Carroll Free Press

SENATOR DISNEY AND THE TAX LAW.

The Cincinnati Gazette has no notion of permitting Mr. Disney, the Hamilton County Senator, to throw dust in the eyes of the good people of that county, by his pettifogging quibbles, and thus invites him to walk up to the trough, although there is anything but an inviting provision of fodder.—Journal.

SENATOR DISNEY.

This gentleman, through two sources, denies voting for the Tax Law on its final passage.

Let us understand him. We would do him no injustice, nor do we mean that he shall do injustice to the public. If he opposed that law, and will say so, we will give him the fullest benefit we can of his denial.

The facts of the case, as we understand them, are these:

The Tax Bill originated in the Senate. It was digested by a committee of which Senators Disney and Kelley were leading members. The latter gentleman reported the bill. While it was under discussion Mr. Disney offered certain amendments: Mr. Kelley said, if adopted they would defeat the very object aimed at in drawing up the bill. This was admitted by Mr. Disney, after discussion, who, thereupon tore up his amendments, and voted for the bill on its final passage, so far as that body was primarily concerned, in the Senate. The vote is thus recorded, (the Locos in italics.)

YEAS—Messrs. Armstrong, Baldwin, Codding, Disney, Eckley, Gabriel, Gregory, Hastings, Johnson, Kelley of Cuyahoga, Kelley of Franklin, Loudon, Osborn, O'Neal, Perkins, Powell, Quinby, Van Vorhes, Wetmore, Wood, Speaker—21.

NAYS—Messrs. Armstrong, Bartley, Chaney, Crouse, King, Koch, Miller, Warner, Waters—9.

The tax bill was then sent to the House. There it received certain amendments. These amendments softened somewhat some of its severer features. This done, the bill passed the Lower House and was sent back to the Senate for concurrence. These amendments were concurred in by the Senate, when the bill, of course, became a law.

Now, we learn, on this vote of concurrence simply, Mr. Disney was not present. He neither voted, therefore, aye or no, as regards such concurrence. But was this the test vote in the Senate? We say no. We suppose the test vote was that recorded above, so far as the Senate was concerned. But Mr. Disney can put this matter right in a few words, by saying first, whether the vote recorded above is correct; second, whether he voted at all on the question of concurring in the amendments made by the House; or third, if he calls the succeeding question, "Shall the bill pass as amended?" the final one, whether he voted at all on that?

The truth is, the tax law was not a party measure. Nor ought it ever to be so. This is one of those subjects which should be kept aloof from all party; for the maintenance of State credit is a matter of common concern, alike important to the character of the State and every individual in it. Good or bad, popular or unpopular, this was the case with the present law. It was killed in the House, resuscitated at the instance of a loco member, and passed without even a division, while in the Senate, as will be seen above, five out of thirteen of our opponents sustained it. Can this be called party action? Is the proof not conclusive that neither side, in either branch of the Legislature, so considered or treated the present Tax Law. We think it is.