Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1867-12-12
NEW SERIES--V0L. s, NO. 81


three at the rate Of twenty per cent.
and upwards, all free oftdr. is itnot
apparent that there is a wrong in this
system These are some Of the re
suits Of violating the rule that eUery
one should pay taxes according to his
ability.
Let us sec if all pay taxes according
to their ability. Congress, in 1866,
taxed the people through customs and
internal revenWe about five hundred
millions of dollars At least four hum
drcd millions Of these are paid by the
consumers Of the country in the prices
at which they buy the articles they
consume. Property is the only just
basis for taxation; this enormous tax
is not fastened upon property, but is
assessed and collected from the peo-
pie, by imposing il upon the articles
they must have 70 support life-so
that the laboring man, with a family
Of six, must pay as much Of it rs the
man worth hundreds Of thousands,
who has a family Of the same size.
The tax paid in this way is not a
certain tax, nor DO We know the taae
and manner Of its payment, nor hO,c
much we pay, for the system is so ar
ranged that We pay It without real
izing .he fact. When we 90 TO the
store to buy a pound Of rice, or sugar,
or coffee, or tea, we suppose that the
money we pay is the value of the ar
ticle bought, butin reality, more than
one.half wo thus pay is tax and prof
its upon tax. Duty on the eommodi-
ty paid in gold, TO which premium is
to be added, licenses, stamps, tax on
sales, tax on transportations, profit
and interest TO importer, jObber and
retailer, are all charged TO the articles
and paid By those who buy them.
All that we eeat, drinkaDd wear are sub
ioet to the same system Of taxation, and
this mode Of collections and by it Con-
gross compels the people 10 pay in one
year for their necessities, mainly, four
hundred millions Of dollars more than
the cost of production. A moderate
amount of taxation can more easily
be paid in this way than in any other,
but this is excessive and unjusily dis
tributcd. IL sweeps away from the
people all Of their surplus earnings,
and necessarily impoverishes and har-
asses them. High prices for tho ar
ticles consumed by the laborer, taxes
and no customers for the manufaotur.
ers and producers, and untaxed bonds
and large dividends for the wealthy
few. arc some of the salient beauties
of the present financial system.
The question Of our material pros
perity is closely connected with the
subject Of the future of the black man.
Man, himself, is the central figure
around which all the efforts of govern
ment should move. In his improve
ment, in his intellectual and material
advancement is found one of the great
avenues to national woalt h, for that
intelligence and those means will be
devoted 10 aims and purposes, primary
for himself, but ultimately for the gen
oral good. In making the individual
member of the State intelligent, indus
trious, and prOvident, we find sure
road 10 national greatness, for it is
the man who makes the government,
and not the government the man.
! The condition of a society composed
of men fixes and determines the char
acter of their institutions Toremedy
the evils that oppress a people and TO
improve their material condition, we
should appeal 10 man himself operate
through his passions and prejudices
bring TO bear his mental characters
tics and habits Of thought, and seek
to awaken a sense of individual re.
sponsibiity, and TO impose the duty
OF individual action. Two races OF
men inhabit the South their mental
development, their leading character
istics, and their passions and preju
dioes are as unlike rs are the color'
of their skins. They came into exis
tonoe with distinguishing features i'm
pressed upon their physical natures
and the same laws that thus marked
them physically, have impressed upor
the minds of each equally distinct
moral faculties. These traits Of char
acter are indelibly stamped upor
them, and mark the people in thei
social lives and establish and deter
mine their future destiny. One rac'
possesses all of our own characters
tics it sprang from the same origin,
was cast in the same mould, and large
ly aided in shaping our institutions
the other is recognized rs our inierio
Its mental force, intellectual devel
, opmont and material condition yastl,
, behind our own, Under the diroctin!
hand of an ovcrruling Providence
, the influence Of race, Of mental ten
deney and Of power of will, shape an'
, control the dostinies of nations. Shal
we not appeal 10 that race which ]
fashioned IN the semblance Of our
. selves TO aid us in the upward strug
, gle FROM which Of these races ar
, we moro likely to receive valuable as
sistance ? One needs a fostering arm
, tutilage and Instruction; the othe
needs but an open path and an appea
! to its own interests. Whilst it is on
clear duty to aid in the elevation Q
, humanity and to assist both races il
! material progress, it is neither God
law nor mans wisdom TO compel bin
who is elevated to remain stationary
. while he who is below it raised TO th
! higher standard but rather is il on
task to continue to elevate ourselves
II and with Christian charity aid thos
0 below us to climb the ascending grade
{ It is not our du,y to halt midway :
f enable the African to reach US. A
....1 80, ,.offfe, thrnufrh nxizfiu