Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1876-01-14

The salient points IN this state
ment are, that In four years the rate
of municipal taxation has increased !
almost twenty-five per cent, the to-
tai amount of municipal taxation has
over thirty-seyen per cent,
and the municipal Indebtedness has
increased about one hundred and
ninety per cent, or more than Ihir-
teen and half millions of dollars.
If this great increase of burdens af
fected directly the whole people of
the State, they would give their
agents In the legislative and execu-
tive departments of the State Gov
ernment no peace until effective
measures to prevent its continuance
were adopted. But, in fact, the
whole people of the State are deeply
interested in this subject. The bur-
dens borne by the cities and towns
must be shared, in part at least, by
all who transact business with them.
The town and the neighboring
country have common interest,
and, in many respects, may be re-
garded as one community.
Il has been said that the discre-
tion committed to the local authori-
ties, however limited and guarded,
must be necessarily large; that in
respect to the imposition of the larg-
est proportion of the burden impos-
ed upon the citizen, they constitute
the real legislature; and that for
the prevention of evils we are con-
sidering, the people must exercise
the greatest care in the choice of
citizens to fill the important local
offices. Experience does not seem
to justify the expectation that an
adequate remedy can be obtained IN
this way.
l submit that to the subject of
local Indebtedness, the General As
sembly should apply the principles
of the State Constitution on the sub
iect of state Indebtedness.
1t is not enough to require in ev-
cry grant of special authority to IN
cur debt, as condition precedent,
that the people interested shall ap-
prove it by their votes. 1t is well
known how such elections are carri-
ed, under the influence of local excite
ment and local rivalries. If the
rnle of the State Constitution which
forbids all debts except in certain
specified emergencies, is deemed too
stringent to be applied to local af-
fairs, the Legislature should at least
accompany every authority to con-
tract debt with an imperative re-
quirement that tax sufficient to
pay off the Indebtedness within a
brief period shall Immediately be
levied, and thus compell every man
who votes to increase debts to vote
at the same time for an immediate
increase of taxes sufficient to dis
charge them.
The wisdom of the policy long
since adopted, of placing a judicious
limitation on the power of municipal
authorities to levy taxes, has been
vindicated by experience. 1t must,
however, ultimately fail to accom-
plish its object, if the increase of
municipal Indebtedness is allowed to
go on. To authorize a town to con-
tract a debt, whose expenditures
already require taxation to the limit
allowed by law, is in its necessary
effect tatamount to a repeal of the
limitation.
Under the provi,ions of the eighth
article of the Constitution, already
referred to, the State debt, notwith-
standing the extraordinary expendi-
lures of the war, has been reduced
from. over twenty millions, the
amount due IN 1851, until it is now
only about seven millions. An i'm
portant part of the Constitutional
provisions which have been so sue
cessful in State finances, is the sec
ton which requires the creation of a
sinking fund, and the annual pay
ment of constantly increasing sum
on the principal of the State debt.
Let requirement analogous to this
be enacted in regard to existing To-
cal Indebtedness; let a judicious
limitation of the rate of taxation
which local authorities may levy be
strictly adhered to; and allow no
further Indebtedness to be authoriz-
ed except in conformity with these |
principles, and we may, 1 believe,
constantly expect that within a |
few years the burdens of debt now
resting upon the cities and towns of |
the State will disappear, and that
other wholesome and much needed |
in the whole administration
Of our municipal government will |
Of necessity follow the adoption of |
what may be called the cash system |
in local affairs.
Among the most interesting du-
lies you will have to perform are
hose which relate to the guardian
ship and care of the unfortunate
classes of society, and to the pun
shment and reformation of crimi-
nails. According to the latest Off
cial reports, the State is responsible
for the support and care of about
fifteen thousand of her dependant
citizens, the State is also bound to
see that many thousands more, who
are imprisoned for longer or shorter
periods, on account of crime, have
Just and wise treatment. There is
annually expended in the perform
ance of these duties a sum exceed
ng two and half millions of dollars.
The people of Ohio feel a profound
interest in what are known as the
benevolent, reformatorB and penal
Institutions of the state.
In order that the General Assem-
oly might, from time to time, receive
,ull and accurate information as to
,he efficiency of the management of
.hese institutions, and of the county
md city jails, infrmaries and work
houses, it was enacted in 1857 that
! Board of State Charities be estab.
ished. 1t was intended that this
BOARD should be composed of citi.
ems of intelligence and beneyolence,
Who would serve without compensa-
ion. They were "to Investigate the