Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-10-08
aAzs.XlI.EL = 4 ao7
SPEECH OF


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LONDON Ohio' sePt. Sls As6s.
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r,eet;ne, Of tbe Demecracv and other
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QsiHehs Vi Aoiiueii' was heiu s' aAo,an"
Hall, on Monday evening, September 2lst,
1865. The meeting was presided. over by
Ca,oratyv,,s N sor,ovs ,,,ho ;,t-o,,uoed
-. ..e...,......s Il -. 80
MT JAMES, Wno spoAe IL se'os.aiice, as rioi-
lows: .,..,s, ~ 2 'si-i- 81 2.'' stii'sA
,LADIrs AND GENTLEMEN: believe /
have been announced TO sneak to Won this
evening on the subject OF our taxes and
finances. It Is subject that is, perhaps
generally regarded as rather dry and un-
ii7terestfn 2. And in. ordinary times, per.
haps it Is. But when times are hard, busi-
ness dull and money scarce; ; when men
who owe money find it difficult to paw, and
when creditors find it difficult to- collect,
few political questions possess so much in
terest as those which relate to these yery
questions of finance (which concern the
taxes we nav and the objects for which we
re required to nav them. lit ia a matter
which comes directly home to smen,s busi-
ness and bosoms.n When we approach it.
we leave the realm of abstract political
discussion. and come to the consideration
of matter of misunderstanding a personal
interest to each one OF us. 1t is to this sub
ject. therefore. that invite your attention
this evening. -. e.-..-'- -....ss = = -
We are the most heavily taxed aud debt
burthened people on the face of the earth
Our debt is absolutely larger than that of
France or any other European nation ex-
cept En- gland, and comparing the popula-
tion and wealth of the two countries, is
relatively much greater than that of Eng
land, while the rate of interest paid by us
six per cent. nominally, but as will
show, much more-is vastly greater than
hers. AS presented by orators and editors
ofathe Radical party, I have been led
to believe that it is Che key note of their
present campaign. .Ithswas claimed that
under the system OF taxation established
by the Republican party, and now in
force, that the taxes for the support OF the
United States Government and its immense
expenditures, fall mainly, on few indi-
viduals, and those OF a class which can
best anord TO pay, wnle the mass OF the
people were exempt; or, as MI. Lawrence
remarked TO MS constituents IN the nelgn-
boring county of Champaign, not one man
an thirty In the county paid any Federal
taxes at all; that the large manufacturers,
the men VINO owned disCllierles, or were
engaged In the manuiacsure ana sale OF
Cooacco, or VINO possessed large incomes
PAID the taxes; Ihis was coupled Win tne
claim tne merit OF orlSlnaitty, 70 say Ine
least3, t9at because ine plaeIoIm Oh the Ma
tlonaI Democratlc Cohvehiloh demands
equsaI taxatlon OF al klnus oi property, Ih-
CIuu'ng 0oVernIheuC oouus; Iua. Inei iS Siol ", . .
the parry was IN iavor N oi cIarglng aiI tne
ta1es now rdiseu .roin uuties on inl nlports p
ana ocner iorIns OF lhuIrect IaAation upon !
the iahc OF Ine FARMER anu the properly oi
Gne country aI large, anu Inus mixing Tue
farmers and DINERS pay large taxes, from
Whlch they are now exempt. NOW thls
mas specleus appearance Whlch may
oeceWe some persons. some men may say
these Unlted states taxes oon,G concern
me especlaHy tne coiiector ana assessor
don't come after me-. And they may
think that the United states taxes really
faI only on IeW OF tne more Wealtny
classes OF tne community, anu Ihat they
are exempt from paying Chem. --s.fs- II
But the fallacy of all these arguments,
used to reconcile the people to the burdens
under which they labor, will be readily
seen, when our systems of State and Fed
eral taxation are once understood. And
am firmly convinced that the lack of a
general understanding of the nature and
extent of our taxation, or our debt and our
expenditures, has been the main reason
that they have been so long acquiesced in,
and the party which is responsible for them
entrusted by the people with any power
Whatever. Ihere were, IL Is True, otnef
causes which contributed 70 produce tnis
patient acquiescence on tne part OF the
people. Most. OF the debt was contracted
and the high taxes hrst imposed during the
war, when. every one expected large expen-
ditures and nigh taxes, anu Wnen very
many persons were deferred oy patrlotlc
considerations and rear OF lnJurlng tne
public credit, from looking too closely into
the public finances. Then, too, 1t was q
period ofexpansiono OF the currency; money
was plenty and business active, and men
did not feel.the pressure as they are Begin
ming to now, and as they VIII more ana
more. Butthese causes have ceased to OPP
crate The war has been over for more than
three years. The 'sfush times' which ac-
companled ana 1mmeoiateiy iolioWed the
war, are over too. L am satlshed tnaG the
only remaining cause for the apparent apa-
thy of the people on this subject is gem
erai failure to understand and appreciate
now much money Is year after year Drawn
from their pocket. and for what Ills ex-
pended. The taxes levied Dy the United
States are mainly lndirect-they are MOI
directly felt by those who pay them; 1t was
not intended by those who laid them that
they should be. The system OF taxation In
its details is an Intricate one, comprised In
voluminous statutes not generally accessl-
BILE. Now, In brief, what is this system?
The taxes we nav are of two kinds
State and United States. The state taxes,
which we nav to our county treasurers, are
the most familiar to us: SO familiar indeed
that IL Is hardly worth while to refer to the
mode of their collection. With the ex-
ception of the road tax, which is rather q
Communication for labor on the roads than
a tax, our State taxes, as you are aware,
are exclusively a tax on property or capt.
tal--every person paying in the same pro-
portion; on what he owns-and is perhaps
as nearly equal and just system as we can
expect to have. Periodical valuations are
made of all the property of the people-ot
personal property annually-a sufficient
percentage of taxation Is levied upon it to