The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1873-06-26
from the Missouri Republican
Where the FanIt Lies.

The statistics of occupation as given in
the census report for 1870, show 5, 022, All
persons engaged in agriculture-5, 525, 5OS
males and 396, 96S females; 1884, 793 per-
sons engaged in professional and personal
services ,61S, 121 males and 1, 066, 672 fe-
males; 1, 191, 23S persons engaged in trade
and transportatiOn-1, 172, $40 males and
Is, sos females; and 2,707, 421 persons en-
gagged in manufactures, and mining and
mechanical industries This is the distribu-
ton of the 10, sos, 923 persons reported as
! engaged in various occupations for the pur-
pose of earning a livelihood for themselves
and those dependent upon them. All are
laborers; together they form tho great army
of bread earners of the land, the authors of
its wealth and the fabricatOrs of its power
By the eommonest principles of justice all
ought to have an equal chance, and all be
placed on the same basis under the laws of
the land; one class ought not to pay tribute
20 another; three classes ought not TO have
share of their earnings taken from them
and given to the fourth particularly when
the fourth class is the smallest and most
prosperous of all. Nor should either class
be selected as a special favoritc by the gov
eminent, and given power to exact tribute
from the others. All should pay taxes to sup
port the government, but no one should be
invested with authority to exact taxes from
the others. And yet all these things are
done under the laws of the land, and by
authority of those laws. OF the 2, 707, 421
persons reported engaged in manufactures
and mechanical and mining industries, not
more than one-half, or /, 353, no. are en-
gagged in what are called the protected"
manufactures The remaining II, 152, 213
equally deserving citizens and laborers, en-
gagged in agriculture trade, transpOrta-
ton, professional and personal ser
vices and the mechanic arts, arc not
only not protected, but taxed per
centagc of their earnings for the enrichment
of the favorite !, 1853, no. They are made
to pay 81 extra a pair on shoes,
50 on a plough, So on a woollen,
coat, 50 on blanket, So on a carpet,
81 barrel on salt, S. barrel on re-
fined sugar, into the hands of the persons
engaged in the manufacture of these arti-
Giles. Every unprejudiced person will per-
ceive at once and admit that this is unjust;
but it needs a little further investigation to
show how fiagrantly and wantOnly unjust
it is. The largest single class of labcrers
reported in the census statistics are those
engaged in griculture-farmers and farm
hands; they number 5, 922, All. Their ag-
lou NAC AyACccCN buC
aggregate value of farm products including
betterments and additions to stock for that
year-$e, AL, 53S, 65S This divided among
the whole number of persons engaged in
agriculture gives the small average of $413
as the yearly earnings of farmers and farm
laborers. The total number of persons en-
gagged in manufactures was 3, 053, 996, and
the aggregate product of their labor was
s., 232, S25, AZ, or an average of 81, O60.
While, therefore, the average earnings of
farmer were $41S, the average earnings of
a manufacturer were 81, O6O, OF nearly FIVE
times as great six million farmers earned only
a little over half as much as two million man
ufacturers. Yet the farmers are taxed on
their average income of $413 year, for the
protection Of the manufacturers who have
an average income Of over 81, 900 a year.
Il is no wonder that Western farms have
decreased in value Sc to so per cent. in the
last few years, and that farmers, after the
practice Of an economy approaching almost
to meanness, find It impossible to support
their families and pay their taxes