Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1891-01-08
How Can Our Taxes be Reduced? J"
ADDRESS OF GEORGE NJ. WISE, ESQ, BE-
FORE THE FARMERS INSTITUTE, ST.
CLARsvILLE, JANUARY 3, 1891.

FORE THE FARMERS INSTITUTE, ST.
CLARsvILLE, JANUARY 3, 1891.
It's perfectly safe to say that taxation
4 is unpopular. You only have to go up
stairs and spend little time in the
vicinity of the Treasurers office to be-
come fully aware of that fact if you
don't know it already. The elongated
and sour visages you see and the very
audible growls you hear tell you without
any inquiry that the people don't like to
pay taxes.
People all complain that taxes are
high; the papers too inform US of that
fact especially those that represent the
outs.
In truth taxes are high, and moreover
they are continually getting higher.
Everybody seems to want taxation
reduced. The platform of all political
parties demand the reduction of the
burden of taxation to merely what is
necessary to the support of the gov
ernment economically administered. :"
Politicians of all parties profess an un-
dying and all prevailing desire to tighten
the burden of the people by reducing
expenditures for public purposes.
Now if everybody believes that taxa
ton is higher than it ought to be and
far higher than is necessary, why is
there any difficulty about speedy
reduction?
What | say is to be followed by a
discussion of the subject and l now
hazard remark that may be bold, pos
sibly erroneous, but that will furnish
ground for the discussion at any rate.
1t is simply this. The public, at least
the controlling element don't want ex-
penditures reduced, and of course taxa
ton can not be diminished until that is
done. You know the Democratic party
holds that the Republicans are fearfully
extravagant. My Democratic friends all
believe that proposition to be true.
The Republicans are of the opinion
that whenever the Democracy get con-
troll, the work of public plunder will go
on with vigor. My Republican friends
all say amen to this proposition.
And now comes the Farmers Alliance
and says both of these parties tell the
truth on each other, while JnO. Sherman
the great advocate of sound finance and
author of resumption and Allen g..
| Thurman. the old Roman of the
Democracy, look on with amazement at
the, to them, wild schemes of the
farmers, who would double the number
of national officials and the salary ac-
count of the General Government. The
great majority of people believe as L
| have stated that the controlling element
of all parties does not want any reduction
of taxation because such reduction
would necessarily be accompanied by
decreased expenditures.
| This is a government of the people
through the agency of political parties.
In practical sense this is hardly true,
as the primaries are the source of political
preferment and power, and they are
generally controlled by few men in
each precinct Candidates are named
there, not generally by the best citizens,
always by politicians, whose aspirations
may ascend to future profitable Office or
descend to the lower level of the curb
stone worker for a pecuniary considera-
ton or drink of beer, but politicians
nevertheless as general rule.
The great mass of this element that
control the primaries and Conventions,
believes in increased public expenditure.
They are largely Republicans, Democrats
or whatever they may be-. for revenue
only.
All officials, almost without an eX-
ception among the quarter million, such
in this great nation-the innumerable
host of candidates for future position,
from, Township Trustees, Clerks, Treas
urers, county officials. prospective depu-
ties, Post-masters, Clerks, &C., through
the long list to Congressman, Cabinet
Ministers and President all favor what
they would call reasonable increase of
salary rather than reduction, and their
fathers, brothers and friends are all
ready to echo their wishes.
The political workers who bleed the
candidates, whether for nomination or
election, and the saloon keepers who
bleed the bleeders and candidates alike,
believe in increased expenditure for
salaries, &C., because they are benefited
thereby.
But aside from official salary, and
those benefited directly or indirectly by
it, and those who hope for future benefit
therefrOm, there is an immense amount
of public expenditure in the shape of
contracts, &c, favored alike by the con-
tractor of high and low degree, and the
humble workman who gets his dollar
and quarter and dollar and half per
day. Every scheme which promises
profitable contract or living wages,
meets the favor and enthusiastic support
Of dozens or hundreds who hope for
profit or employment for everyone who
actually receives it. The soldier of the
war of the rebellion wants pensions
The manufacturer wants protection for
his products and is willing to compro-
mise with others by letting them have
little protection too. The wool grower
wants protection for his wool, the potato |
grower for his potatoes, the gardener for |
his onions and cabbages, while some of
the Western and Southern, and even
some farmers in Ohio who are not inter
ested in these things, want the Govern
ment to establish a Government ware
house at every village and cross road,
with Government officers on good sala-
ries in charge of each. to take his
products and advance what cash he
may want on them, and also to establish
convenient repositories, also with officers
in charge on good salaries, to loan
money at 2 per cent. to any farmers that
may not have any products to raise
money on to the full extent of their
desires.
To bring more forcibly to your minds
this tendency of the times toward in
creased expenditures, would call atten-
ton for moment to our own home
matters. 4
A few years since it was thought
necessary to erect a Court House and
other public buildings here, at a cost of
100000. 1t is perfectly well known
that every change was approved by {