Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1869-12-25
The Plow and the Bond!
" He who by the plow would thrive,
Him self must either hold or drive.

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row, its bright steel visible now and then
as the stcady.pulling team drew it round
on its great work. We stood by the road
side aud thus run our thoughts. Who
will agree with them?
Now look at the plow. In the hands of
that farmers son, drawn by willing cattle,
it is doing great work. 1t is worth un-
told millions to the nation. 1t prepares
the ground for the seed which will bring
forth crops for the benefit ofal. The mold
board the plowshare. the beam, handles and
crossrungs, all are the work Of man, his
work to benefit still others.
The man who owns this land pays taxes
thereon. The man who owns the plow, the
cattle, pays taxes on them. lie pays tax
es on all he has, on all he raises, on all he
year. For what?
We vii! tell you.
School taxes, that children may be elu-
Gated.
Road taxes, that roads may lie kept in
order,
Town taxes that the taxes of the district
may be collected and rightly applied.
County taxes, that the courts, sher;ffs,
jurors, and county officers may be support
cd.
State taxes, for like reasons.
The n,ai,--thc cattle the plaw pays these
taxes. That plow is Of u,e. II all the
p!ows in the land should be exempted from
work for five years. Would not the man
and cattle rejoice?
But hold on--how would the man, his
family, his cattle live! And how the
weeds would grow over their fields.
And who would, who could pay the taxes
when the plow rested in rust aud illencss.
hidden away in some shed or cellar!
God-specd you. plow and plowman.
And man care for you, plow and plowman.
and protect you, as you make the wild into
Il garden, give employment aud reward
thereof, for the benefit Of people and coun,
try.
Whoa!
Now. thcn-grt up!
And the cattle pull, the plowman mana
gcs, lifts, twists, and settles down to the
handles. The eyes Of beast and man pro-
trude from sockcts--thc muscles of man
and beast swell and strctch-the plow-
point is fast in something and there is Il
bad break in the furrow.
What is the cause? A root-a stump
---a s!One--a rock !
No.
Only an iron box-a freproof safe.
Handle it with care--the Government
stamp is thereof, aud you must not break,
mar. cancel, or rcpudiatc it.
The iron-box is full ofbonds.
All nicely printed and folded
These bonds are hidden away to escape
taxation. One of them earns more than
ten plows, but it is not taxed.
The plow earns wheat.
The bond earns gold.
The rlow pays taxes.
The bond does not.
The plow earns gold to drop into the
iron box, in the shape of taxes.
The man who bought the plow paid all
it was worth, and each year lessons its
value
The man who bought the bond paid half
its worth, and it is increasing in value each
; year.
Who owns the bond?
The man who just rode by in his car
riage.
Who owns the plow?
The man who is working with it to sup
port his family-who works while the
other rides.
The pillow earns.
The bond carus.
The pillow is taxed.
The bond is not.
The plow fears the heat, the fly, the
rust--the wet may keep back its reward.
The bond fears nothing, for if the plow
does not earn the interest the bond calls
for, the cattle are sold and dropped into
the iron box.
The farmer is taxed on all he has-the
iron box full of bond pays no taxes.
The farmer SUPP orts the one who owns
the bonds, which are but notes he must
pay.
And the plows arc everywhere.
! How came plows in the fields!
Men placed them there to do great
work with.
How came the bonds there?
When the people were fighting aud the
plow idle in the furrow. those who dare
not fight dug holes aud hid their boxes.
The Government filled them with bonds,
and placed stamps of exemption tkereon.
The bondholder planted bonds, and his
crop of gold is certain.
The farmer planted sons on battle6elds
he now works to enrich the ones VINO
own the Government, the bonds, the plow,
the farmer, aud the muscle of America
everywhere.
The plow and the bond.
We like the one and the man who holds
it. ..,s sd
We hate the other as we hate any one or
any government that robs labor Of its re-
ward.-Pomeroys Drmoyat.