Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-03-23
aLOYAL' MEN GETTING ALARMED AT THE
.ad is 90 INCREASING DEBT. aaR 4,sZ
Letter from Or. weitIng to his Party
y '"',N ''' Paper. 'Hp r." %
SYRACUSE, Feb. 8, 1864.

| ts-gIrae ,.. SYRACUSE, Feb. 8, 1864.
To the Editor of the Syracuse Journal: y
In your paper yesterday, an article ap-
| peared in regard TO the great war debt that
is accommodating, and the use the Copper
heads are making Of the fact to cripple the
Government and the vigorous prosecution
of the war. But what have you to say to a
very large class of us who are true to the
| Administration, true to the country, anX-
ious to have the rebellion put down, and in
favor of vigorous prosecution of the war,
but are getting alarmed at the immense
debt that is accommodating, and the great
burden that must very soon fall upon us,
because large very large amount of prop
erty is not taxed at all, and not likely to be
taxed? Why should the present law allow
a large class of men, with large personal
estates, to go untaxed? Why ydo we not see
an article in your paper occasionally i'm fa-
vor Of equal and just taxation? Why do
you not give us little encouragement to
hope, while we are bearing our burdens,
that all kinds of property will yet be reach
ed, and justice done to all? 1 l1fsY
Let me give you few illustrations of the
manner in which great many escape tax
alton almost entirely, and in many instan-
ces wholly: pen I.te 1J
lst. Mr.. A. has $4,000 (more or less as
the case may be), and, to enable him to
evade taxation, he will put itinto $40 Gov
ernment bonds. lHA e.
I'd. Mr.. B. makes in trade or speculation
$4,000, and he will put it into $40 bonds
for the same reason. But tor the war he
might not have made this money; yet, be-
cause the present law allows him to, he
evades his just share of taxation.
Sd. Mr.. G. has a yearly income of $1,000
q n
100000 of Government bonds and gives
his note tor the same and turns out the
bonds as collateral security. He will then
say to the Assessor, you must not assess me
anything, for it takes all my income to pay
the interest on the 100000 note l gave for
Government bonds. There being no tax
income from Government bonds, he in this
way, gets rid of paying any tax of this kind.
4th. Messrs. ID. E. +. and G. start Ma
tional Bank of $15O,0O0 in our city, have all
its advantages to do business in, and make
money; yet, when the Assessor comes around
to levy tax, they say to him, the law ex-
empts us, we shall not pay cent; and they
don't pay any tax.
9Th. Railroad companies raise the fare on
their roads, and gas companies raise the
price of gas, so as to throw their tax upon
theconsumer, who is already groaning under
the influence of excessive taxation. 1t is
so with many other things.
9th. | could give you other illustrations
but perhaps these are sufficient to show you
-as you doubtless have already seen-that
the Government has passed laws affording
loop-holes and opportunities for nearly all
the personal property of the country to
escape being taxed. s -...-r..--
The result will be, this immense govern
ment debt, as well as the large local or
county debt that is accommodating, will fail
upon the owners of real estate to pay--thus
crushing them, and rendering real estate
almost worthless. Is this right? Has not
the real estate owner done his share by
contributing money, and sending his rela-
tives and friends to fight for his country
Should then the burden of taxation fall al
most entirely upon him? Is the safety of
the country, and the perpetuation Of its in
stitutions, of any more Importance to him
than to a man who has everything in per-
sonal property? Has he any more to live
for? Why then should one be taxed inor-
dinately and not the other? Win you
please inform us, Mr.. Editor? Has not the
owner of real estate, however small in
amount, reason to be alarmed at this state
of things? 1t is estimated that from three
to fue millions of personal property will
escape taxation this year in our county that
has heretofore been assessed ..t
Very respectfully yours, r.a
..-y j. M, WEITING.