The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1871-03-09
WfMV1e PAYS * iA1Es.

MHm1 No PAYS 70 FAXES.
Certain men in this county, who, per
haps, IRE possessed Of one hundred and
sixty acres Of land, two or three head Of
stock, ~ Old rickety wagon, Eve acres Of
g breakikg," and are domiciled "below
ground; have howled every fall against
every man, enc matter what his superior
qualifications for official position may
have been,) that has come up for Office,
because he did not pay certain amount
of taxes. They having cried out that
men should not be sent to the legislature,
because they were not Taxpayers; that
they should hold no county Office what
even; because they had no property
that, to use an hackneyed expression
the man who pays no taxes, "has no
rights white men are bound to respect. y
The men who have advocated this prin-
ciplc, love the almighty dollar better
than they do their. God! They try to
SGT up golden calf in enlightened Kan
sas, and whoever can not bow ut the
shrine, must, in their opinion, have no
honor, no integrity, no honesty and no
qualifications for official position. These
men would set up an arisiocrucy worse
Than that that curses England. A mon
eyed qualification il the sesame to their
suffrascs. The honest yeomen that con-
stitute the bone and sinew of the land
have NO right to ask for position; the
nIan who tolls from day Light to lamp
light deserves no consideration the
man Of letters and intelligence deserves
no pity, and any body else, however
'praise-worthy, can deserve their vote,
unless he is a tar-payer!
This is the burden of their song. How
unfortunate it is to be poor! We were
never aware that the laws Of this State
lad made a property qualification the
basis Of elective franchise. Property
qualification is n relic of barbarism, and
i,as been done away with in most Of the
States. The men who advocate such
principle are either political knaves or
ignorant dupcs. Ii y man Is ho:,est, in
nrrnptible, Intelligent and qualified, he
is better cMtitlcd to the votes of the poo
pie than the ignorant, sholdy, and un-
principled capitalist that pays his taxes,
when he Is compelled to.
i !, But we have noticed that this hue and
..ry rs net rslisesl 50 much lV. the heaviest
taxpayers Of our county, as by some of
the smallest and dirticst kind Of would-
be politicians that pay, perhaps, fifty
dollar tax. We say, boldly, that We
would as soon vote for man for office
that pays no taxes, rs he who pays hum
drcds ofdollars. We don't measure men
by their purses. But if q man of large
means comes up for Office, and We know
him to have sufficient integrity and quail
ification for that Office, We will support
him, if we want to, and still ut the same
time We will not cry down his opponent,
because he is poor.
Many Of the men that have raised this
cry are men who came to this country
very poor themselves. They were lucky
enough to procure good claims, and an
Of hundreds Of men Ms poor
as they once were, has increased the value
Of their property, SO that they arc now in
good circumstances. Most of our immi-
grants are poor, and they come west to
better their circumstances in life. Con-
most Of our voters in this
county are poor men.
Then, we ask, would it not seem very
strange that these men should give away
in every instance to the "bloated bond
holder" We are glad to see more lib
eral spirit being shown among our peo-
pie, and are glad that "times and opin-
ions are changing"
SENATOR NAT. n. CARPENTER.
nno ~ tha ,u.et l.r;lI;ant onJ ..;aoy