The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1873-09-26
From the State Journal.
Ohio Finances.
The Newark Advocate of a recent

The Newark Advocate of a recent
date says:
1t is an historical as we'll as a Gu
rious fact that it was largely on a
charge of extravaganza, that the Re
publicans succeeded in bowling down
the Democrats in 1856, although at
that time all the taxes rs ate, coun-
ty, city and township collected in
Ohio, did not amount to nine millions
Of dollars. Yet the party which raj
sed that howl against the admins
tration Of Governor Medill, has its
elf, since attaining power, permitted
and fostered the increase of taxa
ton to such an extent that it now
reaches the enormous sum of TWEEN
ty-tour millions annually.
We quote the Advocate because
it apparently aims to be a RESPONSE
bic paper, and because its state
ments, just given, embody what is
being reiterated in one form or an
other by the Democratic press
throughout the State. The substance
Of these statements is, that under
Democratic State Administration we
had economical government, while
under Republican administration We
have had extrayagant government.
The Advocate also leads us to infer
as well as it can. that while taxation
has increased since the Republicans
came into power, it did not increase
while the Democrats were in power.
It would also have US believe that the
public burdens bear more heavily up
on the people now than they did IN
der Democratic management.
1t is not difficult to explode these
assumptions. The Reports Of the
State Auditor, which are accessible
to every one, readily show their fal-
lacy. From these reports it appears
that the increase of taxation while
the Democrats were in power was
both steady and rapid.
In 1852 the amount levied for
State purposes was $1,776,537, and
in 1855 it was $2,754,8O7. Here then
was an increase of nearly a million OF
dollars in the short space of three
years. Is it any wonder that the De
mocrats were bounded down, as the
Advocate expresses it, when within
three years they increased the cost
of the State government nearly sixty
per cent? By 1859, which is about
the time the Democrats ceased to
control the State, the levy had reach
ed the sum of S2,997, ,918, or 81, ,2a1,
3S2 more than it was in 1852.
Those seven years, too, we're years
Of peace, when there was no emergen-
cy to Justify any considerable en-
largement of taxation, whereas the
Republicans were compelled to pro
vide for extraordinary expenditures
occasioned by the rebellion, and a
Democratic rebellion at that. Fur
thermole. at the time the Democrats
were "hounded down." the public
benevolent institutions, which are
now the just pride of Ohio, nearly all
occupied buildings temporarily pro
vided. and very poorly adapted to the
necessities. The splendid edifce for
the deaf and dumb, the extensive a.
svlums for the insane at NeWhurg
and Athens, and the idiotic, have ali
been erected under Republican ad-
ministrations. To these should be
added the new structures for the
Central and Northern Asylums fol
the insane, destroyed by fire, those
| for the Girls Industrial School, also
recently burned, and that for the in
stitution of the blind, all now in the
course of erection.
For these costly structures, in ad
dition to the war expenditures, the
Rennblicans have had to provides ,ant
the reader will readily see that the
extraordinary expenses thus occa
stoned, are amply sufficient to &C
count for all, and more than all, the
difference between the cost of the
State Government now and its cos
thirteen years ago, making no allow
ance for any increase Occasioned b.
the natural growth Of the State. Tn
nublic expenditures are, therefore
relatively less than they were unde
Democratic rule.
So of taxation, the increase o
which does not always imply that
Incomes at the same time more bun
densome. The cost of the govern
ment increases necessarily, just g
! the cost of living increases, and t
reduce State expenditures to tn
I standard of twenty years ago Woul
make it necessary to discontinue on
half the. public benevolent institu
tions, to diminish the Legislatu1
e .