Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-09-29

The S.,esstitution of Ohio Provides
that United States Stocks Shall
Al Ee Taxed!
TheC Constitution OF the State Of Ohio, ar
8ticle XII, section . provides that "Laws
Pballbe passed, taxing by uniform rule,
allSnoueys, credit, s,iacesteents IN 6onds'stocks,
JOINT stock companies, or otherwise; and,
also, oil real and personal property, ac-
cording to its true value in money"
This provision contemplates the taxation
of all United States Bonds and Stocks. In
all fullness the subject Of the taxatiop of
United States Bonds and. United States
tStocks.was discussed In the Convention, that
framed this Constitution. By vote of 30
to AZ the amendment to provide forthe tax
alton Of estate and United States Stocks,p
was adopted, and the taxation section. as
thus amended, was ordered to be engrossed
by the same vote. When the section on
taxation was reported back from the COM
mittee on Revision, it was as 1t now stands
in the Constitution. Mr.. LAWRENCE, when
the report of the lcommittee on Revision
was presented, said:
"It will be perceived that the terms bonds
and stocks, where they first occur in the sec
tion, are now inserted In the place Of the
terms used In the original report, which re-
ceived the sanction of majority of this
Convention on several occasions. Why was
this change made? AS understand, and
as have no hesitation in saying 1t Is SCUM
derstood by this Convention, the change IN
phraseology was made TO obviate the tecknfc-
al objections of certain members, without
wishing or intending to change the sub
stance of the original report. lvoted at the
time against the change, believing as did,
that much of evil In future constructions OF
this provision would be the result. l now
only wish to say, Mr.. President that wish
a clear and unequivocal construction OF
those terms TO 20 out from this Convention.
then here, In my place, and In the presence
of the members Of this body, declare, as
the judgment OF this Convention, as pre-.
yionsly determined, that those terms, as
used ia this section. are understood, and
intended 10 be so understood TO mean UNITED
STATES Bonds AND STATE STOCKS" ',H,3e'' W.
No member dissented from this, opinion.
It was understood, and intended to be so UNI
derstood by the trainers Of the Constitution,
that United States and State Stocks, should be
tared.o How have the party in power in
ohio maintained the Constitution of the
State9 Governors TOP, BRoUGH and Senal
tors and members of the House Of Repre-
sentatives ofthe Ohio legislature on enter7
ing upon the discharge OF their respective
official duties, subscribed an oath to sup
port and maintain the Constitution of the
State Of Ohio, and yet these worthless, whose
sworn duty 1t was to see thatthe Constitu-
ton Of the State was in no particular in
fracted, allowed, contrary to a mandatory
provision of the Constitution, an immense
amount Of capital in the State TO be ex-
empted from taxation by Congressional en-
actment, without protest. o BEN. WADE,
JOHN SHERMAN, and Abolition members in
Congress from Ohio, also, countenanced this
outrage upon the Constitution of their State
by Congress. And now they, and General
Cox with them, say chat it is unconstitp-
tional to undertake to enforce the Constitu+
ton of the State of Ohio. The Democracy
of Ohio, with General MoRGAN at III their
head, say it is Constitutional this Is
one of its State Rights, which Gen. Cox
undertakes to decry as secession. or5.
After the Constitution had been adopted
In Convention, it was referred to the voters
OF the State for their ratification or rejec-
ton, and before they passed upon it, its
every provision was passed upon. lt1was
not then discovered to be an uncohstitu-
tional Constitution. It was reserved for
the Bondholders9 and their attorneys, in
1856, to make this discovery. General Cox
and the so-called "Uniono candidates for
the Legislature, by declaring that IT is un-
constitutional to tax United States Bonds,
id effect say that theyasa not be governs
ed by their oath to support the Constitution
of the State should they be elected. Are
the people willing longer to- confide their
interests to the control Of such men?-ioT