The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1864-03-03

e our midst, and traitors moving in arr
:, against us, would have united to destrc
u u our beautiful fabric Of civil liberty. I'll
u u Government, which dealt with all goc
- citizens SO kindly and generously, TIL
* not one of a thousand felt its touch b.
70 - yond the weight of feather, would hay
oeen subverted and who can tell unde
u wnat iron rule We might have fallen fc
e a time, or how many wears of bIood
y str!,e 81 Il, would nave elapsed before that civ
J IL liberty which insures the greatest goo,
u to numbers who would have been aoai,
established But the wave of dpstruc
ton was met-nay, hurled back upo,
the enemies who sought our ruin. w,
!; may yet dwell in safely Your propert,
is secure. You still gather your annua
income, protected in all your rights an
privileges by the national arm. And wha
does the nation assess to you as you
share IN the cost of this security Hal
your property No not fathing of tha
property! Only small per centage o
your income from that property Jus
forty-three dollars and twenty-one cents
Pardon me for saying it friend Growler
but L am more than half ashamed OF
you"
"And seeing the way you put the case
| am more than half ashamed of myself"
he answered frankly. "Why, taking
your view, this is about the cheapest in.
vestment [ ever made"
"You certainly get more for your mo-
ney than in any other line of expenditure
Yesterday l had letter from an old
friend living in the neighborhood of Car
Isle. The rebels took from him six fine
horses worth two hundred dollars piece;
six cows and oxen; and over two hun
dred bushels of grain. And not content
with plundering him, they burnt down
barn which cost him nearly two thousand
dollars. But for the army raised and e.
quipped by the nation, in support of
which you and l are taxed so lightly, we
might have suffered as severely. How
much do you think it cost in money for
the protection we have enjoyed in this
particular instance Z"
"a million of dollars, perhaps ?"
"Near ten millions of dollars. From
the time our army left the Rappahannock
until the battle of Gettysburg, its costs to
the Government could scarcely have been
less than the sum | have mentioned. Of.
this sum your proportion cannot be over
three or four dollars and for that trife |
your property, may be your life, was Sc
cure"
"No more of that, if your please" said
Growler, showing some annoyance. "You
are running this thing into the ground
[ own up square. l was quarreling with
my best friend. I was striking at the
hand that gave me protection. If my war
tax next year should be hundred dollars
instead of forty-three, I will pay it with
)ut murmur."
"Don't say without murmur, friend
Jrowler.
"What then ?" {
"Say gladly as means of safety"
"Put it as you will, he answered fold {
ng up Collector Riley's receipt, which S
lie still held in his hand and bowling him. J
elf out.
Not many days afterwards, happened G
o hear some grumbling in my neighbor's t
presence about his income tax. Growler L
carcely waited to see him through. My t
esson was improved in his hand. Insig- +
ifcant phrase, he pitched into the of Il
ender, and read him lesson so much y
than mine that [ left myself h
brown quite into the shade. b
"You have been assessed fifty eight a
ollars ;" he said, in his excited way = Il
ffty-eight dollars. One would think, tt
rom the noise you make about it, that IL
ou have been robbed of half you are IL
orth. Fifty eight dollars for security at d
ONE and protection abroad Fifty-eight c.
ollars as your share in cost of the de- tc
,nce against an enemy that, if unopposed u
ould desolate our home and destroy our b
overnment Already it has cost the
alton for your safety and mine over m
lousahd millions of dollars and you er
-e angry because it asks for your little IL
art of the expense. Sir you are not al
orthy of the name of an American citi- te
n" 81
"That's hard talk, Growler, and {
ont bear it p (
" It's true talk and you'll have to bear I
p was retorted. Fretting over the da
can little sum of fifty-eight dollars i or
'hy sir, [ know a man who has given to
S right arm in the cause, and another his ty
ght leg Do they grumble ? No sir
never heard of complaint from their
IS. Thousands and tens of thousands
we given their husbands who will never
ore return ! They are with the dead
r you are dishonoring yourself in the
es of all men. A grumblea over this
TRY war tax-for shame p dr.
/ turned off, saying in my thought: Is,
I" So much good done My reclaimed tel
lner has become preacher of right TIL
usness ~ IRA
The following toast was lately proposed
a ireman's dinner, which was received ma
tn showers of applause '"The ladies'
leir eyes kindle the only flames which sor
cannot extinguisbed and against which ins