The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1869-08-04
NO. 4.

houses, jails, infrmaries, bridges and
union school houses. In addition to
these may be included the Municipal
Code," which, provides a complete
system of government for villages and
cities and a system of finance that
effectually supercedes the whole sys-
tenn of special legislation. BY re-
ference to the former it will be seen
that these measures of general legisla-
ton were supported and opposed alike
by Democrats and Republicans. While
these measures were chiefly introduc=
ed by Democratic members, the real
legislators of your own party, q allude
to such men as Colonel Pond, Messrs.
Garfield, Dixon and Denis, of the
House, and to Messrs. Burrows and
Everett, of the Senate), were active
and efficient in maturing the bills, and
in the advocacy of their passage.
You further charge that "they (the
Legislature) added to the State 1iabili-
ties for various purposes about ST.
100000" A decent regard for can
dor and fair dealing would have re-
quired you to make the further state
ment, that the rebuilding of the Central
Lunatic Asylum at cost of S400, 900
the rebuilding of the old Blind Asy-
lum at cost of $3.50, O,OOO-the con,-
pletion of the new asylum at Athens,
and the completion of the new Deaf
and Dumb Asylum at tColumbus-the
establishment of Reform School for
girls-the erection of new buildings
on the Reform Farm near Lancaster
the payment of a judgement in favor
of the Assignee of the Ohio Life and
Trust Company-and provision for
nearly half a million deficiency in the
State Treasury-were all extraordin-
ary expenses-as well as the Morgan
Raid Claims of nearly 100000 the pre-
sent payment of which seems to have
been vetoed by the Attorney General.
These provisions are what you have
seen proper to term fireckless and a,n-
accessory expenditures" Be that as it
may, all the acts providing for these
unnecessary expenditures were as
generally supported by Republican as
by Democratic members. I suspect
that if these ''reekless aud unnecessary
expenditures had not been made, the
cry would have gone forth from the
9th of June Convention, that 'tDe-
mocratic Legislature had refused to
make provision for the unfortunate in
sane, and for the care of the blind,
and for the reformation of young
females who are on the highway to
destruction.
Notwithstanding the very specious
manner in which you found your
charges against the legislative branch
of the State Government, you have, l
think, rendered an important service
to the public by initiating discussion
on the important matter of taxation.
The only fear is that others in the Re-
publican party will not follow your ex-
ample. Whilst the producing class of
this State pay annually, in round
numbers, $2O,000,000 of State and
local taxes, which are expended in the
payment of the State debt. in the main
tenance of the State Government, in
the support of schools and the benev-
olent institutions, the construction of
roads, bridges and public buildings,
they at the same time pay $40, 100000
annually to the officers of the Federal
Government. Not a single Democrat
is to be found in the entire list of re-
venue officers of the General Govern
ment that immense sum is annually
collected and disbursed by Republican
officials. The same is true of every
revenue officer in the United States.
They are all Republicans. That par
ty is therefore responsible to the whole
people for an honest collection and ap-
plication of the $450,000,000 annual
iy collected. I will make no charges
against them for corruption and dis
honesty. This has been done by the
late Henry J. Raymond, the Chicago
I1-ibuue, and Colonel Dom Piatt, all
standard authorities in the Republican
party, in langage that cannot be mis- |
taken.
Colonel Piatt, who has had the best
of opportunities for making observa-
tions at Washington, stated in his
speech at Xen1a, on the 9th inst,
'ittat qce haze the most corrupt Govern
ment in the world. 1t is run by rings. |
There is no moneyed interest in the
land that is without this ring in Wash
ington. 4: :; X We have the rail |
road rings, land jobbing rings, whisky
rings, that branch in every conceiv-
able direction. And they were intri-
guing, boring, caucusing, and, through |
wine and women, batting without ccs-
sation." |
OF all the vast sums collected by |
the Federal authority, it is estimated
that less than one-half finds its way
into the treasury. The other half goes
to enrich corrupt officials, and to sup
port ''rings," iw and out of Congress.
This question of taxation, whether
State or Federal, rises high above all
party considerations because it most
directly affects the the morals and the
education of the mass of the people
They only are friends ofthe people'who
earnestly and in good faith set them
selves at work in the reform of existing
abuses. Reform in this direction will
be as welcome the country through Re
publican as through Democratic sour
ces.
1t surprised no one that you should
enter complaint against the General
Assembly for passing laws to enforce
the Constitutional provisions against
negro voting, for that is tenet of your
party. Nor will I enter into any dis
cussion upon the merits of the social
ed Fourteenth and Fifteenth amend
ments. Their object and negro voting
is same and that is, not to secure
o~1 oooI |