Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1880-02-14
Address Of yHr. g. FL. STidcr.

We copy as follows very interesting
and suggestive letter addressed by Hon.
Z. V. Piolle,, Master of the State Grange
of Penns, lvania, TO the editor OF the
Farmers Friend, published at Mechan-
icsburg, Pa, requesting that paper to
publish the Address delivered by MI
John II. Strider to the Farmers of this
county, in the Court House at Charles
town, some two months ago. Mr.. L.
says -
81 heard an address delivered by j.
II. Srider, Of West Virginia, read by
the brother Lecturer OF our Subordl-
nate Grange last Saturday evening. 1t
is published in the Uusjandmnn.
I was interested and instructed. The
production is in every way credltable to
the author, and is proof that the Amer
lean farmers are beginning to under
stand the article through which they
are being robbed OF Legitimate return
for their capital and their labor. l
commenced this note for the purpose OF
asking you to print the address OF Bro.
Strider.
l will, however, advert to the one
great fact so plainly pointed out in the
address. The L. S. tax laws enforce
the payment of one hundred and three
millions Ct dollars from agricultural
products per annum. a bushel OF corn
or rye will make a gallon of alcohol,
and pays one dollar and eighty cents
tax to the L. S. Government. This
enormous tax upon the leading product
of our farmers, to which you may add a
foolish and costly supervision by the
Revenue department, has driven the
manufacturer of alcohol out OF the Uni
ted States and given other countries
the profitable business of manufacturing
this article, SO largely used in the me
chanic arts.
This bushel of corn or rye, after the
alcohol is extracted from it, is worth
fifty per cent, OF i market value as food
for animals; and to pat back to enrich
our fields of corn could be compressed
into thirty-two gallon cask and sent
to Europe to supply foreign countries.
The labor of manufacturing Is driven
to other countries, and the resduum OF
so much value to America given to 9th
er countries. The alcohol is sent back
to us in untold ways, when we ought
to manufacture this article for every
country save perhaps Russia, which is
a grain exporting country.
France now makes one-tourth OF all
the sugar produced in the world. Sup
pose that republic should place such a
tax upon sugar as TO drive the manuIac-
turer of the beet to Other countries, the
residuum now so largely distilled into
alcohol, and the further residuum so
largely used in feeding animals, by
which to return TO the soil the waste
by production, would be a parallel folly.
The point, however, that wish to set
forth, as argued by Bro. Strider, is this:
That excessive and disproportionatc
taxation upon any production of labor
lmpoverishes those engaged in the par
ticular industry selected for eXtortionate
taxation.
Through the united action Of Ameli-
can farmers the Government last year
reduced the tax on tobacco eight cents
per pound. The tobacco production Of
this year brings to the farmers who
produce this article fully the amount OF
the eight cents reduction i'll tax TO the
L. ). Government more than they OBJ
tanned before the reduction Of tax.
This advantage accrues 10 American
agriculture without diminution ofrcy-
enue to the Government.
When it is required to sustain the
credit and meet the obligation Of our
Government to tax the results OF the
capital and labor Of every industry at
the rate of ONE DOLLAR AND EIGHTY
CENTS upon sixty cents value OF pro-
duction, the farmer will not complain
that his bushel Of corn is made to pass
an equal amount,