Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1869-08-26

Now in view OF the facts l have
:. here presented showing how great
is the burden Of taxation and oflo-
cal Indebtedness in Ohio, and that
the burden has rapidly increased
during the last few years, II has
seemed TO me TO be wise policy in
the present financial depression,
while high rates Of interest prevail,
{ and while the demands of the ma
tional Government are so great
that the General Assembly Of Ohio
should endeavor to diminish rather
than increase expenditures, and
restrict rather than encourage an
increase Of local taxes and local
debts 1t is apparent that any ma
terial increase of present rates Of
taxation, will tend to drive away
from our State both population and
capital. Indeed already facts can
be given showing that several Of
the cities and counties of the State
are suffering in this respect from
excessive taxation In d speech
accepting a denomination, made
before the Republican Convention
| in June last, / calld attention to
this subject and to the action of the
last Democratic General Assembly
on these i>Portant questions
Judging by the comments Of the
Democratic press on that speech
and on the resolutions Of that Col.
yention, one might suppose that
the doings of the Democratic ma
| iority of the last General Assembly
were approved and indorsed by ev-
erybody except the Republicans,
and that they condemn them pure
Iy from partisan motives. But this
| Is altogether untrue. There were
significant hints given, and grum-
blings heard from high Democratic
authorities on this subject The
Dayton Ledger fearing that the Leg
is ature would never adjourn, talked
in this plain way;
'The Democracy Of Ohio feel in
regard to our Legislature somewhat
as President Grant does in respect
to the present Radical Congress-
Grant is anxious that Congress
should cut its work short and ad-
iourn. The best thing the Ohio
Legislature can do is to finish up
such matters of legislation as are
imperatiyely demanded by the pub
| lie interests, and adjourn at a very
early day. The tendency Of the
times is for perpetual sessions
something like the long Parliaments
of England"
The independent Democrat who
edits The CommoDer, after the Leg
| islature adjourned, said:
eve advise the Democratic Con.
vention, do not attempt to carry
the doings of that Legislature
They cannet be defended; their
sessions, to d great extent, were
time wasted, and laws passed in the
interest Of our opponents"
One Of the ahlest Democratic
contributors to the same journal fur
n shes the following sound reasons
for the advice given by its EDITORS:
"Again, we heard much about
bond holders and public debts, and
the recklessness Of the Republicans
in mortgaging the future industry
of the country; but this very Leg
islatare authorized a larger amount
of public debt than any other Leg.
lslature ever did, and, moreover,
authorized it with free hand, for
the smallest as well as the biggest
objects. 1t allowed cities, cotinties,
districts, and even special road
and school districts to borrow
money for every conceivable OBJ
iect; and what is worst of all, it en-
powered these little localities, as
well as cities, to pay higher rates Of
interest than customary, thereby
interfering with private credit"
The advice Of The Commoner
was lost upon the Democratic State
Convention. 1t passed three reso-
lutions indorsing the last General
Assembly, and in one of them went
so far as to "return thanks to the
Legislature for their economical
expenditures of the administration
of the State Government" &"
The Republican party accepts
the issue thus rendered. We say
that the last General Assembly was
IN session too long and too often
that its legislation was excessive,
expensive, unnecessary and in some
instances unjust and oppressive
We say that it authorized expendi-
lures, and local debts and local tax
es, in a manner and to an extent
that endangers the prosperity Of
the State. We therefore maintain
that there ought to be thorough
and sweeping reform in the Legis-
ton of Ohio.
Among those who do not agree
with me as to the character Of the
legislation of the last General AS
semhly is an intelligent and estmi'
mable gentleman, an able lawyer.
and n politician and legislator of
much experience, the Hon. Ralph
Teete. the Chairman of the Finance
Committee in the House of Repre-
sentatives and one of its leading
members. This gentleman address
ed me a letter a short time ago in
reply to my remarks in the Repub-
lican State Convention, which let
fer l first saw in the columns ofthe
Ohio Statesman. In that letter
prepared after two weeks consider
alton of the objections l made to
the Acts of the last Legislature, he
. I. v.-.Hr7 7fnHa