Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1878-02-02
LET CONGRESS DO SOMETHING.

LET CONGRESS DO SOMETHING.
Since 1873 = shadow has been over the
land. Savings banks, merchants. man
u~facturers. have failed. Operatives and
day laborers have been thrown out of
employment. Tramps have multiplied.
Hard economy has been practiced. Men
| who never knew before what it was TO
deprive their families of comforts,
have come to deny them many things
hitherto regarded as necessaries OF life.
Farmers in the most fertile regions have
ceased improving their farms. Houses
go implanted. fences unrepaired. Why
is it? Our soil is as good as it was
before the war. when money was pienti-
full and times prosperous. Our men arc
as entsrprising and Industrious, and our
women as frugal and careful. Why IS
1t that of late none but the bondholders,
money | nders. and Il few spectators.
have been able to do more than exc out
a bare subsistence 1t Is not that prices
are lower than they were twenty years
ago. tor they are not. The answer is.
that the country has been cursed with
b III legislation. The legislation has not
been tor the many, but for the few. Debts
have been piled upon the nation. upon
cities and upon counties, for which no
adequate return has been made. In
| finance we had the act OF 1869. which
added five hundred million dollars To the
national debt, withou, mt dollars con
s!deratinn being received for it. This
| was an act which in any other country
than free America would have caused a
revolution. Not satisfied with this. the
silver dollar was practically demonetlz-
ed. AS an additional sop to the money
power. and to make money still scarcer
and dearer the resumption act was pass
ed. While everything else declined in
value. and the average net earnings OF
the country ran down to one-halt per
cent. per annum, the price OF hired
money has remained what it was in the
flush days of imitation. BY financial
jugglery in the treasury department,
s~yndicates and national banks have been
enabled to pile up colossal fortunes.
BY the most unjust and oppressive
ttritf ever devised by man, the west
has been for years under contribution to
the east. Specially favored manufac-
turers have been made rich out of
the pockets Of western farmers, while
not one cent of revenue has beer even
incidentally gained thereby to the gov
ernment. Is it any wonder that under
such management hard times have
come? Rather, would it not have been
astonishing if they had not come? What
IS the remedy? Let the evils of the bad
Legislation. 80 far rs is possible. be re-
paired. As congress Is on the financial
question. let that first be disposed of.
The time has come tor action. We have
had 4 plethora Of words, words. words.
Discussion is right and proper when 1t
is needed to throw light upon a subject.
but when it is only that congressman
may place themselves upon the record
in long winded harangues 1t becomes a
bore. Let them record themselves by
their votes. The minds OF all those
who desire to represent the people are
made up, and the sooner the minds OF
those who are waiting to be decided by
the lobby are relieved from the pressure,
The better. When the financial question
is disposed OF; when the resumption act
is repealed, and silver remonetized let
congress turn its attention to the tariff
and excise laws. Let those articles
which are protected without bringing
revenue to the government be placed
upon the tree list. Free the necessaries
OF lite from the burdens OF taxation,
I aud let the revenue OF the government
be raised. as TAR as is practicable, from
inxuries and superfluitles, which the
poor can do without. In other words.
instead of raising all the reveuue from
the poor man, let the rlch man. WHO Is
better able to bear it, pay his share. and ii
anv difference is made, .et it be a lit
tie more. A. 1t is to-day. the
poor luboring man who drinks his
pint OF whisky every week and spends
fifty cents for tobacco. pays more tax to
the United States than the owner OF one
hundred thousand dollars worth OF gov
eminent bonds who does not drink or
smoke. Let US ease up a little; equallzed
Il little, and be fair a little. and the
country will get along better. And
gentlemen congressman, hurry up a lit
tie. The country is sick of suspense
1t is wear urto death with long waiting
If you must talk. make your speeches
short and to the point. Act, and act
n-,n -, ntl,-