Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-08-02
VOL. XXXIV..


the time the army had finished its work,
we might tonight be happy, prosperous
and united people. A 80 To- s.os
Mr.. Stevens, in substance, if not in words,
says, that if the Constitution of the United
States Is theoretically in the ten
Southern States, then all that Congress has
done us rank usurpdtton." 1t seems to me
that none but madmen can believe that the
Constitution is practically and "theoreti-
callyn dead in the ten Southern States. Is
it true that the Constitution has no claims
upon the people in those States? Why do
they require all officers there to swear to
support the Constitution of the United
States, if that instrument is not even "the-
oretically" operative there? The truth is,
that Stevens and others of the Radical
leaders, are plotting the establishment of a
despotism upon the ruins OF the free Gov
ernment our fathers bequeathed to u; and
the course pursued toward the South is
but the beginning of q terrible scheme
whichis to engulf the Government of our
fathers. i-tl
TAXATION AND EXEMPTIONS.
All honest men must agree that in COM
mon justice and fairness, all property aud
investments should bear an equal proper
tion of taxation and yet the Radical Lead
ers wholly disregard this righteous princi-
pie. They have issued already over two
thousand million dollars of national bonds,
OIL WHICH GuO IHuuSbTy-Lu0 SWed6 OI C06
country-pays annually an interest of one
hundred and thirty-nine million dollars
and a much larger amount must soon be
paid-while the rich bond-holders are ex-
empt from taxation. These bonds are prin-
cipally held by the rich, who have invested
only their surplus wealth, or part there-'
of, and are of all persons the most able TO
pay taxes. ----gsHa1i -s'l ,-.-u 7a5
I desire to call your attention to what the
present State Auditor, and candidate for
reelection, james HI. Goldman, said on this
very important subject l refer to execu-,
tive documents of 1856, pages 1889. He
says: "All exemptions In a free country
are odious, as derogating from common
rights, and casting the burthens of govern
ment of unequal proportions upon differ
emit classes of people. They are especially
unjust when applied to profitable moneyed
investments. Only the rich and those hav-
ing surplus funds can TO any extent avail
themselves of this class OF exemptions
Hence, the classes best able to pay, escape
taxation, whilst the taxes of the classes
least able to pay, are increased.
sThe exemption of u. S. bonds and Sc
curities from State and municipal taxation,
diminishes State and municipal revenues,
and adds to State and local taxation. with
out securing in times of peace any sub
stantial benefit to the United States Gov
ernment. - -i.-,- -.-
IA brief statement will show how griev-
ously these exemptions operate upon the
State and the large masses of the people.
There has not at any time within the last
two years, been less than one hundred mil
lions of dollars of $40 and 730 bonds,
compound interest and other treasury
notes, treasury certificates, and other Gov
ernmeht securities, held in the State of
Ohio, all of which are exempt from taxa
tion. Our average State and local taxes
have, for several years past, been about
two per cent. This, however, was eXcep-
tional, AND produced by the war. In the
future, the average rate will probably be
one-and-a-halt per cent. Computing,
therefore, at one and one-halt per cent,
the taxes on the S100.000,000 invested in
these securities would yield the State,
counties, &C., $1,500, ,000," (one-and-a-half
million dollars annually,> (which now has
to be raised by increased rates of levy on
other properly. And this without putting
one copper into the United States treasury.
This, though highly unjust to the State, is
not the only injury resulting from these
exemptions" In divers and multiplied
WAYS are these bonds made to screen par
ties from taxation, who ought, in common
justice, to be made to pay their pro rata
share of State and municipal revenues.
"We must therefore bear the evil tempo
rarily; but the times and circumstances
which produced the necessity having pass
ed away, neto bonds may be issued and sold,
subject to regular taxation, and these ex-
empted bonds taken up"
| This was said last year, and yet no effort
has been made by the Radical leaders to
relieve the laboring masses from the conse-
quences of these unjust exemptions. Re-
member, that according to the statement
of the State Auditor, if the rich bondhold-
ers of Ohio were taxed as the laboring peo-
ple are taxed, and as they may be and
ought to be now taxed, they would annu-
ally pay at least one million and half dol
lars in Ohio alone. This million and half
each year is now paid by the masses, and
principally by the laboring people of the
State. Was there eyer more glaring
piece of I'M ustice inflicted upon an honest,
| industrious people? The sweat of Ohio
annually paying one and half million dol
lars for the benefit of the rich bondholders
Thus the industry of the country pays
much more than its proportion of State and
municipal taxes. But how is it with the
national taxes and expenditures?
,f WHO PAYS THE NATIONAL TAX?
! The discrimination against the laboring
masses is only greater than in State and
municipal taxes. Very nearly the entire
amount. of the national taxes and national
expenditures are paid by the industry of
the country. For example take A. T. Stew
art, of New York city: He buys his i'm
/ ported merchandise, adds his income tax
|
the whole Investment; your Western mer-
chant pays that as the first cost of the
| goods, and brings them to your town and
| proceeds to mark them, and then puts
them on his counter for sale. He puts
down the price paid A. I. Stewart, adds
d, transportation, his own income tax (and a
/ little more), and then he adds reasonable
profit on the entire investment, and that is
tue price you must paysfer the goods. You,
4 the consumers, pay the income tax of a.
4 T. Stewart (and little more). the income
tax of your own merchant (and little
more), and that has been paid for the goods,
! Transportation and the profits thereon
You consume the goods, and that ends the
matter. The plain truth is that you have
paid all the national tax that was ever paid
on the goods. Merchants would be unfit
j for their business if they did not do as
have indicated. But the startling truth is
A that the consumers pay the national tax
i Again, before the war you could take your
wool to your manufacturer, who would al
j low you 371a cents per pound, and let you
have flannel at 81 cents per yard. You
received 81 cents. Now he will allow
you 80 cents per pound for the wool, but
i charge you 80 cents per yard for the fan
mel; thus you pay 361a cents on each yard
of flannel to make good to him his in
crease on wages, his income tax (and lit
tie more).
r. The fact that manufacturers and mer-
chants have been getting rich faster since
they have been paying income tax than
they did before, is quite reliable evidence
of the fact that they are not the losers by
it. The consumers pay it all, and the large
body of the consumers being laboring peo-
pie, therefore the national taxes and the
national expenditures, enormous as they
are, are principally paid by the laborer-
the sweat of the country.
And did you ever consider the fact that
you are grievously taxed to pay the ex-
mans bureau, civil rights, reconstruction
standing army measures, &c, the contem-
plation whereof should make an American