Daily Los Angeles herald., 1879-04-26
Dialogue Between Denis Kearney
Granger and a Democrat.

Granger ana a Uem0crat.
Deuis-W.ll, boys, let US all so
for the new c Constitution and knock
the stuf1ing out Of the lecherous
bondholders, the bloated corpora
tions, the daylight robbers and the
midnight thieves.
Granger-Now, Denis, my lad, If
you had said that on the sand lot
1t would have raised a big shout
and all hands would have gone up.
But we grangers have got a good
deal of hay seed in cur hair and
some brains In our heads, and we
wact to see the true inwardness of
this new Constitution and how it is
to affect us. How will it benefit
US?
Denis-To tell the honest truth,
l don't know much about the
darned thing. 1 tried to lead 1t
once but could not understand it.
and gave it up as bad job. But
Clitus, and Berstretcher, (d-n that
Dutch name, I never can get it
right) and Terry, and Howard. are
all lawyers, and they say that, in
the course of twenty years or so,
the Supreme Court will be able to
tell US what it means, without
doubt; and, after that, 1t will be
plain sailing. Clitus tells me it
has one provision which will be of
great service to grangers who have
mortgages on their farms.
Grauger-That is, that the holder
of the mortgage and not the poor
borrower, must pay the tax on the
mortgage. But, Denis, my bully
boy, there is nothing to prevent the
lender from raising the interest so
as to cover the tax. Can you ge.
that through your wool? Do you
think any man with three grains of
sense is going to lend his money on
a mortgage at the current rates and
then pay the tax on the mortgage !?
Not much. you bet! II he pays
the tax of course he will pile on the
interest. Did you ever see water
run up hill. or know money lend
er who would lend his money for
less than the current rate OF inter-
est? It's all bosh! and neither you
nor that little bullet-headed petit
logger, Clitus, nor that sand lot
fellow. Berstretcher, (d-n such a
name) can cram such nonsense
down my throat.
Denis-Well! let us drop that
subject. l can't see through it..
But then, you see, under the new
Constitution, all land, whether i'm.
proved or unimproved and similar
ly situated, is to be assessed and
taxed at the same rate. You can't
deny that this will be bully thing
for the small land owner.
Granger-Lst us look into it,.
Now, l have 1G0 acres of unim.
proved land, worth, say $50 an
acre, adjoining Roses big orange
grove, which is worth, say $500 an
acre as it stands. The two tracts
in their natural state would be
worth the same price-$20 an acre.
Now, when the assessor comes
around, will lie value my land at
$500 an acre, or RDse's land at 500
per ncre? ? Being similarly situated,
they must be assessed at the same
price. Now, explain this, brother
Denis.
Dshis-Can't do ii. It's too much
for me. will ask Bersticker about
it. (D-n that name
Granger-You must admit that
two and two are four. But Is it not
equally clear that, under this sys-
tenn, I will either be ruined by the
tax on my 100 acres of unimproved
land, or Rose will be taxed on his
land at less than one.tenth of its
value.
Democrat-Hold your horses,
boys, until 1 put in my oar a little.
l hear it noised around that, under
the new Constitution, 1 may wake
up some fine morning and find my
whiskey stopped by the local op-
ton people. How about that,
Denis?
Denis-Our glorious new Consti-
tuition does say that may be done.
But Howard says it does not mean
what 1t says; and he thinks that,
in the course of eight or ten years,
when the Supreme Court has got to
understand 1t, he hopes 1t will de-
eide that there is no local optior
In it.
Democrat-But while the Su-
preme Court Is studying the mat
ter up for eight or ten years, what
am 1 to do for my whiskey, and
what is my German neighbor across
the way to do for his lager beer /?
And then, too, suppose that In the
end the Court should hold that the
Constitution does mean what 1t
plainly says, and that my whiskey
and my neighbours beer are to be
permanently stopped, what in the
ID are we to do then ?
DenIs-That's q very knotty
point, and I'll ask Terry and How
ard about it.
Democrat-Now tell me, Denis,
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