Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1877-07-26

| 10 not all expended wasted or stolen
there Is a surplus: il not enough
there Is deficit and the credit of the
state Is pawned and enough is Dor
rowed to make up until the law
makers come together again.
1t is the duty Of the state to pro-
vide for and maintain an accurate
census, a carefully prepared table OF
all taxable property, and be advised
OF what it is actually worth.
Every Office and institution should
be required and compelled to report
carefully its past expenses in items
not gross statements, with state
ment Of its wants and necessities
in items-and they should all be laid
before legislative committee which
should be in session expressly to ex-
anime and prepare for taxation. 1t
would have before it the population,
the value Of property and the amount
OF money required. They should
then apportion the taxes so as to
bear equally on the people and the
property OF the state, and levy them
directly; and no man who does not
pay taxes should be permitted to
vote or take part in the administra
ton OF government. He should be
content with being protected under
government he does not, or will not
help support. u
Ii he has clothes to wear somebody
raised the material manufactured
the fabric and made the garments
and had to own land. animals. and
feed, had to have machinery and
work with 1t somebody had to make
tie machinery and somebody pro-
cure the metals and wood co mpo-
sing IL. all, including himself, had to
have shelter and food. and courts
and officers and public Offices to give
them right of property, preserve
their titles and protect them in pos
ession and use. His washerwoman
cannot give him a clean shirt with
out kettle, soap and starch, place
to wash and an iron to smooth them
and wood for fire, somebody must
provide them, must have a right in
property to do It. and must be pro-
tected in that right. To be protected,
somebody must make and maintain
a government. His boarding place.
his food, his bed, his every want is
supplied by somebody who helps to
make and maintain government, and
he Is protected in his right to his
clothes; in his right to his wages;
even II he does not labor but steals
for living government gives him a
fair trial and furnishes him counsel
and protects him against assault and
trespass- Yet he pays nothing to
support that which gives him the
surroundings Of man, and but for
which he would have to live as the
brutes live, and let the strongest de-
vour the weakest Hence. he who
does not help TO pay the expenses of
should be content with
protection and should not be allowed
any voice IN selecting representatives.
or voting FOR or against taxation for
others to pay.
A merchant buys a lot, builds a
store, fslls it with goods. and pays
taxes on IL all. He hires a half-doz-
en- clerks who have no property OF
their own, and depend on such men
rs he for bread. and a government
Tor protection to their persons, and
10 the property Of others, that those
others may give them employment.
A farmer buys land. erects build
lngs, buys animals and machinery,
plants trees and proceeds to supply
the market with the products OF his
skill and labor. and pays taxes. He
hires a half-dozen men who own
and pay no taxes.
What kind OF a law would il be
which would allow these clerks to
control this merchant, or these hired |
men In controlling this farmer. by |
telling him what he might do. and |
when he might act; who he should |
hire, how much he should pay: what
he might spend. when and how he
should improve or buy and sell, and |
how he should manage, and yet re
quire him to support them all the
time, pay all the expenses and keep
up the farm or the store, and protect
hem from personal injury?
Yet II would be exactly like the
az which permits men to have equal
voice in election, who pay no taxes.
md who neither make or help TO
maintain government.
In this lies n principal OF legislation
which goes back of the general
propositions stated, and which should
De first considered; that is, to the
'ubject first named. the selection OF
representatives. jew -
I am quite well aware that what 1
I'm saying is not calculated to make
ne popular; but the truth is best;
md there are enough demagogues
Who want Office who will lie to the
PEOPLE to gain a temporary success.
{ is bad for the people, and honest
men should seek to save them from
icing misled. a.ls
When the truth is before them, IL
hey reject 1t then they will blame
themselves when the evil days como
hat must follow its rejection: should
hey adopt the truth, the man who
advances it can afford to be censured