The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1867-10-01

'HI0. OCTOBER |, !St
Treasury that the Fund Commissioners
took from the Soldiers Relief Fund, he
no more violated the Constitution than
did the last Legislature when, by the ad-
vice of Nj. West and Mr.. Goldman, it
took the money of the widow and the or
phan for purposes not contemplated. Yet
in the case of Gibson the law made it
stealing. He was arrested, indicted, tried,
and by jury of his country pronounced
guilty of crime which would have sent
him to do the State some service in the
Ohio Peniteptiary, had he not been ena-
bled to get a new trial, pending which,
this same Mr.. West,as Attorney General,
aolItea the indictment, and the man pro-
nounced felon by the jury, is now pay
ing debt of gratitude TO Mr.. West by
urging the people Of 0hioto vote for him
for recollection as Attorney General, that
other rogues may 60 unWhipped Of JUS
tice.
In 1855, when the Democracy Of Ohio
we're defeated and the present Republican
party, then under another name, succeed
ed to power, the total amount Of State
taxes collected on the duplicate, sufficient
to provide for all its wants and pay of
the State debt as it became due, was but
So, ,754,897. In eleven years Of anti
Democratic rule the amount was increased
to S3,867 ,167, an increase of over $780,
060 per annuIn, and scarcely a dollar of
the debt paid The taxes for other pur-
poses than State, levied and collected in
the same years, increased under Republi-
can rule, from Sc, 199, ,704 to S15,001, ,27o
in eleven years more than double the
amount. For all purposes the tax dupli-
cate Of 1855, under Democratic rule, was
but s8,954,5f1, against SIG, ,868, ,437, in
1866, under the rule Of the party now ad-
vocating negro suffrage. The taxes lev
led in this Senatorial District, where no
State improvements have been made, form
a grieyous burthen ON the people. For
State purposes in Monroe County, between
the years 1855 and 1866, the State taxes
increased from Sl2,755 to s18,270-the
State taxes in Guernsey from s24, 365 to
S28, ,7S2, while the whole taxes, for all
purposes, most of it brought on by bad
local legislation, which the Constitution
attempted, but in vain, to prevent, ,swelled
during the ten years, in the counties Of
Guernsey and Monroe as follows: ~
1855. 1866.
Monroe. e...................$41, $50 $115,578
Guernsey. .3.........,.. 82,637 l12,074
Total. .$134, ,4S7 S227, ,652
Showing an increase in eleven years,
under Republican rule, of So, ,l65, which
the people of this Senatorial District
have to pay for the blessing Of being
ruled by party which has disrupted the
Union and robbed the soldiers, the wild
ows and the orphans,aud the school fund
and used the funds thus taken from the
pockets Of the people for other and differ
ent purposes than those which the Con.
stitution imperiously demands they shall
be used for.
In 1855 when the Democracy gave over
the power of the State to their opponents
with less taxes than has been raised since
that time, the State debt of Ohio, count
ing the money in the Treasury, $685.
499 ready to apply to its liquidation al
soon as it became due, as SO much deb
extinguished, was but $13,371 T96-ir
ieur years time, during state of pro.
found peace, in 1859, under Republican
rule, 1T increased to SIG, 100000 So ,62s,.
i293 of an increase in four years. During
the four years, counting from January
1852. ito January, 1856, under Democratic
rule, the debt was reduced $1,610, ,000--
during the next FIVE years, under Republi-
can rule, it was increased over So 500.
900. The entire debt of Ohio, notwith-
standing the large amount of money
raised by taxation, was reported by the
Auditor of State on the first of January
1866, at S12, ,902, oh 45-a reduction in
ten years Of but s45S,7S 16; while with
a less levy, less taxes, and less distress tc
the taxpayer, under Democratic rule, in
four years, between the first day of Jan.
uary, 1852, and January, 1856, the nem-
ocratic party wiped off an Indebtedness
of S1,6l0, 461-in each year reducing The
debt nearly as much as did the party now
In power during their. eleven years Of
misrule.
These facts should be borne in mind
and talked over. by neighbors. The mon,
ey of the people, raised by taxes, shonlc
be carefully guarded even against the
suspicion of being sauandered. Drawn
from the pockets Of the farmers and the
mechanics Of the country, the men o
wealth whose money is in government
bonds-the interest payable in gold, es
Gaping taxation, for all State, County
Township, Road, Poor, Bridge and Other
purposes--it behooyes the party who jus
tiGy this large amount of wealth goiDe
untaxed to be frugal in their expendi
lures, and to take care that the taxes b.
as light as possible. So far from this be
ing the case, the most reckless mal-ad
ministration eff the financial affairs Of tn
State is boldly charged upon the Legis
lature and upon the State officers, an'
none are found to defend them. If no
well founded, the party in power woul'
.neyersuffer such charges togo unrebuked
| That they are true, their own silence give
ample ground for belief, and the publi
documents prove to the satisfaction Of al
who study them. Another dangerou
Idogma of our Radical opponents is th,