.
The subject of revenue and taxation as
sumes graver interest and importance
at this time, for the reason that our State
is called upon for the first time since its
admission to pay direct tax for the sup
port Of the General Government. We
may expect to be called on to pay during
the present year Federal tax from 5000,
600 to 100000. This is rendered nee
essary by the heavy expenditures incur
red by the General Government in pre-
pairing to put down the Rebellion in GER
tain States of the Union. A resort TO
loans has been and must continue to be
necessary to meet these expenses, and
prudence and sound economy require
that the General Government shall not
be compelled to borrow money to pay
the interest accruing upon its loans. The
interes; upon loans made and to be made,
must be met by actual payment, and not
bv mourning further indebtedness. The
capitalists of the country have thus far
responded noblv to the calls made upon
them by the Government, and have Civ
ell it assistance and support as necessa-
ry as that rendered by the soldiers in the
field. Six hundred thousand gallant
men, of whom twenty thousand are from
our own State, are in arms, giving their
labor, their health, and their lives, for
the country, and now the call comes TO
us who are at home, and we are asked TO
give a little of our substance to the same
good cause.
/ have caused 10 be prepared from doc :
uments in the Office Of the Auditor OF
State, a table, hereto appended, giving
some interesting information touching
the taxes paid by pur people. 1t will,
perhaps, be a matter OF surprise to many
that the taxes for the support OF ;he State
Government bear so small n proportion
to the entire amount Of taxes paid 1t
appears from this table that the whole
amount of taxes for all purposes for 1861
was S1,700,00 and that of this amount
only $4,000 was expended from the
State Treasury for State purposes, while
81 400, 600 were expended from the sew
eral county Treasures for county and
other purposes. regard this table as
useful, for this among other reasons, viz:
that the people have been led to believe
that the great bulk Of our taxes was caus,
ed by the expenditures of the State Gov
ernment under appropriations made by
the General Assembly, and they have
been taught to look TO reduction of
State expenses as the means Of relief from
taxation. This table shows clearly and
conclusively that of every $500 paid by
the people of the State as taxes, but one
dollar reaches the State Treasury or is
issued for State purposes, while the 9TH
or S4.66 are retained in the counties and
used for county and other purposes.
would not desire our people to relax their
vigilant supervision of State expenses
but l am of opinion this information may
lead them 10 give as vigilant supervision
TO the expenditures OF their respective
counties. where equal vigilance is, in
my judgment, equally needed. 1t is ev.
ident from an inspection of the table,
showing the amount of taxes paid and
the purposes for which paid, that if il be
deemed desirable to decrease our presen,
expenditures by au amount equal or ap-
proximating TO the amount of taxes re-
quired by the General Government, much
the greater amount of such reduction
mustbe made in the taxes levied for 9th.
er than State purposes.
In some particulars the expenses oI
the State may be materially less for the
next than for the last two years. The
appropriation of Sl9, 500, for the Revis
ed Statutes, was temporary and will not
be again required. The amount appro.
priated for the past Indebtedness OF the
Peniteniiary, $50, 500, has nearly paid
that Indebtedness, and but a nomina
sum will be needed for that purpose
The amount appropriated for the genera
support Of the Prison has been so wei
managed that the amount thereof unex
pended is deemed by the warden sutic
lent for the next two years, SO that th,
amount of $4,000, appropriated at tht
last regular session for that purpose, ,neeC
not be renewed in whole or in part. O
the amount of $4,000, appropriated a
the last session for finishing aud furnis
ing the Centre and East wing of the In
sane Asylum, about $4,000 remain un
expended, which balance with 100000
now asked for, is deemed sufficient 4
complete the whole building So tha
the appropriation needed for construction
I Il = ~