, 1869-06-11
NUMBER go.
oPPREssING THE FARMER-.

radicalsm to place the great burden of tax.
alton upon the shoulders of the farmers. the
Cincinnati Enquirer asserts, and asserts
tru y, "that if anything, any fact or any ar.
gument were required still more plainly 10
substantive the position of the democracy
that all recent legislation has been and is in
the interests of the few rather than of the
many, late decision Of the Commissioner of
Internal Revenue might be cited. Under
the enlightened views of the civilization Of
the nineteenth century, as interpreted by
every nation under the sun that has suc,
eeeoed IN emancipating itself from the
tion, alas of the United States-articles or
prime necessity, even although imported from
abroad, are subject to taxation simply suE-
hclent for revenue purposes. When CoSden
and Bright triumphantly carried their attack
upon the iniquitous Cora Laws that sapped
The very vital energies of the people, that
made their food dearer, while the producers
Of the food by that very fact were mulcted
OF their legitimate wages, none were louder
In their p9ans over the peoples's victory
than the citizens of; America. But all seema
now to be changed. A storm. in the Medi-
terranean, that in a quarter of an hour
lashes the blue water into a wilderness Of
angry waves, is the only parallel to the sud.
den metamorphosis in the practical legisla>
tion of the American people Before 1860
we were free people, and, as such, impar>
tlal lawmakers stroVe, with all their ability,
to make our physical equal to our civic con-
dltion. Then taxation, light as it was, was
levied not upon the food and the necessary
clothing of the hard working-maa, the far
mer or mechanic, but imposed upon the lux.
urles of the rich. But the mighty are
fallen; and as political influence has elapsed
from the producer to the consumer. from
the maker to the mere spendthrift of wealth
so the burden OF supporting the Government,
the necessity of contributing to the exigen>
eles OF armies and navies, and the extraya-
gence of military bureaucracy has been
shifted from off those able to bear the weight
to the shoulders of men unable to support
the insupporta BILE load. The millions of
acres Of agricultural land in our country.
from the improvement and occupany of
which all our future prosperity must most
certainly be derived, are left bare and unoc.
cupied, because, in its love for few capital.
lists, the central quiasi>imperial Government
at Washington prefers to draw its means for
bribery and corruption from the farmers
rather than the manufacturer or contractor,
who, from years of swindling, has filed his
purse within sufheiency tostuif the pockets-of
Senators and Congressman, and thereby add
to his store, like an angler who throws a
mlnnow into the water to hook a better fish.
For the last six years this has been the pol
icy of the rascally owners of ill.gotten gain,
who, to the misery of the people, have had
control of affairs at the seat of Government.
But until now they have attempted to vail
the abominable discrimination under some
apparently decent pretext. But the vail is
nov rent, the fox unearthed and the thief
detected.
With a damnable ingenuity conceived
from the union Of craft and peculation-but
10 law fortunately misbegotten-the Cons
missioner of Internal Revenue has decided
that farmers are manufacturers. The farm
ers Of the country have been and are taxed
tor the benefit Of New England in everyt
thing theyIWear, in every article with which
they can add to the comforts of their fami.
lies, in all by which they can adorn their
home or improve their fields. Four thous.
md articles of prime necessity, the majority
If which enter into the consumption of every
armer's household in the land have long
,een taxed. The iron of which the plow.
hare is made is taxed the saw that fash,
ons the beam is taxed the cotton that
othes the little ones is taxed; the coat he
years to shield him from the weather is tax.
ID; the nails that fasten the roof over his
lead are taxed; the drugs and medicines
Nth which, in sickness, he endeavors to
'ostpone death or allay the agony of pain
re taxed; and now, not satisfied with COW
ring the whole man and his dwelling with
axation, the vampire must change its na>
ure, and prey upon the stomach. The
armer is declared manufacturer, and to be
lxed as such for every peck of wheat he
lay grow and convert into -four, to feed
ven his own hungry children. They may
~ for bread, but the father must give them
alf loaf, in order that by saving the re-
lainder he may satisfy the nav of tho tax.
atberer. This is the result of radical rule
the good Lord only knows how long the
eople are to De subject to it. Grapes are
OF made of thorns, or figs or thistles, and
will not be by means like this that our
aste places will be populated and our
eserts covered with blossom.
~0~c~~~~~O>-~~-~-~--D-J--
The 'lady pick. k.pockets'' of Boston, dress mag.
fcently and then 60 upon the streets early in
lie evening, where they grow faint, and request
g.