The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1866-07-27

ed amendments to ihe Federal Consli;u-
ton, the most important Of which relates
TO the clause concerning representation in
Congress and Presidential electors. BY
the third section Of the FIRST article Of the
Constitution, rs it stands at present, both
representation and direct taxation are TO
DO nPportionod upon the basis of popula-
ton. Thistso far as taxation is concert.
cd, is most unequal. II should be upon
the basis of property, and not number
Is it just to make tho two hundred
thousand people in Minnesota, who are
poor, largely in debt for their lands, and
whose wealth upon the tax duplicate does
not exceed City millions Of dollars, pay as
much direct tax to the Federal Govern
ment ms the two hundred thousand people
in Boston, who own some five hundred
millions Of real and personal property p
Where is the equality or justice IN com.
polling Ohio, with is one thousand mil.
lions Of property, 20 pay twice as much
direct tax to the Washington Government
MS the State Of Massachusetts,, which has
also lie one thousand millions Of property
on the inx.list =? Il is obliged TO do so at
present. because its population is twice
that Of Massachuse It's. In no other Gov.
eminent on the face OF the earth. that we
ever heard Of, did they make the poor
pay precisely as much tax ne tho rich,
which Is the case now under the Federal
Constitution. In its practical workings It
favors tho East, at tho expense Of TIE
West and South. The New England
States have comparatively small popula.
tons, but they have immense accumulated
wealth, which has been drawn from the
West and South by its tariff b%ounties and
navigation laws--by the protective system
that has poured into its lap hundreds Of
dollars, flchcd from other sections Of the
country, under n lhieving and false pre-
tense.
TIE leading Western States have now
large populations; but they are agricnlS
turists, and have not the concentrated
riches Of the stock-jobbing, manufacturing
and commercial East. The consequence
is that the West and the South must pay
upon their property two OF three times MS
much as New England. whenever direct
taxes nre called for. We can therefore
easily zee why New England presses dis
arrangement. 1t is wonderfully to her
interest. But can any one conceive why
Il Western man would do go a? II there
are my such, are they not opposed 10
the interests Of those with whom they
live-trailors to the communi, les in which
Ihoy re side ?
This question can not but be answered
in the affirmative. Now let us see how it
affects HE status Of parties Tho RAdi-
Gals as we have said, have proposed an
amendment to this clause Of the Constitu.
ton, where the inequality Of taxation OK
lists. But that amendment, while il
changes the basis of representation in
Congress, sill leaves the basis for taxa
ton upon population and not wealth.
This the Radicals do not pro pose TO dis
tut5. They are satisfied with il. The
Western Republicans in Congress vote 10
continue the present inequality. They
vote that ihc West shall pay two or three
times as much tax as the East on Tho
same amoun: Of property. They vote
that the poor shall pay equally with th'
rich.
The Republican State Convention il
Ohio makes n constitutional ~amendmen
which leaves The inequality OF taxation
unchanged the issue of the election. Thi
I is wha; we call upon the people to remem
o Der Mt the coming election.
t Our Western Republican members Ia
t on opportunity to tighten our taxatio
burdens. but they refused 10 do il. The
q deliberately act for a discrimination
/, favor Of New England, and against the.
own constituents. They are tied politi
; cally to the New England car. III
=" party to which they belong has its hea
in New England and its tail in the We
The latter wags according TO the wish
y the former. Under Republican polio.
Tho West must continue to be "hewcrs