The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1868-10-09
Labor and Taxes.

| w hilC tlC 4>dtIobul ILuDot
was assembling in New York, the Ma.
tional Banks were said to be pouring
money into Pennsylvania in aid of the
radicals. The Congress of Laborers at
Chicago affirmed the doctrine of equal
taxation; the Congress of Radicals at
! Chicago resolved in favor of moneyed
monopoly. The "letter OH the finances"
from the proceedings of the Labor Con-
gress at New York, has the following
declaration
"Turn to the other side of the situa-
ton, and we behold non-producing cap
italists--bankers md bondholders-
dwelling in the palatial residences of
the land, and exhibiting all the evil
dcnces of CrGsus-like tOrtunes-each
day growing richer and richer, while
side by side with them the industrious
working classes, who obey the divine
decree, and eat their bread in the sweat
of their faces, are growing poorer and
poorer. Those who sow do not reap !;
while capitalists usuriously exact from
labor the fruits Of its toll, leaving only
pittance for subsistence; and the false
theory that capital should own labor,
is practically realized in every commn-
nifty.
"The producing industries of the
country are unjustly taxed, and the al
most intoerable burdens of the war
debt rest upon those who fought the
battles and made the sacrifices, those
who titled the land to produce supplies,
and those who labored in the work.
shops to supply the mdteriel of war !;
while the money-kings, who furnished
the so-called 'sinews Of war; (and got
well paid for it.) and kept out of dam
ger, are receiving eXorbitant rates of
interest upon their loans, and amassing
princely fortunes upon the misfortuncs
OF their te!low-countrymen."
To quote from contemporary (the
Baltimore Leader,) apply to this decla-
ration the increase in the public debt,
the reckless squandering of the public
money, and the consequent increase in
the burthens of taxation which ultimate
ly fall upon the labor of the country,
and it will not be hard to discover the
path of political self-interest which the
"letter on finances points out. This is
no matter of deceptive demagogism,
and certainly not reproduced here with
any such desire or design. The simple
and imperishable Fact is, that the ma
tional wealth has been made to run to
waste in rivers Of useless expenditure,
to perpetuate partisan power. Having
a tendency to political consolidation,
the Radical party has natural affinities
with privileged classes. 1t is sustained
by sustenance drawn mainly from such
sources. Its policy is to confirm to the
few privileges which make burthcns for
the many. If the creed of Democracy
is clear upon any points, it is upon the
necessity
1st. OF Taxing the Bonds of the Gov
eminent.
I'd. OF Paying the Bonds in lawful
money.
Sd. OF raising the exemption from
taxation from moneyed institutions.
4th. OF throwing open to industry
and products markets now closed to
them by the unlawful usurpations of
Congress.
9Th. Ofgiving to the People the right
Of government.
9th. OF relieving the People of the
unnecessary expense of Standing Ar
mics and voracious Bureaus.
Nothing but the election of Demo-
cratic President can bring about these
things. The election of Grant will sig
nifty an approval by the people of the
measures which produced these evils,
and the election of Seymour can alone
remove them. DO the people under
stand this?