The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1878-08-15
HARD TIMES
THE CAUSE AND THE REMEDY
FROM ONE STAND POINT BY
Hon. Il. J. Maginnis.

,f general good health, and the bountiful !.
crops of all kinds bestowed upon the in !
iustry of the husbandman to satisfy all our !
wants, which in my judgment,
indicates that the cause of
honest labor is still precious in his sight.
How can it be otherwise when He set the |
su blime example? Look at this beautiful
world, with its rivers and seas, its hills and
mountains, its fertile valleys and varied
all arranged with such infinite
skill, as to demonstrate that none but the
hand of sublime and infinite Architect
could have designed or made it. The sun,
moon and stars still further demonstrate
the Almighty works of the Infinite Being
for our comfort and happiness, if we make
the proper use of them.
He was and is the Great and Infinite La
borer, and one of his injunctions to US is
that we should "earn our bread in the
sweat of our brows" We, my friends, may
we'll congratulate ourselves on obeylng |
this great law, and be pround that we be-
long to the great army of laborers, who are
not only the producers of all wealth, but
the toil-worn followers of this divine in
junction.
While surrounded with all these bless
ings, SO iavishly showered on our country;
with the largest production of all the neces-
saries of life ever garnered in any year, why
do we hear the cries of innocent children
| for bread, and see the half-naked, half
starved mother, with great tears in her eyes
her natural heart yearning at the want and
suffering Of her offspring, while the hus-
band and father, to avoid the sickening
sight which he cannot endure or alleviate,
become broken hearted tramp in this
land flowing with not only milk and hon.
ey," but with all other luxuries intended
for the wants of man.
THE CAUSE.
Every effect must have cause, and the
cause of this suffering is, beyond doubt,
class legislation. In the absence of unjust
or class laws every industrious laboring
man can produce enough of the neceesaries
of life from his labor to keep himself and
family in comfortable manner. The class
!; laws that are now, and have been in force,
for the past fifteen years without the knowl-
edge or consent of the great mass of our Ia
boring population, were and are SO framed
as to indirectly appropriate large part OF
the earnings of labor to enlarge the profits
of money capital. Labor is the producer
of all wealth. Without labor there is nc
wealth.
The savage does not labor and has nc
wealth. Labor and capital are naturally
dependant upon each other, and with just
general laws there cannot be any conf1ic
between them.
The census reports put the whole value
: of the country in 1870 at thirty billions o
: dollars. The general shrinkage of values
since, of say fifty per cent. has reduced
that amount to about fifteen billions. 0
this sum over two billions, or nearly one
seventh of the whole, is exempt from tax
: alton and owned and held by the moneye'
: capitalists of the country. Allowing th
e tax to be two per cent. per annum, here il
the sum of forty million dollars per year
that upon any fair principal of commo
:. honesty ought to be paid by the capitals
which is charged to and collected of labo
ell This is direct class legislation and tenG
l., to make the poor man poorer, and the ric
e man richer, Common justice requires thi
4 every man shall pay his reasonable propo
=, tion of the public taxes, or burthens of II
country according to his means, withol
regard to what kind of property he ma
ST. own, and any law to the contrary shoul
o. not be tolerated on any pretext by frt
n people. Glass laws in various ages an
r countries compelled people to pay tith
"a Tor tenth) to support the church of tt
Lord, but labor is now in this country
" these laws compelled to pay seventh
nc support the agents of the other old fello,
lg My friends, shake off this barbarous yok
a If the late civil war be regarded in Il
I'd light of National calamity, then all OF
people should contribute in proportion
their respective means in person and trea
ure to repair the evil. When the Matte
expanded the currency to prosecute Il
u war, all our people, poor and rich, shar
W. in the prosperity of increased values of Il
re, production of labor and capital in propc
,r? tion to their respective positions. This
nd seemed fair. If the Nation thinks it bt
:, for the general good, to reduce values, u
~ Of nd r;o,bt
VI ought to apply the same principal to lab
'ry and ca pital. This principal has been gre'
ly violated in the unnecessary contract1
# of the currency from about fifteen hnndr
re millions to seven hundred and fifty m
lions-aboutf fifty per cent.
This contraction reduces the value of
80 Dor and property of all kinds, except me
- ey, bonds, mortgages and other credi
oi- which. by this legislation, were doubled
value or the purchasing power. To ill,
md trate: Two persons, each having the sal
'ty, amount of money; (say one thousand
ful lars, when this contraction commenced) G
is invested his money in house and lot, fa
ncy or other property Of any kind, and appli
OF all his labor ever since. He has now |
same property with large additions and i
ats provements added by his industry, and
rty reason of the controtion of the currency
the Government, this property is
worth half the money paid for it. !
other person invested his money in bon
retired from labor, became drone in
ac- hive Of industry, and the purchasing pc
ig's er of his thousand dollars or other sum
en- doubled. By these laws the government
pie riches the drone and impoverishes the
lty. borer.
Its. How long will you continue this cl
in legislation? Whenever you wish ,
'ca- can change all these things by your ve
ills. but by no other way.