Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1888-01-06

! these statutes md still othcr suits to recover
taxes heretofore paid by thom, II they sue.
coed Il viii lessen tho annual revenues OF tho
Stntc by many thousands OF dollars. Tho quos'
tions involved in this litigation are, therefor
4 Of n highly important character, and for this
reason local counsel have boon employed to as,
sist tho Attorney @ neral. 20 the end that OIL
mny 6o done ent enn DC IN te n
favor OF these companies, YOU should then con
slider how, In the light OF tho decisions mndo,
you cnn franc statute that will constitution.
aily impose upon them such conditions, of n
Just and equit iblc charactor for the privileges
they enjoy OF exercising their franchiscs here,
ns will be nn equivalent for tho taxes they are
now seeking TO escape. Appropriations should
| he made TO pay necessary counsel ices ana
other oxpenses IN urrGu a. IN cr 1uSu ns pu @ and
still pending, brought by cortain National banks
ns test cases, TO cnloin alleged excessive taxa
tion OF their sharoi. II is necessary for the
State, and duo TO iul interested In our system
OF taHati9ato esye these gueSs9ni sResSyaiBSS sy BSS
| Known what, In the matter OF revenue can be
in,Sry last annual message called attention
LOCAL INDEBTEDNESS
| OF tho State had reached the enormous amount
of more than aJ,OOO,0O). II has now reached, as
shown by tho Auditor OF State report, the sum
| OF Si,St36vJ, The recommendation is there
! foro repeated that no county township or
municipal corporation should be allowed TO
| create u general debt exceeding ten per cent OF
| the tax valuation OF Its real estate and that
you provide that in al ease; where there may
"
| that limitation no further debt be allowed TO bo
contracted until the present debt is reduced be-
] low tho limitation mentioned. Thee Is no
| question affecting the people Of Ohio moro i'm.
| portant than that OF
| TAXATION
| Tho expenses OF our State government are nee
cssarily increasing each year in correspondence
with olr growth OF population and general do.
| velopment. Year by year 1t becomes, therefore,
| OF greater importance to perfect Us nolrly IA
VIC may our revenue systcm IL would seem
wise TO accomplish tn $ before our next dcccn'
ninl appraisemont The subject is ono of such
vast and far rGn,hing consequences that II i3
probably impossible for you 10 deal with It sat.
isfnctorily, except through committee ap-
pointed by and from your own body, or an in
| dependent commission authorized by you, TO
give special study and attention TO the subject.
Should commission be appointed to consider
tho subject, the various industries OF the state
| should be suitably represented upon IL.
TREASURY DEFALCArIONS.
| During tho year n number OF county, town
ship and municipal trcasurers have defnultcd
and many thousands OF dollars OF the public
funds placed in their hands by the taxpayers
of their respective localities have been lost.
| Among these tefaulters are the treasurers OF
Auglaizc, Darke and ottawa counties. In nl-
most every instance where such dcfnlcntions
have occurred, they have been due to the habit
on the part of the treasurer, of accommodating
| friends with loans OF money from the public
| funds, or making use OF them in business ald
| speculative transactions on HIS own account. 1t
| Is not necessary TO say such practices should be
| stopped. 1t is hard enough for the people to
pay their taxes once. II 5 both unduly burden
| some and oxaspcrating TO have thom thus fritz
tered away and be compelled TO pay a second
time. These losses might be largely prevented
| IL tho treasures Of the counties. townships and
| municipal corporations were subject TO exam.
inatton by an expert accountant duly appointed
| for that purpose, who might at his option, and
on his own motion make an investigation of
such public funds etc. whenever ho might see
| fit 10 DO 30. The present right OF examination
| conferred upon tho Au iitor of State is practl.
cally Of no value to prevent tho Irregularities
| that lead to such defacations, since 1t can not
be exercised except under circumstances that
enable them TO thwart tho purposes OF the pro.
vision.
The last General Assembly enacted a statute
popularity known as
THE DOW LAW
for the regulation and taxation OF the liquor
traflic. The object of this legislation was the
better protection OF society from the evils of
| intemperance. and TO compel the trnllc, in
furtherance OF this purpose, to share the bur
dens of government. Its most important feat.
ures arc generally those of taxation and local
option prohibition. To the extent the law is
applicable, II gives to each community the priv
icgc OF dealing with It as it may desire. II is
practical measure, virtually enforcing itself SO
fur rs taxation is concerned, and capable OF en-
| forcement where made applicable us u prohlb.
| itory law, since in all such cases there must be
the requisite public sentiment. II is based
| upon the idea of local seltgovernment, ana is,
therefore, in harmony with the spirit OF our
| institutions. Tho results wrought by 1t are
sufficiently snlutary to vindcAte its character
| 1t has mover been claimed, however, by even its
most ardent friends, that 1t was perfect In all
| its provisions. II was simply tho best legisla-
| ton OF its kind that could be had when IL was
enacted. as time and experience indicate de-
| fects, they should be remeliel, in order that
| the law may be strengthened and upheld
TARIFF.
NY last annual message commenced with the
| following paragraph:
"The recent elections did much to d'spel tho
| dlstrust that has obtained throughout the couu.
try during the last two years as u the policy to
| be pursued BY our National Government in re-
| gard to the protection OF American labor and
industries. II eau now be stated with great
that mo- pGsSI party VIII he al
break down that wise and patriotic policy to
| amplet prosperity we have enjoyed during the
| last quarter OF u century. Tho assurance thus
| Afforded is already Denchcaly manifesting
| itself throughout u'l our business interests.
With complete restoration of confidence in
| this regard there will be a full return Of that
| commercial and industrial activity which Will
| bring the rich blessings OF Just rewards and
\ happy cOntentment to all classes OF our people.
This Is just cause of conSrAtulution for all -
II was then generally supposed that we had
heard the last of freeiradc. at least for time; ;
but not so. Tho recent message OF tse Prcsi
| dent of the United States commits mis- admins
| tration and the party he represents To the most
| principle and policy OF u protective tariff He
seeks to mako 1t appear that the blow he would
strike Is aimed only ut the manufacturing and
woolgrowing Interests Of the country bat II Is
manifest to all men OF intelligence, who are ac-
quainted with our conditions, that II his pro-
positions prevail the consequences Will be dis
astrous TO every industry and every section OF
our country and to no class more surely than our
farmers, who must rely chiefly on our home
markets for The sale OF their products, and our
laborlng people VINO depend upon n continuance
of that general prosperity that has obtained for
the last quarter of n century for employment at
remunerativc wages. Bt It should be particu.
larly noted by you that it deliberately proposed
to practically sacrifice altogether
THE wOOL~GROwING INTEREST
OF the country by removing from 1t all protec-
tion whatever Ohio ranks first OF all the States
OF the Union in sheep husbandry. In 1888 we
han Gha Nnh NJ t,a
reduction of the tariff on wool by the act OF that
year has already produced 10 the wool-growers
OF this State the disastrous consequences shown
by the following table;
Number
Year. OF sheep Value
1881. ................ 5,la0.fJ0 sI3?l0. 166
1884. 4.adS,7O4 II l,alO.721
1881. i,g2S334 9,Gl5,Si9
1886 4,205s3o Ss3T,I30
1887 SS7.....................I I,l05,ln s,SSS.550
Il tai decline since 1883 1.025,7i3 f,4i2,6lG
int 4, ic Y1ntt tn,ft hos hat mot