The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1868-09-23
"They Can't Tax Me-"

We have repeatedly heard poor men, la
boring men say, remarks the GdLipOIiS
Dispatch, ''Well, L have not got any prop,
erty, they can't lax me much - -
We recently mot one of this class return
ing after hard days work, carrying on his
arm a peck of meal; we accosted him and
the following conversation ensued:
Well, Jones, how do you get on?
''Poor enough Il seems harder to mako
a support for myself and family than ever
before. l work hard, live poor, don't
drink or lounge around, and yet 1t Is all l
can do to live"
We'll, that is not to be wondered at, when
you and other laborlng men vote year after
year, to increase your own burdens. Times
will grow harder until you change your
way OF voting, and taxes will increase.
''They can't tax mo much, for I've got
nothingl"
They can't, eh2 Lets see! what did
that peck of meal cost ynul
''Thirty cents. " aE.
''Do you know what it costs to raise a
bushel of meal ~
'cNo." ."-....
1t costs about fifteen or twenty cents.
- 'SFhe GoyaP people say you Copper
heads are mighty bad people and try to de
ceive us workingmen, and begin to believe
it, for know they don't tax corn meal.
] think can prove to you that corn meal
is pretty heavily taxed. .-.
81 '4'd like for you to do it, then" /.
Well, the corn from which the meal was
made was raised on taxed land, plowed by a
taxed plOW, drawn by taxed horses, hitched
with taxed gears. 1t was hoed with taxed
hoe, cultivated with taxed implements, gath
cred with a taxed wagon, drawn with taxed
horses, thrown into taxed crib, shelIed on
| a taxed machine, measured in a taxed meas
ure, taken in taxed. sack and ground on o
taxed mill, seiYed with a taxed seiYe, and
| mixed in a taxed pan, cut with taxed
knife, and lastly eaten by pretty heavily
taxed man. ..-
'Whe well I'll swan, that's nearly al
taxes. L declare to gracious never looked
at it that way before" ...--F
If 1t were not for The taxes you could bu,
a bushel of meal for what that peck cost
Besides, it is not on that alone that you ar
taxed upon everything you have to buy
A pound. Of sugar costs only 3 or 4 cents
but you have TO pay from 1G to 90. 4
/ pound of coffee only costs 10 cents, but yol
have to pay 80, and it costs you three hun
dred dollars year to support your family
you may safely say One-half of this Is tax
Now is it any wonder that times are hart
and that you find it difficult to live?
1t costs me mole than three hundred dol
lars year to live. used to get only fiftl
fifty cents a day, and / lived a great des
better than do now on a dollar and a quar-
ter. l see there IS a great wrong some
where, and am going to take your advice
and see if there is any good in voting for
change of,rulers. I'll try the experimen
anyhow, but 1 must not tell old Squeeze, o
he'll discharSe me, and call me q rebel; hu
/ a hundred and fifty dollars tax Is too nlucl
for mo. That much saved would buy m,
winters, sugar, coffee, flour, ETC., to las
me year, and bolt or two of muslin an,
calico for my wife and children. How
thick headed 1 must be not to see this be
fore. l begin to see now why old Bond
usedto come around and see me just befor
tho election and be so smiling and polite
and why Mr.. Bonds would send my wifi
some little nlc-nack or other Bonds is rich
he gets gold from the bank for his bonds
work to pay that. His bonds are nc
taxed. l pay $3.50 year all IN little thing
even a box of matches is taxed ! than
you, Mr.. Editor, for this talk; it has don
me good, a new light has broken. in on me
and IN not keep it hid under bushel, ne
ther. I'll talk to the men shout it. 1t
now all plain. l declare I'LL pover forg,
4 the peck of meal /" -o.fE51ea
IL We gave the honest fellow a hearty gli
and passed on more determined than evt
) to work for the enlightenment and redemI
tinn of the toll worn sons of labor