The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1870-10-24
.what 1t Costs to be Governed. )"


such transparent piece ofhurnbuggery
that we deemed it scarcely worth while
to give it serious refutation. The edi-
tor however, cackles over it as won
derful production and republishes it IN
mornings issue as an excel
lent campaign document and startling
exhibit Of what Democratic rule has
cost the citizens of Ohio county.
The impression sought to be created
is that because there is a majority OF
white men in this county and because
a majority of the Board of Supervisors
and of the City Council is Democratic
that therefore the entire taxes levied by
the county and city government are
solely chargeable to Democratic rule;
or, in other words, if the Radicals had
control of the county and city, the
people would have nothing but State
taxes to pay. OF course, this is absurd
But absurdity has taken the place OF
argument in the Inte2Hgeacer and that
journal seems to delude itself with the
belief that its readers are capable OF
swallowing any amount Of deliberate
and bare-faced deception.
Now what are the facts? The
qovgrnaent Of Ohio county has bee"
managed by The Democrats more
economically and wih less burden
TO the taxpayers than was e0er the case
under Radical control No matter which
party holds the ascendency. any sensible
man must know that money IS needed
or county purposes and that 1t must be
raised by taxation. The Democratic
Board Of Supervisors in 1863
levied a tax Of 40 cents on
every 500 of the valued property.
This was found to be insufficient for the
payment of claims, among which was
about $4,000 arising on account OF
bounties paid for the enlistment Of sol
diers to save the editor Of the lntelh
oencer and other loyal gentry from
being drafted into the army. A def
cheney of about this amount occurred.
In order to make up this deficit and at
the same time carry forward several
works of much needed public improve
ment, the Board of Supervisors has,
this year, made levy OF 90 cents on
theSl00 Ii is estimated that this Will
furnish a surplus which may be used
in payment of Hempfeld Railroad
Bonds falling due in 1872. In this
levy there are several unusual expenses
provided for, among which may be
mentioned $4,000 for the erection of q
Poor House; $4,000 for the purchase
of Farm for the Poor; $4,000 toi
the Market Street Bridge; and 10000
for the deficit in last YEAR levy.
Now, with all these extraordinary
but necessary, appropriations, the levy
is less than was made while the county
was ruled by the Radicals. In lS6l
the levy made by Radical Board OF SUI
pervisors and collected by Radical Off
Gals and mainly consumed in the ordl'
nary expenses OF the county amounted to
enormous sum Of $l.9Oon the 800 OF
valuation, or one dollar in the hundred
more than is now complained Of. During
this year there were few hounties pad
no public works constructed; no roads
made nor bridges built; and the county
has absolutely nothing to show for the
outlay. Even the books do not show
what all this money was expended for.
Had this levy been made by the pres
ent Board of Supervisors it would have
Welded S270,6Sl. 6Ufor ordinary county
purposes. Will the Mteiligenccr inform
its readers what became of the money ?
Now, look little farther. In 1865,
the county being still under Radical
control. levy of S2.G6 on every
500 of valuation of real and personal
property was made. In this year por-
ton OF the bounty debt was paid, but OF
that debt there was carried over and
saddled upon the Democratic admins
tration which came in 1866, the sum Of
S266, 800 exclusive of interest
In 1866, the Democrats havins a bare
majority in the Board Of Supervisors,
reduced the levy to Sl.33 on the 500,
just one halfthe Radical levy ofthe year
before, Notwithstanding the payment o
the greater portion of the bounty debt
which had been carried over, Is refer
red to above Is il any wonder that the
people of Ohio county in that year
wrested all power from the hands OF
the Radicals and elected an-entire ticket
of Democratic officers and, in the sue
ceeding year, carried every township in
the county and made the Board OF
unanimously Democratic ?
In 1867, the Board being Democratic,
the levy was still further reduced, and,
Notwithstanding the payment Of nearly
S34, 900 of the bounty debt, the county
tax was 81 90 on the 500.
In 1868, Notwithstanding the pay
ment of over $4,000 bounty debt and
ahout S15 00O for the Zane Street