The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1870-04-08

only doubled ms estate, Dut released
> it also from future burdens in its sup
! port. This wrong npon the people il
, such nm aggrayation of their other in.
jurieG i'll this connection, that it il diff
iicult to speak of it in terms OF motier.
, alton. 1t is n crying, burning infamy
: Taxation stalks up and down the field
; with hungry, rayishing strides, like
] some furnished beast of prey, and com.
nits it's ravages on every substance
save that which is richest. 1t pursuef
every footstep and haunts all the hum
bic and obscure ways and wants oi
the people. 1t knows no sleep non
rest from weariness or surfeit. It's
hard, tithing hand is laid on every mo-
mcnt Of life's journey, from the cradle
of children born to toll and of toiling
parents to their graves in tic closing
twilight OF old age. There is 40 sign
on the door-posts Of the poor TO guard
away the angel Of extortion from their
homes. The tax-gatherer il rs ever
present rs the breath of the pestilcnce
when cities and nations vail it,
stroke. =" He goes with the husband
man to the counter of the merchant.
AMI there gathers in for the bond
holder on every purchase made for the
necesiitie3 Of family. The ahirtin9s,
the iiannels, the cal.coea, the inuslins,
the delaiue8, the bonnela, tho hose,
the cassimeres, the cassinettcs, the
boots, the shoes. the buttons, the
thread, tho needles, the pins, the
! hooks aud eyes. aud tie eyeleta. have
al been taxed from forty to two hund-
red rer cent; and tie amount paid
on them has been put in their price
for the consumer finally to pay. The
collector of tho revenue walks by the
side of the farmer III his daily labor,
and rcaps II golden income for the
holders OF q spurious debt, from the
plowshare, the hoe, the sickle, the
scythe, the rcapinG machine. and the
mower the wrought-iron finish Of the
wagon. the chains. the clasps. tie
buckles, and the br!tllc-bit3 OF the
harness the iron teeth of The harrow
the tnany-tined forks, the grain shov.
els, and the shoes on the horses feet. /.
He gees into the shop OF the mechanic
and puts Il two-fold tariff price on
the suws, the augers, the knives,
th1 planes. tho anvi!s, the hammers,
/ tlie tongs, and ali the utensils of thozc
who work III wood and brass and iron.
/ Tie sits down ut meal time with the
laboreg at Lis table, and points ont 10
him that his knife and fork and h.i
uuprcIcnGiug plates have cost him
double because of the bondholdcr's u
demands upon them be fore shey came
into use. The coffee. the sugar, and
! the tea ut this frugal board have pnitl
she;r twen y-iiyc To- fifty per cent. 10
/ the Government, and the very salt
! that aayors the bread and meat Of the
people, and the coal which warns their
| humble abodes, are enhanced lin their
prices 10y the present system of tariff
| taxation from one hundred TO ore
hundred and twenty-five fer cent.
+ over their renl intrinsic value Water
itself The flowing fountain of life,
without which. nature sinks and dies,
is not free The pump. with its ma
ch.nery the windiass, with IFS chains
tina. control the wells, and the buck
cts that come and go from the springs,
and the cup from which thirst il nt
last qr cached, Il san the levy OF nn
exorbitant per cent. Nor is this insa-
table system any resrector of persons
after it passes by the proud, the rich
land the exalted The soldier who has
left an arm on the field of battle has
no exemption in behalf of the labor of
the hand which remains. 1t tolls as
best it can to be ready for the demands
of the tax gatherer, while the other
| lies periahinG III the ground far away
where swept the stormy and headlong
charge under the bright folds of the
blessed flag. The pallid and stricken
widow, in her lowly tenement of sor-
row and bereavement, knows not the
abatement of one farthing on the part
of the revenue official or the laws OF
Congress because of her irreparable
sacrifice-the sacrifice of him who
made life warm and beautiful to her,
but who now sleeps in some distant
spot, with his cherished face tur. ed
upward toward the flowers that
bloom over him. The child, bereft of
fathers guiding and sustaining care
by the fierce havoc of war, finds no
privilege for it's earnings and posses
sions against the grasp of taxation.
The veteran of the entire conflict, who
has returned to finish the journey OF
| life on one leg, pays tribute to the
/ Government and to the owner OF
exempted bonds on the very crutches
which bear him in pain along our
streets.
And when the citizen of this ill-gov-
erned land, whether he has been a
soldier in the field or laborer at
home, passes away from this scene oi
treadmill slavery, he invokes in vain
the shelter of the tomb. Between the
chamber that was darkened for the
closing moments and the quiet ceme-
terry on the hill, his unbulied remains
are made to pay tribute for the brief
passage. The snowy shroud that COW
ers him up for his long sleep, and the
coffin and the screws, and the screw
driver which fastens down the lid over
the still, cold face, have all paid taxes
which now fall on the earnings Of the
dead within. And when all is over
and friends turn away and leave him
alone forever in his dark and narrow
bed, the officer of the revenue still
plies his trade in the midst of the bro
ken household. The letters of admin
listration, the bond, the inventory, the
bill of sale, the sale, the report. al
pay to privileged wealth as the estate
py.ooaade fa fino1 ca+t!orpnut Tbr