The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1868-09-24
Able Defence ofthe Republican
Financial Polfcy--DeI.lsiOns of
the Democracy Exposed
+ Speech of Attorney Genera!
w. III. West.

r Speecn Oh Attorney u OcnGFa.
w. III. West. ~.
+ On the 10th inst Attorney Gen
t1eral W. H. West delivered speech
at Greenvflle, Ohio, from which we
reproduce the following extracts:
j. EQUAL TAXATION ''' '--
Equal taxation is one Of the al
cai'tamdum issues raised by the
i Democracy for the purpose of with
drawing an1. diverting the attention
of the people from their real pur-
pose and designs. It is plausible
theory, calculated to deceive, dis
tract, and divide u.s. The taxation
of all property, according to it's
true value; in money, is one of the
planks incorporated in the Demo
cratic National platform. It is fair,
then, to infer that it has reference
to national and not State taxation.
Hitherto, since the O 'igin. of the
Government, its revenues have been
derived from the tariffs. eScises, in
posts and incomes. No matter
what political party has been in the
tascendency, or what has been the
condition or emergency of the coun-
try, it has never, at any time re5
j sorted to any other system or mode
/. of taxation. This, therefore, has
been consecrated by time and sane
toned by the wisdom of our ances-
tors.4 ;stf u.s. 5r.s ..ft.. Len
The new theory of the Democra-
cy necessarily involves the abolition
of this ancient and time honored
system of tariffs, excises, imposts
and incomes, substituting instead
Thereof the system of direct taxa
tioa.,5 .-r.,~-- -...--....... ......
Thus, all property Of every des-
criptioh whatever, is listed accord
ing to its value, upon the national
duplicate, and made to bear it's
equal burden without regard to its
productiveness' or the profits de-
rived from it. Under the present
system, agricultural, mechanical,
and every other class of labor is ex-
empt from taxation. beyond that
which results from its own volun-
tary choice All the tax that is cast
upon labor in the process of con-
sumption, or which results from the
excess Of its income above one
thousand dollars, is what it now
bears, and, therefore, to a certain
extent, voluntary, for if the laborer
! choose not to consume articles upon
which q tax is imposed, or choose
not to realize an income, from his
| Industry or his capital, in excess of
a thousand dollars, he escapes tax
alton entirely, so that under the eS-
listing system the burdens of taxa
ton are assumed by him voluntarily
! Abolish this system and resort to
that Of direct taxation, and then its
burdens are imposed arbitrarily.
from which there is no escape
The real estate of the farmer, and
every species of chattel or tangible
property, irrespective Of any choice
upon the part of its owner, and
without regard to the amount Of his
income. t'-E"'- D3,. 1Is9- Il
So that no matter whether the
crop of the farmer fails, or whether
by disease or other cause, the labor,
Of the mechanic shall be .fruitless, no
matter whether he consumes pro-
ducts upon which tax is imposed or
not, never .heless upon all which he
owns, however humble his circum-
stances may be, he is compelled to
contribute his equal ratio Of nation
al taxation. Not only this, but If
he consumes any article of mer
| chandise, domestic or foreign upon
which tax is imposed according
to value in the hands of the mer-
chant. that tax is added by the mer-
chant to its price, and the farmer or
other, laborer who purchases, is
compelled to pay the amount Of the
assessment thereon SO that the re-
suit in the end will be that the own
er of real estate, the agriculturist or
mechanic, beside paying the tax i'm
posed upon his own little property
will also be required to pay the tax
that is imposed on all the articles
of merchandise and other commo-
dites which his necessities compel
him to consume. The end, there
fore, Of this new-fangled system of
taxation devised by tie Democracy,
and by which they are so deluding
and misleading the people is to
bring the whole of the burdens of
taxation down, not upon all classes
Of labor. alike, bat upon the shoul-
ders of Agricultural labor almost en-
tirely. From this there is no escape,
because the products of agriculture
can not adjust their prices accord
ing to the burdens imposed upon
them. The farmer is at the mercy
of the laws of supply and demand
He can not add to the price Of his
wheat or corn or other products ac-
cordingly, as the burdens of. the
Government are increased upon
him, but he is at the mercy of the
Eastern or other capitalists who
regulate the market. Hence, it re
suits that in addition to paying the
tax assessed upon his farm and 9th
er property, he also pays the tax as
sessed upon the merchant and the
foreign or Eastern manufacturer,
thus bearing nearly the entire bur-
den of tue Government, against
which imposition he can interpose
no measure for his relief And this
is the first fruits of equal taxation
/ But this is not all. Under the
Constitution direct taxation is inn
posed upon the several States ac-
cording. to their representation in
Congress, and not according to their
wealth or ability to pay Thus,