Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1899-10-07
MIR. Mclean as a Taxpayer.

NAl' IASACall as q aNSo ICA
The publication of the record of
John r. Mclean for the last IS years
as a tax dodger raises some questions
in which every citizen is interested.
The state and county and the public
schools are under the necessity of rails
ing each year a given sum by taxation.
If wealthy men do not make returns of
their personal property, but hide away
vast sums upon which they should pay
taxes, it is not merely defrauding the
state out of its dues. The state and
the county and the public schools will
be supported and the money necessary
will be raised by levying higher taxes
upon real estate and those who do
make returns Of their personal proper
ey. Every mulu-millonaire who de-
frauds the state, IN a very serious
sense defrauds every other taxpayer.
With given amount to be raised IN
taxes, every other taxpayer must pay
more because the tax dodger escapes.
Every c-.lzen knows, who is at all
familiar with lie subject of taxation,
that a vast amount of property escapes
taxation and that the great bulk of
this is in the hands of extremity rich
men who fail to make honest returns,
and who hide away their stocks and
bonds where The ak collector fails to
reacn them Such tax lodging neces-
sarily increases the tax burdens which
all real estate must bear, and the
greater the taxes on real estate the
- CHER the rent which the worklngman
Who does not own a home must pay.
Whether the workingman owns a
home or not, therefore he, as we'll as
every other citizen, is directly inter
ested in the honest return of all prop
erty for taxation.
The case of Mr.. Mclean IS one of the
most startling that has ever been
brought to public atetntion II is es-
t!mated that he is worn $4,000, 900, and
gentlemen in position to know con-
slider this a conservative figure. 1t is
true Mr.. Mclean pays taxes on his
real estate in Washington, which is
about one-tenth of his whole fortune,
and on such other real estate as he
possesses. The Enquirer company.
while it is owned by Mr.. Mclean, also
makes return for taxation, as every
other incorporated company must un-
der the laws of the state but the great
bulk of Mr.. McLean's fortune is not in
vested in The Enquirer or in real es-
tate. 1t is invested in stocks and
bonds and personal property, which
cannot be reached by the tax collector
unless the owner sees fit to return it.
1t is this great sum, which is estimat-
ed to approximate 100000 900, that Nc
Lean is able on concentrate into the
$l,6li covered by his return this year
in Hamilton county, 1t is true the re-
turn is not signed by Mclean himself,
but it is signed by Mr.. Ed. Wisenwski,
who is Mr.. McLean,s confidential f.
nancial man ana authorized to act for
him. Undoubtedly in making the re-
turn he did. it was with Mr.. McLean's s
full knowledge and approval.
What do the people of Ohio think of
a multl-milllonaire who does not re-
turn one dollar of his household goods,
either in Cincinnati, which he claims
as his residence, or in Washington,
where his household goods are located
and would properly be taxed? With
palace for home in Washington, filed
with all the luxurious furnishings that
money can provide, Mr. Mclean does
not return in Washington City one
dollars worth of household goods for
taxation. His horses and carriages
and rich jewels also completely escape
the tax gstherer. Not even a watch is
returned. while all his credits, money.
stocks and bonds and similar invest
ments are crowded into the bald figure,
$1647. In other words, Mr.. Mclean
this year will pay less than $50 in TAX
es on his personal property in Hamll-
ton county and no tax ON personal