The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1873-04-11
tThe Farmers Ciub----.heap
Transportation.


From he New Ae'ns Ledger Standard
Tue most significant and important
movement OF The day in our country Is
now ia progress amongst the persons
Engaged in Western agriculture. There
is very much in this movement to cc.n-
mend aud promise good results. We
perceive in il thus far but one danger.
That is In It's secrecy. IL is not now pro-
tcsscdly political. But it will Inevitably
become ~ la the future. Ii has clear
right to become so, ii its ends are good
and honorable. But It has no legal OF
moral right, IL political in its intent
and aims, To be secret. Secrecy is MOI
necessary for successful agitation OH any
subject Of great public concern. The
free spirit Of our institutions forbids II.
Error can be best and most cilectually
met, answered, and overcome by FREQ,
open, public, manly action and agitation.
Secrecy never fails to suggest TO corrupt
or unpatriotic men many modes ofabuse.
of betrayal. and OF selfish use OF the Sc
cret organization. We respectfully warn
all good citizens to see to II that our
country shall not again be cOnvulsed by
the evil Vaccinations aud corrupt per-
versions OF secret and oath bound So
cicties.
The farmers Of the great West NAV
we'll organize. They may well feel alarm
mt the conditions which surround them.
They need cheaper frcights and fares. =
They need cheaper implements OF toll
aud husbandry. They need lower prices
for all the products Of manufacture. -
They need honest taxation for revenue
alone. They have been paying tribute
and bounty to favored classes too long.
They are never the recipients Of any such
benei;sctions. They can only get Justice
by repeating taxes not imposed for rev.
enue alone. Protection constantly in
creases prices on all they want to buy.
and reduces prices OF what they have to
sell. In great part the oppressive rates
Of transportation are caused by scanda.
lous tariff taxes imposed upon all iron.
steel, and other materials which are used
in the construction of railroads and
their rolling stock. And these high taxes
are not imposed To enpich the treasury.
but ~ enrich the favored iron mongers
Of few sections, who are no more mer-
itorious than the farmers in any sense
whatever. These classes have acquired
fabulous wealth. They are the financial
lords and princes OF our country. They
fill the lobbies oil Congress and pur-
chase rich franchises aud unequal taxes.
OAKEs AMEs has made millions out oil
the high duties he enjoys Oh shovels and
spades and wheel-barrows. lie is there
by enabled to compel the farmer, the
railroad digger, the poor street-cleaner.
10 pay nearly twice as much as he would
have to pay under absolutely equal laws.
The cruel result Of this kind OF dishon-
est legislation is to require the Western
farmer to sell cheap and buy dear. He
is robbed and impoverished. His East
crn and favored fcllow-citizen is enrich
ed. 1t is as true as Holy Writ, that, in
our national legislation. what makes the !
East wealthy makes the West poor. :
There is no remedy for this system of
gross wrong and plumber but the abo,i- |
ton Of all favoritism and protection, and
the imposition of taxation for revenue
alone. Whatever tax j. paid by any citi-
zen should be paid alone to the Govern
neut, not to his favored and protected |
neighbOr The latter Is not right, or
honest, or lawful. 1t Is vicious, false in
principle, unrighteous and goddess.
Let the intelligent and patriotic farm
ers of the land agita.e for reform in
these matters. They have not hitherto
fully realized. the great Importance and
dignity Of their calling. nor the justice
and fair dealing in legislation to which
they are entitled. They have been VIC
tins to the cupidity ofmere cunning and
INSCRIPTIONS classes for many years.
Yes, for many centuries. II is high time
they should awake, assert their man hood,
defend their essential rights, and de-
mand fair-play from their law makers.
The sprightly youngster of the Mad
ison Courier gives the following melan-