Wisconsin herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1846-1849, 1848-09-09

leSSiY taxes atiu Expresses labor, Ia tnat eN-
tent retards repuhlicauism; and we have the
alternative of progress in republicanism or
destruction of our republican, institutions.
There Is no stand-still in this malter we
must either throw off'ths load and advance,
or be content to be weighed down and crush
ed by il. IL is claimed, we know, that to
repeal these laws will reduce society To an
archy; that the strong will tyrannize over the
weak, and brute force will assume the place
made vacant by repeal of these laws Your
committee hardly know how TO answer ar
gumentS such as these. The idea that the
morals of society are dependent upon these
laws, or any other laws, and that their re-
peal viii disorganize, and subvert society, is
rather peculiar. Tine prosent-ev,,anization
rof society is not the result of laws, but the
cause of them; and being cause instead of
an effect, ii is hardly presunahle that re-
moving this effect is IN destroy the cause
Secretly tlepends for its character entirely
upon the intellectual aud moral Develop
nent of the members Composing it, and if
the repeal of these laws is to suhyert socie-
", it must he shown that their repeal is to
effect the moral and intellectual character
of the people. Your committee see very
different result in the repeal of these laws;
il result W liich furnishes one of the princi-
pal arguments in its favor Society, MS j.
known, hats progressed from savage TO its
present comparatively civilized condition.
As intellect aud morals are further expand
ed and developed, society will assume new
relations & take higher grounds. just in pro-
portion then as by our institutions we furnish
the means to the mass of mankind 10 inn
prove themselves intellectually and morally,
we tnrnl>h the certainty of higher and bet
ter organization of society. At the present
time we have wealth in the hands of those
who do not labor, and poverty on the side
of those who do. Those Tho labor none,
are perveuing the object of their creation,
and those who nre compelled 10 physical la
Dor, without relaxation, are equally pervert-
ing the objects of their creation. On one
side we have repetion without labor, where
in all the objects 10 progression are rem0v-
ed; on the other we have prOstration from
excessive labor, where the ability 10 pro-
gress is removed. We propose TO remove
the enormous tax upon the Labor of the
country; so that by securing to il the ability
to progress, we insure progression. We
propose at the same time, nv taking from
the non-producers the means by which they
suhsist in idle wealth, to PUT them in precise
" the same position with the prndueers:-
To enable them to live, we will compel
them to the field of profitable productions;
secure to them the avRils of their labor, and
by the competence accumulated, enable all
to avail themselves Of the means Of moral
and intellectual cultures; and consequent
progression and higher elevation Of society.
Your committee might dilute at length on
this point, hut will content themselves by
presenting the matter briefly in n more prac-
teal shape. We have before alluded to the
fact that exemptions SO far as they 60, are n
repeal Of these laws. Now we would ask
if society has suffered from the partial re-
peal of these laws? No man argues or con-
ceiyes that The passage of the homestead
exemption, is 10 -ub,ert society. On the
contrary, II has been ably agreed hy the OPP
ponentS Of the principles We seek, that such
exemption would benefit aud elevate socie-
", and vet the passage Of the act, will place
one half or two-thirds of the entire property
Of the state, beyond the collection ltwsi---
Who is it that is To suffer from repeal of
these laws? The business man makes no
complaint He evidently does not care, hut
all his sShapathies are for The poor hbdrorj
the farmer, and the producer, generally,
who IS by such net, To be deprived of credit
and I've consequently unable 10 live. Your
committee might here with proprioty al
lude 10 the singular stale of things, wbirb
compels those who plodnce all the wealth
Of the country, 10 ak credit of those y h0
produce none of IT, biil they wish Ia call Mt
tentiou TO another fact. H. there "A case oD
record whcre an exemption was ever made,
that the pool lahnrer whose property was
exempt, asked thar il might he again sub
iecfed 10 the sheriff. hammer, that they, the
poor laborers, might be enabled 10 get cred
il, and have their rights better protected
When imprisonment for debt WIS abolished,
aud the Iaw no longer pladged the body Of
the pour drltOr for bi. debts, we do not find
a case on recoord, here the poor debtor
ever peiirioned that bi- rights might be pro-
tected, and he be enabled to get creditor
get a living by being agan subjected to the
dehtor'- cell We would rail- upon honor
able members to examine The file- Of petit
tons, ia both hOuscs, and find one IL they
can, from the poor laborer, asking that his
stove, hi- bed, his COW, his oxen, or any
other properly exempted. might be again
subjected to the sheriff. hammer 10 protect
his rights or enable him TO live. Aud yet il
j., We ARE told, The poor laborers, the farm
ers, and The producers generally, who are
10 lie ruined by laws Of This Character
Does any one anticipate that If we now pass
the home fsad exemption, that tie indIyld-
ual whose home is exempt, viii beseige us
here and demand repeal of such exemp-
riOns No one has such anticIpaiIOns.--
Whrre then j. this suhreTrl0n Of sociciy To
come from; The producer is az the very
foundation Of our sucil progress and exit
ence. We find no evidenre Of ANARCHY
from the repeal OF these laws 80 far a they
bayc gone: and we Gnd that those most in
-ere-fed ia them, have never objected to
heir repeal. 80 far ~ such repeal hns been
nd. Your committee then cannot i0rbear
be conclusion. that In. fears Of the subyer-
.ion of society by the repeal Of these iaws
or the idea 81 -aIutary elect upon society
iy their Continuance are both without louD-