prehend the meaning of Job when he said, "Oh, that
mine adversary had written a book." No intelligent man can read
carefully these volumes, and note the number and character of the
laws increasing the expenses and liabilities of the State and
authorizing additional debts and additional taxation for city and
village, for county and township purposes, without having the
conviction forced upon him that the gentlemen who enacted these
laws hold to the opinion that the way to increase wealth is to
increase taxation, and that public debts are public blessings.

When the late Democratic Legislature assembled they found the
revenue raised yearly in Ohio by taxation to pay the interest on
the State and local debts and for State and local expenditures was
$20,253,615.34. This is at the rate of almost forty dollars for
every vote cast in the State at the last election, and exceeds
seven dollars for each inhabitant of the State. Of this large sum
collected annually by direct taxation less than one-fifth or
$3,981,099.79 was for State purposes, and more than four-fifths or
$16,272,515.34 was for local purposes. The increase of taxation for
State purposes during the last few years has been small, but many
items of taxation for local purposes are increasing rapidly. The
taxation, for example, in the thirty-three cities of the State has
increased until, according to the report of the auditor of State,
"in several the rates of levy exceed three per cent, and the
average rate in all is but little short of three per cent." In this
condition of the financial affairs of the State, and in the
embarrassed and depressed condition of the business of the country,
the duty of the legislature was plain. They were to see that no
unnecessary additional burdens were imposed upon the people--that
all wholesome restraints and limitations upon the power of local
authorities to incur debts and levy taxes should be preserved and
enforced, and especially that no increase of liabilities should be
authorized except in cases of pressing necessity.

Now consider the facts. These gentlemen professed to be
scrupulously strict in their observance of the requirements of the
constitution. Yet under provisions which contemplate one
legislative session in two years they held two sessions in the