The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1886-10-14

Who does no remember the sensation
caused by the Governors special mes
sage on taxationp 1t lasted longer and
was much more intense, widespread
and much more beautifully condemned
than his ill-considered convict-inspired
utterances at the Metropolitan Opera
House.
From hat special message we will
establish the fact that Governor Foraker
has given utterance to language which
was characterized rs Communistic by
the bankers, merchants, manufacturers
and farmers of Ohio.
The Governor, after stating that the
grand duplicate of the State should be
three or four thousand millions of dol.
lars instead of 81, $40, 079, 1868, goes on
to state as follows:
1.-THE va uation of real estate rarely exceeds
point as low as % per cent. of its true value,
while personal property is valued all the way
from its full value down to nothing. In fact
Of the State Is not returned. but entirely and
.fraudulently withheld from taxation. So far
a. as dPS Persona alp property is concerned nee the fault
erty for taxation. The idea seems to largely
prevail that there is injustice and inequality
cheating the State, although to do so a false
return must be made and PERJURY must be
.This ofense against the State and good
morals is too frequently committed by men of
wealth and reputed high character, and of
corresponding position in society"
Having in the foregoing called the
farmers and the rich men of the State
thieves and perjurers, His Excellency
the Governor goes on to say:
I'm connection with the recent ~refunding of
our State debt, maturing next december, it
was disclosed that some of the most promi-
held large amounts of these bonds without
having ever paid a dollar of tax on the same,
or having In any manner reported them for
taxation. The only excuse that has been sug-
gested for this is that the bonds were sup
posed to be non taxable, but it is difficult to
yanced by men of intelligence. familiar with
our Constitution and it's requirements, that
all bonds, etc., shall be taxed.
late the law, 1t must be expected that our tax
dupl cate will continue to decline instead of
The harm they do is not measured By the
amount of money Of which they deprive the
State; their example is bad, and fraught with
therefore. be severer penalties provided for
false returns, and a more rigid enforcement
of the laws for the listing of bonds and other
securities and credits"
Having thus relieved his Communistic
mind by scoring the consc. enceless rich,
and, of course. reputable a%ristocracy. of
Ohio, our plebeian Governor continues
his Communistic remarks thus:
There is special need of additional legisla-
ton as 10 unincorporated banks. 1t does not
seem possible that they are paying taxes on
any thing like an equitable basi. as compared
with the incorpora.e ed banks of the State"
OF course not-these unincorporated
chaps-the peoples bankers-are not as
honest, high-minded and honorable as
the aristocratic National bankers whom
the Governor, strangely enough for
such an ~undoubted p1ebeian and right
jolly Communist, favors in this instance
because, perhaps, their subscription to
the Republican campaign fund was
generous.-ED CAPITAL). General
Beatty and his fellow unincorporators
appears to have excited the Governors
special plebeian or communistic ire, for
he goes on to say of them:
take the banks of Columbus for illustra-
ton. They are u fair example. They are in
seven Incorporated banks reported to do in
the aggregate nearly the same amount of
business"
Here the Governor goes into figures
and proves to his own satisfaction, at
least, that the following named gentle
men and banks have fraudulently beaten
the tax duplicate and committed perjury
by the wholesale, viz:
P. Hayden & Co., P. w. Huntington,
Deshler Bank, South End Bank, BROOKS,
Butler & Co., Merchants and Manufac-
turers, Reinhard & Co., and F. c. Ses-
sions & Co., the latter. the Governor
says. returning 81, 255 less than moth
ingT"
This is pretty hard on our Broadway
fellow-citizen, art connoisseur and I'M
doubted aristocrats.
Having wiped the ground with the
~carcasses of these aristocratic bankers,
millionaires, etc., His Excellency turns
his attention to the farmers, whom he
is more than convinced, are an organ
lied band of thieves and perjurers,
for his opening paragraph commences
thus:
1T is obvious that so long as the present
valuation of real estate stands, great injus-
tice win be done to all whose property is even
State will continue unable to meet the public
demands without embarrassment"
With Communistic impudence the
Governor here sketches a plan to trap
the farmers, and in a bold and mastery
manner outlines the duties of a new
board to be created by the Legislature,
which shall have the exclusive power OF
revaluing real estate. So anxious is
the Governor to go for the thiev'ng
farmers that he eloquently advocates
| the revaluation of the real estate of Ohio
Immediately, instead of waiting until
1890, the d~ecennial year fixed by law
for such revaluation. However, space
| limits this article to the foregoing fair
proportions.
General Destruction Did Not Follow.