The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1865-06-21
Taxation!

This is something with which we are
to become familiar, though not by any
means an agreeable acquaintance, wheth-
er we will or not. Internal Revenue di.
rect and indirect-speci6c and general
State, County, township, School, &c., &C..
make now very considerable item in
the out-lays of great majority Of our
people Every individual is hunted by
one class Of assessors, and required to
cast up his accounts, and take an invoice
Of his worldly effects, that he may pay in
proportion to what he has, and every in.
dividual is hunting for another class Of
assessors, that he may report his income
from all sources-even down to the
minutest particulars, and that Of his wife
and children, that he may be taxed. And
every individual must, once, twice, thrice
and perhaps oftener in each year, go to
the Collectors office, and liquidate the
amount standing against him.
In Democratic times, and under, as it
was called by the party opposed, Demo-
cratic misrule, the indirect tax paid for
defraying the expenses Of the General
Government, was almost imperceptible,
and the direct and local taxes scarcely
one.fourth what they now are, there was
terrible cry Of ertrduagdncs, excessive
taxation, and for retrenchment and re-
form. Now the scenes are chauged-we
are not having Democratic rule, but re-
trenchment and reform and our State and
Local taxes are increased to four times
what they were. And instead Of from
seventy to ninety millions, us the ex-
penses Of the General Government, an.
nually, we now have three hundred and
sixty Eve millions, or one million Of dol
lars day, aud this without any prospect
of diminution. This is estimated as the
future annual expenses Of the Govern
ment, including the payment of interest,
but including calculations for the pay
ment of the principal.
With this annual estimate to be paid,
along with the enormous amount OF prin.
cipal debt, if the theory of our would be
wise statesmen be correct, make us the
most blessed people on earth.
This is to be paid, and paid by TAXA
TON.
In the statement by another: "There
will be taxes upon oxports taxes npon
production, and taxes upon consumption
taxes upon active business, and taxes up.
on inactive capital taxes upon real, and
taxes upon movable property; taxes up
on everything that is eaten, drank oil
warn taxes upon the payer of money
and taxes the receiver upon the making
Of obligations, and upon the discharge oil
obligations 4; taxes upon pleasure and tax
es upon pain the joyful will dance to {
tax fiddle, and the suffering will sootht
his pains with bottle Of taxed medicine
The maiden will be made wife by au
| thority Of taxed license, and the dead b,
withholden from the grave until his coffir
bears seal which indicates how dear he
was to the Treasury, and hew reluctan
his country is to dispense with his ser
vices. Mans destiny will be to be taxed
he will be born into the field Of taxation
live to be measured by his fiscal produc
tiveness, and only escape the jurisdiction
Of the collector Of Internal Revenue
when he is gathered to his fathers"
So much for the change. That it ha
been for the better, we think there is no
any one prepared to admit. The cry 70
rctrenchment aud reform may be revived
The party that promised has the ins an,
desires to hold them; but jndgipg of it
meaning and Interpretation of the words
by its acts, we think the more retrench
ment and reform the people have, tn
worse they are of. One would DO in
clined to infer that whero the word RI
treuchment is used it is to be understoo
as increased taxation, and that where tn
wcrd reform is used, it is to be under
stood, ask no qaestions--pay Oitho,
grumbling.-Seaeca 4dverpser.