Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1873-05-15

glad to chronicle this dev0utly wished
for Improvement. This will make the
last link wanting in Union Block, and
1t will show forth now with renewed
splendor.
COMMUNICATION.
For the CouaIEH.
BLAKEsBuRe, May 3, 1873.
MEssRs. ED1ToRs:-
The resolutions of Columbia Grange
leave no room for doubt rs 10 the poll
tlcal character Of the organization, SO
far as that Grange 10 concerned and
taken in connection with various other
resolutions passed by different Oranges
and ordered published, leaves but lit
tie room to doubt that We have got q
secret, sworn political organization
that proposes to control the politics
Of the country by secret oath. bound
societies. The third resolution says
that "we will support, without dis.
tinction of party, men who are identi-
fed and in sympathy with our inter-
ests.' The fourth resolution we may
regard as their platform, so far as they
choose to submit 1t to the public. 1t
declares against'a tariff; SO we see
that Columbia Grange proposes to
raise the money to support the Gov.
ernmcut by direct yUTes!
Let us see how this will suit the
farmers. There 10 now raised by the
tariff about sll0,OOO00o In gold. To
this add fourteen per cent, the average
difference between gold and currency,
and we have over fifteen millions
more, making sl25,000OOO currency
raised BY the tariff. Now do the farm
srs Of Iowa want to raise their share
of the above amount by direct taxes :?
The constitution provides that direct
taxes shall be apportioned among the
States, in proportion to population.
Let us see what Iowa's share of this
sl25y 100000 will be. Allow the pop
ulasion TO be 100000; Iowa has
l,25O,O0O, and as there would be 3d.
l25,0O0 of money to raise for each
100000 inhabitants, our proportion
of the money that is now raised BY
tariff would DO *3,9O6,OOO, and would
require tax Of little over thirteen
mills to the dollar to pay our share OF
the Government tax that we now raise
by the tariff; so If the honorable Sec
rotary of Columbia Grange 10 assessed
at $4,000 he would have the pleasure
of paying $3.50 = year Government
tax, in addition 10 the tax that he now
pays. Does Columbia Grange, or any
member Of 1t, buy enough foreign
goods year, that pay duty, to pay
that amount, since tea aud coffee are
on the free list! will venture the
opinion that there is not . member Of
Columbia Grange who buys that
amount Of duty-paying goods year,
much less paying that amount Of In
terest value on account Of the tariff.
Again. did Columbia Grange ever
think that in favoring free trade they
are playing into the hands of those 81.
gantic railroad corporations by placing
the producer and the consumer further
apart, and giving them the carrying of
ell our surplus, instead of exchanging
any of IL at home? But enough on
this subject.
And now, - Columbia Grange ar
raigns the Legislatures, both National
and State, for their neglect of their
the Grangers' - interests, viii the
Grange please tell US what those pecu-
liar interests are that have been so me-
elected? We must understand that it
IL some interest peculiar to the Grange,
and not the interests Of agriculture,
or the ayriculturalists generally. As
the honorable Secretary wis . member
Of the Tenth and Eleventh General
Assembly, and we are not aware Of
any measures that he proposed for the
benefit Of the farmer, will the Grange
please enlightsn 10 ON this subjest !?
And now let me say to Center
Grange, that In your answers in the
CoUslEn Of the l7th ult., TO some
questions that asked, you deny that
your Grange has separate interest
from the general interests of the coun-
try, and that It 10 not = political organ
izAdon. Columbia Grange boldly
svows ito political character, and gives
US notice that they will not support
any ono for Office but members Of the
order. Will Center Grange please in.
form us how one Grange, under the
Same constitution, is a political organ.
ization, and smother not? Aud will
Center Grange endorse Columbia
Grsnges platform z, And will they
rive us some other reason for their
.ensure of Mr.. Caldwell? The con.
,.um2>nxgA,. AZ &c ENair D1. =, ~ ~. nln> H.