The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1870-03-04
INTERNAL REVENUE-THAT
COMMUNICATION OF AS
SISTANT ASSESSOR ANDREW
kAHLER,

As a preface to this article, which
promises to be rather lengthy, we will
endeavor to correct a very wrong i'm
preston which is existing in the minds
OF very many people, to the effect that
we are actuated in this matter by a
feeling of hostility toward Assistant
Assessor Kahler, because he happens
to be the Senior proprietor of the Nc
Connelsville Herald, a paper that they
suppose we would sink into oblivion,
had we the power so to do. We wish
all such persons to understand that, in
entertaining such an idea, they are in
dulging in a great error. We have
naught but friendly feelings for Mr.
Kahler, as an individual; and, although
it is true that the Herald has occasion
ally displayed a malignant spirit to-
ward US, yet we have never cared en-
ough for its petty abuse to cherish re-
vengeful or spiteful feelings against it
In bringing forward Mr.. Kahler so
prominently in this matter, we have
but taken advantage of his discredIta-
bic official record, as Assistant Assess
or, which he has made for himself, and
IS responsible for himself, and which it
is our right and duty as a journalist to
make the public acquainted with,
knowing, as we do, that a home in
stance ofpublic plundering will have
more influence upon our people than
forty foreign ones. With this explain
alton, we viii proceed to review
Mr., KAHLER's COMMUNICATION.
The sum total of the more than half
column, of the Herald, that it occu-
pies, is that our statement that his as
sessments for February and March,
1869, amounted to only SIG. II for Feb
ruary, and S102.e &c for March, is cutter
ly false" and that the "facts in rela-
ton to the matter" are that "the as
sessnent for those months, instead Of
being only S2l9.73, amounted to $l2S9.-
ga. Besides this, the Annual assessment
had to be made, which occupied a part
of the April also, and which foots up
S5,32l.33, and including the April list,
amounting to Sl,753 GO, makes a total
of So, 365. GO" In answer to this, we
will say that our statements are not
false ; that we a prove them to be
true by the returns made to Deputy
Collector W. W. McCarty that any
person Interested in this matter can
satisfy themselves of this truth by call
ing at the said Deputy Collectors of
fee, in the Court House, in McCon-
n~elsville, and examining the books
there open for the inspection of the
public. w do not ask any one to re-
ly upon our statements ~aLOnsin relation
to this point in controversy ; zee ask
that everybody that Wants to be informed on
this question, go and make an examination
Of the Deputy Collectors 6ooksI The
BOOKS WILL NOT LIEI
We confess that we were somewhat
astonished at the statement Kahler
published over his signature, last week.
We were not prepared to believe he
would attempt such a brazen defense
of the Internal Revenue corruptions
which the people are suffering under.
We had no idea he was SO foolish as to
suppose he could make the people be-
lieve what he published, when his
statements stand refuted by a record
made by himself, and'which the people
can so easily become possessed of. He
not only astounded us, he also astoun-
ded a great many of the leading, ard
ent Republicans in this community,
who knew he had added to his ccoun-
ability to the people, for living the life
of a leech on their industry, an ccoun-
liability in futurity for willfully and
knowingly classifying. Yes, we we're
astounded; and in this state of mind
we repaired to his office, on last Satur-
day. and asked him to give us an item
lied statement OF the manner il which
he made up his published statement,
found above, that his assessm ents for
the months above mentioned amount-
ed to Sl2S9. ga. He told us that our
statement wa correct with the returns
made by him, as found in the Deputy
Collectors Office but that the ercess of
$l289. "a oper S2I9.73, what the Deputy
Collectors books show him to have as
sessed in said two months, ,0as for
Stamps on cigars, beer, de-, sold By the Dep
Hty Collector TO the manufacturers of these
articles IN this county, ANY man with
any knowledge of Internal Revenue
matters knows that the Assistant As.
SCISSOR has nothing to do, whatever,
with the sale of these Stamps. They
are sold by the Deputy Collector in the
same manner that postage stamps are
sold and, it viii be remembered, that
IN u article of last week, in which we
charged that all the Internal Revenue
tax paid by the people of this District,
did not pay the expense of assessing
and collecting the same, we excepted
the Stamp Duties and the tax paid by
the National Banks. All the Assistant
Assessors have to do with the manu-
f~acturers of cigars, beer, tobacco, &C.,
the men who buy these Stamps, is to
send them a bank, once a month, on
which the manufacturer makes out a
sworn statement of the amount of his
business, as a manufacturer, for the
month in question, and sends it back
to the Assistant Assessor. who makes