The south-western., 1868-10-14
" They Can't Tax Me-

We have repeatedly heard poor men, laboring men
say remarks the Gallipois Dispatch, "well, / have
not got any property; they can't tax much.'
We recently met one of this class returning after
hard days work, carrying on his peck of meal
we accosted him, and the following conversation en-
sued:
| "Well Jones, how do you get on -"
"Poor enough. 1t seems harder to make support
for myself and family than ever before work hard
live poor don't drink lounge around and vet it is
all can do to live
Well, that is not to be wondered at when you and
other laboring men vote year after year to increase
your burdens. Times will grow harder until YOU
change your way of voting, and taxes will increase
They can't tax me much, for 've got nothing"
They can't, eh? Let's see? What did that peck
Of meal cost you?
"Thrty cents.'
Do you know what it costs to raise bushel of
meal?
"No'
1t costs about fifteen twenty cents
1.-The loyal people say you Copperheads are mighty
bad people, and try deceive US workngmen, and
begin to believe it, for know they don't tax meal
think can prove to you that cornmeal is pretty
heavily taxed
"rd like for you to do it, them
Well, the corn from which that meal was made was
was raised taxed land, plowed by a taxed plow
drawn by taxed horses, htched with taxed gears 1t
was hoed with a taxed hoe, cultivated with taxed i'm
plementS, gathered with taxed wagon, drawn by
taxed horses, thrown into taxed crib sheed on a
taxed machine, measured in taxed measure taken
in taxed sack, ground in taxed mill, sieved with
taxed seve mixed in taxed pan stirred with taxed
spoon sailed with taxed salt, put into taxed bake
pan baked in taxed stove, laid cut a taxed plate
with taxed knife, and lastly eaten by pretty
heavily taxed man.
"Whew! well III swan that's nearly all taxes
declare to gracious never looked at it in that way be-
foren
If it not for the taxes you could buy bushel
Of meal for what that peck cost you Besides it is
not on that alone that you taxed but upon every
thing you have to buy. pound of sugar costs only
three or four cents but you have pay from sixteen
to thirty. pound of coffee only cents but
you have to pay thirty, and if it you three hun
dred dollars year to support your family YOU may
say onehalf of this s tax Now is it any wonder that
times are hard and that you find it difficult to live?
1t costs me more than $500 year to live used
to get only fifty cents day, and lived great deal
better than do now on 81 20 see there is A great
wrong somewhere and l am going to take vour ad-
vice and see if there is any good in voting for change
OF rulers. III try the experiment. anyhow, but must
tell old Squeeze, OR he'll discharge me and call me
rebel; but Sl50 tax is too much for me- That much
saved would bRy my winters fuel sugar. coffee -four
etc, to last me year, and roll or two of muslin
and calico for my wife and children How thickheaded
must be not to have this before. | begin to
see why old Bonds used to round and see me
lust before the election, and be so smiling and polite
and why Mrs. Bonds would send my wife some little
nieknack or other. Bonds is rich; he gets gold from
the bank for his bonds. l work to pay that, His
bonds are not taxed. Ipay Sl6O year all in little
things; even box of matches is taxed thank YOU,
Mr.. Editor, for this talk it has done good; new
light has broken in me, and I'll not keep it hid un-
der bushel neither. I'll talk to the men about it. 1t
is all plain. declare I'll never forget that peck
of meal"
We gave the honest fellow hearty grip and passed
on, more determined than to work for the en-
lghenment and redemption Of the toiI-worn sons of
labor.