The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1876-03-03
NO. 43.
THE TAXES WE PAY.
For the Springfield RepublIc.I

FOR the SprlDSuelO hSpuoitc-I
There is no question of greater interest
to a citizen of a State or nation than
that which relates to his share ofthe ex-
pAnse for the support of the government,
and the subject of taxes has become a
subject of consideration in choosing
home in every community in the State.
The State Auditor at Columbus. under
authority of the legislature, has issued
circular letter to all the County Audi
tors, asking them to furnish him with
statement of the amount of taxes as
sessed in the year 1875, and also to give
the amount of the same falling due and
unpaid on the Goth of December last
Sixty-six counties in the State reported
fully, and tabular statement of the re-
port given in the Cincinnati Gazette,
when footed up, shows the aggregate
amount of taxes assessed upon the coun-
ties reported to amount to the sum of
S17, ,627, 523. OF the remaining twenty
two counties which made no report, in
cludiag Hamilton county, no other esti-
mate can be here given than that given
in the census reports of 1870.
These reports show the amount of
taxes paid by these twenty-five counties
to be nine millions and five hundred
thousand dollars, and if we take this as
our probable estimate for the whole, we
find the amount OF taxes assessed upon
the people of Ohio for the year 1875, to
be S27, 727, ,523, and to these startling
figures we must add many millions more,
direct and indirect, levied for the sup
port of the United States government.
OF the amount of State, county, city,
and town taxes reported to the State
Auditor, one-baf were due and payable
on the 20th of December, amounting to
S,S13, 761, but the report shows that
only 8, O57, S26 had been collected, being
less than one,haf of the amount due.
The taxes assessed upon Clark county
for last year is three hundred and fifty
nine thousand, t,oo hundred and fifteen
dollars, and of this sum one-half was due
and payable ON the goth of December
last, while the report shows but SS3, 294
paid.
Now let us inquire little further into
the subject of taxes, and see what is the
amount of State and local taxes assessed
upon all the States and Territories The
census reports of 1870 shows these figures
to amount to the startling sum of t,DO
hundred and eighty millions, .tioe hun
dred end ninety one thousand, too
hundred and fifty one dollars, and if the
ratio OF increase in taxes within the past
two decades is applied to the present
one, the State and local taxes of all the
States and Terrific. les will amount to
more than three hundred millions for
the year 1875.
The taxes assessed in the State of Ohio
for 1860 were S9,611 ,O2l; for 1870, 1923,
526, 54S: and for 1875, S27, 727, ,523.
The same proportionate increase of
taxes is shown in the amount collected
from all the States. In 1860 lit was 1913, :
ia, ,421; in 1870, $3.50. 551 .251; and in
1875, over $500, 600, 900, while the in
crease of population and wealth is only
reported as less than 25 per cent, be-
tween 1860 and 1870.
These alarming figures and reports
show us that the American people are
taxed to an extent that no nation can
long endure, and that the burden is in
creasing faster than the growth of wealth
and population.
II the Ohio Legislature means business
in calling for the information given by
the State Auditor, and will enact laws
restraining the growing burdens imposed
in taxes, and thereby enforce less extrav-
agance, and greater economy in the
management of the affairs of the people,
such measures will meet the cooperation
of every citizen of Ohio.