Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-08-11
National Greenback Labor Platform and
Candidates.

At their convention, held at Essex
Junction on the 9th day of juno last, the
national greenback labor party of YER
mont, put in nomination the following
ticket, and adopted the following platform !:
For governor, M. o. Heath of john
son.
For lieutenant governor, q. +. Clough
of Waterbury.
For state treasurer, Fletcher Tarbell of
Swanton.
Resolved, LIST. That W. highly approve
convention, held at Chicago, June 9, 1880,
and endorse the nominations of Gen. j 4.
b. Weaver, of Iowa and D. j. Chambers
of Texas, as candidate for president and
vice president in the coming election.
I'd. That the listing and grand list laws
should be SO amended and enforced, as to
more fully equalize the burden taxation.
Sd. That the high salaries and fees
raised in war times be cut down to rea-
sonable sum, and the most rigid economy
be practced in the administration of the
state and national government.
4th. That we most cheerfully endorse
the nominations of NJ. o. Heath for gov
ernor, G. F. Clough for lieutenant COVER
nor, and F. Tarbell for state treasurer,
this day made, and will most heartily
support the same in the coming election.
We append Il letter written by Judge
Heath and published in the Lamoille NcIUS
of the 10th of July, 1878. at time when
he could not have anticipated his present
candidacy. which shows somewhat the
drift of his mind and possibly explains
why the greenbackcrs have selected him
as their standard bearer ED CITIZEN.
70 The Mr-paycrS of Vermont: Among
the evils of the present day, the great
inequality in the apportionment of taxes
is not among the least and deserves more
attention in connection with our selection
of members for our state assembly than
we have heretofore given. Oar
burden of taxation is necessarily large,
but it is unnecessarily too large.
In these times - the strictest
caution and economy should be demanded
of Legislators as well as other public cfli-
Gals. But the great injustice to the poor
tax payer and the land holder, in the way
our grand list is now made up and the
taxes apportloned among the people,
especially calls for additional Legislation,
and we should knowingly send no man to
represent us in either branch of the Iegis-
lature-whatever his other qualifications
may be-who will not honestly and faith
fully take all honorable means to bring
about reform in this respect.
There is no justice in compelling a
farmer owning farm worth only thou
capJ lallors
class who are weighed down with mort
cages, to stand large list and pay annu.
ally more taxes than his more fortunate
neighbor who has his tens of thousands at
interest at n per cent several times greater
than the farmer can realize from the in
come of his farm and labor combined.
There is no justice in allowing men of
great moneyed wealth to locate or remain
only in such towns rs they can bargain
with to assess them at only small irac-
ton of what they really ought to be as
scssod at. Ii there are men who are not
willing to bear their fair and proportionate
share of taxes, let us have more effectual
laws on that matter; laws that will secure
to us more fully some of the constitutional
rights named in article nine in our state
constitution. In many of our towns the
annual percentage amounts to several dol
lars on every dollar of the grand list,
making some five or six dollars poll tax
to pay, which on the part of great many
requires great effort and sacrifice to meet
Farmers, too, have TO pay considerable of
the cream of their profits for taxes. and
yet many men who aspire TO seat in our
halls of Legislation, yes, and many who get
there, especially from our large towns
and moneyed centres, hold to the theory
that polls and real estate should bear all
the burdens of taxation, and such men
will, of course, oppose any attempt Mt re-
form in this matter, and if we do not wake
TO action, we arc liable TO become worse
oil in this respect than we are now.
With business profits no better than
before the war, and yet our taxes up to
war prices, believe it to be our duty not
only to diminish them as fast rs practical
BILE, but as equally as possible divide them
among those consttutionally required to
contribute toward the support of the gov
eminent according to their individual or
corporate ability to pay. Those who know
that | am one of that number who have in
these latter days become what is termed
tdhd poor, may claim that am sellishly
interested as u tax payer in this matter.
Yes. am, for am, with my agricultural
brethren, getting tired of paying large
share, or any share of our neighbors' taxes
in addition 10 such taxes rs We ought, MS
loyal members of civilized society, TO
cheerlully pay. Surely, if there is one
class above another who can afford to pay