The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1867-08-29
Making an aggregate of annual
toxotinn Of ...

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taxation of .-.-...--...-.--... i'39s w
which is more than II per cent OH the
assessed valuation of property, and
equals a tax of $40 upon every man,
woman and child in the State. and more
than 500 upon every voter.
This brief statement shows that taX
alton has reached point largely be-
yOnd the entire nett earnings of the
whole people, and is absorbing the CAPT
tai with fearful rapidity. No
argument is needed to establish the fact
that such an extent of taxation cannot
be permanently endured. 1t is no long
er matter of choice, but ability. The
people have borne these eXactions with
unexampled patriotism and patience,
but they have II right to demand, and
your committee believe do demand from
this Convention, some alienation from
present and protection against future
burdens.
This is most startling exhibit, and
the remarks OF the committee touching
the fearful consequences surely to ell
sue, are equally as applicable to our
own State, as to theirs.
Let it be remarked too that the
above report is made upon the financial
condition of one of the most prosperous
States in the Union, one to which all
the rest pays tribute, containing within
IT'S borders the great commercial en-
porium of the Union.
From the close of the war we have as
serted, and shown to our readers that
the people of this country are taxed far
beyond their entire earnings after
bare subsistence of the most frugal
kind. The politicians of the silly puri-
tanical negro party in this State have
persistently denied the truths, which
their more candid brethren in New York
are forced to admit. We have frequent
ly asserted, and dare the world to show
the contrary, that the entire earnings
of no people OH earth, of like numbers
and condition of ours, after n bare sub
siStence has ever been equal to the tax
es, Federal, State, Municipal and all
Others, that are imposed upon us. This
New York Report acknowledges it. But,
says Mr.. Shocks, they have done it, and
reduced the principal of the public debt
by great miny millions of dollars. We
tell you Mr.. Shocks, they have not done
it. Your bond holders agents and Your
politicians have deceived and cheated
you. True the taxes have been paid,
with deprecated currency to be sure.
worth but seventy cents Oh the dollar,
Reduce your Greenbacks to Gold and
your taxes would be 40 per cent. more.
But you haven't paid them even in green
backs only rs you have borrowed large
part of the money, and from abroad.
You have not done it even upon an in
flated currency of more than u thousand
millions, all told, without overdra vi ing
on your balance-of-trad account for
many hundreds of millions year from
all the European countries with which
you have commercial intercourse.
How then do You expect to do it when
You shall have returned to your much
boosted specie payments, on currency
of less than $500, 100000 of National
Bank notes, and with the whole curren
cy in the hands of few Shylocks, act
ing in concert and by command, with
power TO expend and privilege to con-
tract as may best suit their political
schemes or financial convenience? How
ever their banks come tnmbling down,
as tumble they will from their own in
nate rottenness or from the crushing
pressure upon them without, by the re-
turn from their European holders of the
thousand millions of federal bonds and
other securities which the balance of
trade has taken there. Only last week
we showed that the foreign balance of
trade against New York City alone for
the seven months just past, from January
LIST to August LIST, was Slsl,Oll 1872 in
greenbacks, besides the millions
that we know have found their
way there contrabaud, through the
corrupt connivance of Federal officers.
The imports into the United States
foI the calendar year of 1866, according !
to the New York Economist (Republican)
aggregated about S4S5 ,0O0,0O0 in gold
values, which, with the premium added,
amounted TO about S625, 900 900 in green |
backs, while our total exports for the
year exclusive of specie, were only |
about S175, 000, 600 in greenbacks. 49,
This, however, is exclusive of the
hundreds of millions of eontraband
goods, which altogether would show a
frightful column of figures to represent
the balance of trade against this coun- !
try. And this balance may be set
down as pretty fairly representing the
taxes our people have been forced to pay |
over the amount of their current earn
ings. 'ea-l
Now, how long the payment of such
ruinous taxes can 60 on under a con-
currency-and bankruptcy ort
be ayoided-cannotb be posi-
lively determined. BIT it will not be |