Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1868-10-22
EQUAL TAXATION!
Facts and Figures for Our People
Extract from n Speech by n. III. Cochran,
Esq, Delivered AT Morrtstonn,
Ohio, October 10th, $685.

y Passing then from thei
i multiplying, warlike and ruinous poi
licy as to Reconstruction; l sha
direct your attention to the At
Section of the Democratic platform
in which they declare for 1.-The eeua
taxation of euery species of property &C
coroing to its real UGt,te, including Gov
ernment Bonds and other public Securi
ties" To the credulous, unsuspectin,
and 7unthinking man this sounds yer,
much like - fair play" But let us see
Ii bonds ought to be taxed by State Leg
islatures, why did not the Democratic
party through their last Legislature tal
them? They knew they could not, il
having been long since determined un
constitutional. If they ought to be tax
ed for Federal purposes; say they are
just as your lands and houses and per
sonal property are-and there have been
outstanding bonds ever since 1871, four
fifthsof which time the Democracy claim
they have controlled the government
and will some gentleman please find me
one of their statutes taxing bonds? Much
has been and might be said on this prop
osition but l hasten 10 the Equal Tara.
tionn proposition.
: 1 propose to show by facts, figures and
homely illustrations, that this is one OF
the most ruinous financial or taxation
propositions ever made TO our people,
There are three National Banks in our
county with an aggregate capital of $400, :
900. have letters in my possession
showing that in the last year they paid
SIG, ,S93 SO of taxes, of which S7,527 A
were paid to the County Treasurer, being
one t,Oelty-tiftt of the whole amount paid
to that officer on all the property in the
county. The 337, ,497 acres of land in the
county are valued at 81 ,S52, 2l7 or S23 26
per acre. Supposing all personal prop
erty assessed at its full value, which it is
not, and then double the assessed value
of Lands, for they are not taxed at one
half their real value, and you find that
these Banks are but one jyty-seUenth of
the whole valuation. These Banks, then,
pay about four and quarter per cent of
taxes on every dollar of their capital
stock paying one and nine-tenths per
cent into the county, and two and one
fourth per cent il to the Federal Treasury
now, how is it with the farmers, own
county.
TAKE ONE INSTANCE.
Daniel Steenrod, of my own township,
ownes farm worth S15, 900 on which he
pays $40 q on valuation of S. ,07S. IF
he had to pay the same tax that a man
owning SIS, 900 of Bank Stock pays, his
tax would be 1887 SO.
If each Democrat in the county desires
to have his lands taxed at their real val
ue and wants to be taxed like the Banks
let him multiply the real value by At per
cent. and he will find what his tax will
be under the new Democratic doctrine
and each man in the county may find
ais. proposed additional tax by multiply
ing the real value of his property by
present rates for local purposes, and then
ior Federal purposes let him multiply its
real value by q per cent. Because, by
his proposition, the Democratic party |
propose to change the theory of the gov |
and levy direct taxes Oh all
for all purposes, at its real value;
40 matter whether it is the Widows
novel, the poor mans cottage or the rich
mans Bank Stock.
But our Democratic friends say. If we
ak all property at its real value the rate
per cent. will be less-granted: But sup
,ose your property is increased four fold
md the rate per cent. four fold-l
he tax is the same. Suppose a case:
arm is taxed l per cent. on Sl,OOO the
AK is $40. The farm is worth S4 900 and
he rate is reduced to per cent. the tax
s $40. The tdr is the same.
Let us figure little further, and these
re figures which have AIKEN the pains
o get from the tax duplicates OF lS67.-l
IN the Townships of Smith, SonlerSet,
Wayne and York there are
me hundred and five thousand five hun
4 ND teiA do of
yillages; valued at one million JfUs hun
Lred and Tainety-two thousand and
eUentar-sir Dollars, and worth twice that
um. At the ordinary State, County
nd Township rates these five townships
,ay. on all their lands SIS, ,S7S 81 or, one
hoatsa,ad and fifteen dollars and forty
eUen cents less than these three Banks
,ay, and vet these Banks are not worth
5 much as the lands in t..ese five town
hips by the small sum of TWO million
eUea hundred and eighty. four thousand
md ffty-ta0o Dollars. La other words,
hese lands are worth eight times more
money than the Banks, and yet, under
he present system, while the Banks pay
7o1r dollars and twenty-five &C Is taxes
n The one hundred dollars real value
he lands pay less than fifty cents on the
undred real value. These figures ex-
ibit the glaring fraud which awaits far
aers, householders and others; in this
roposition to tax nOn-producing capital
be same as producing capital.
A farmer may reap no wheat, nor oats,
or rye, nor barley; may sell no stock
tom his one, two, five or ten thousand
ollar farm, and yet he proposes to vote
Dr. the party which will tax his one !
thousand dollar farm, or house and lot,
be same as the same amount of Bank
took They propose that Banks shall
ay less tax than they now do and the
srmers and n-producing capital shall
,ake good the deficit. For the grand i,
rgregate of taxes upon your duplicate
lis year is greater than last year. To :
entlemen who live in Democratic town.
hips let me say: every cent of tax you
ow pay is Democratic tax. You have :
ne Legislature, the Board of Commits
oners and Trustees by whom all levies i
re made.
Lei taxation be so eqltaAzed as we pro- . |.
Csc in our platform, aud as it now very
early is, that its heaviest burdens shall
Ill on those whose pockets a.e full and !:
tho are most able and willing to bear !
hem. and all will be well. But let the
eople beware of !" the equal tdration OF
very species of property according to ats :
cal e0Lue.Y 1t means ruin and riot, and
only another feature in the revolunary /,
olicy of the Blair and Beapregard party
1make the next war certainly successful.
MALIGNITY.
.rba Crawford County Forum in its 4