The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1867-10-01

fhey can have what there is left and get rich
if they can.
am a bondholder. The credit of the
nation protects me. The fools Of america
the towards who dare not lift the chains
from their necks--the toiling millions Of
America are my slaves, and now that we
control congress and the army, they shall
remain our slaves! $50
Indeed! A national debtis national bles- 4
sing-tes rs sha,pers and aristocrats.
The south may starve-
The west may fail
The states may fall
The territories may suffer
The well men may work
The sick men may want
The orphans may wall
The widows may weep
The poor men, the farmers, the mechanics,
the foresters and miners may pay taxes
for few of as, ,sose, are nsastess. e
THE POOR MAN.
/ have no more crusts, my poor dog. /
gave YOU the last one, and God knows /
needed it, but you could not starve.
Don't look so wistful-don't look as if
you pitied me, for it makes me ashamed of
man when dog is the better friend. / will
tell you Fido, few things, but perhaps you
cannot understand them.
j must go to work in few moments
my incoming is nearly over. That wagon
must be FINISHED. You and have cate n
all the dinner my good wife put up for me,
and my little child brought me, Fido, and
must work for more.
The bondholder has his horses, his carria-
ges, his wines, his dinners, his suppers, his
racers and his bonds.
have nay tin dinner pail--my faithful dog,
and they tax You, then kill you at that-and
my tool-chest, and my hard palms, and tired
bones at night, and my hasty breakfast in
the morning, lean purse, and tar-recetpt
at the end of'the year!
When quarter-day comes the bondholder
cuts off his coupons and draws his interest,
and | draw my purse and pay rent.
And when the year is gone he counts up
his gains, rustles his bonds and has a wine
supper. And when the year is gone look
| at that great robber, the TAX RECEIPT, go to
bed with an aching heart to dream of dem
| ocratic times, light, and equal taxation.
The bondholder does nothing. He is sup
ported.
I work. l pay taxes to make up the in,
terest on his bonds.
pay state taxes.
/ pay county taxes.
| pay city taxes.
pay town taxes.
pay revenue taxes.
Ipay school taxes.
pay direct taxes.
/ pay taxes on every thing.
L pay taxes to support negroes.
| pay taxes to support congress.
pay taxes to support the govern
| ment.
| pay taxes to support the bondholder
who pay no taxes for any purpose what
ever. .-#a. - laa.-s-
And this is equality! Fido, wish some
times was dog-a good dog like you
but shall never ask you to be man,
worker, q tailor-a poor, oppressed, Over
taxed slave to the bondholder.
| My heart grows sad, and the tears com
to my eyes oft and often. The bondholder
wife dresses in silk, bought with the none
the government robs me OF. Ny wife is i
| rags-my children are often hungry-col(
and are growing up in ignorance.
/ The bondholders' children will not spea
to mine, for they are too proud to speak t
the children of a poor, working, toiling, tax
paying, government-robbed mechanic.
You see, Fido, it viii not do to speak /
children of slaves, and every mechanic
America is now the slave of the bondholC
ers. | was a soldier, Fido. went to wa
] fought to restore the Union. / fought
have peace and prosperity.
When went to war | had little farm
and the bondholder next door had nothin
but chair in saloon and glib tongue.
/ fought while he staid home to prote
: my poor family. How he protected it, VIC
know, Fido. My wife and little ones ofte
suffered for food, but his wife did not.
When | came home my farm was NOR
gaged-I could not pay the taxes-the gil
tongued rascal was bondholder, he hf
legislated himself rich and made me h
slave-he had money and had none.
And he bid off my farm on tax It'll
and | had to fall back to my trade, as
, must In time to the poor house, if the Peep
do much longer keep up this foolishness.