The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1881-05-05

In short the State Obltgcs you to ,
I've according to certain standard ,
81 dcccncy and morality fixed by ,
society and itself. Failure to do SO, ,
no matter from what cause, brings
upon you and your family pain, dis.
grace, loss of.sclf-rcspcct, and the re-
spcct Of the community in which
you live. But does the State while
these obligations upon
you, also do MI it can to protect you
from the effect OF those contingencies
that without any fault Of yours, pre-
vent you from obtaining tho means
to fulfill these obligations? When the
State fails to protect the laborcr
from the necessity OF accepting
serenity fire cents for what In labor
or its products should bring him in
any market one dollar and fifty cents,
In order to pay his taxes, his rent,
his bills for clothing, rs the State
and society require, it tails to per-
form one Of the highest duties It
owes the citizen.
1t allows railway corporations to
water their stock, and 1t then allows
them to so reduce the price Of labor,
or Its products in the market by ex-
cessive freight charges, rs to pay
the same dividends on that watercd
stock, rs upon the real money in
vested In the building and equip
mcnt OF the road. It allows four or
five men arbitrarily ind to suit their
own convenience and pleasure TO
absolutely fix the price upon all farm
products, thereby fixing the price OF
labor. Poor's Railroad Manual cs.
Inmates the total cost OF all Amcri-
can railways and their equipments
at $4,000, 0OO. 900, and their net earn
ing for 1879 ut 500, 100000. 1t has
SO far rs legislation and law can do
given these corporations and their
property perpctuity through char.
tered privileges, and unrestricted in
dividual control, denied to nearly all
other property rights. Governments
should not have the constitutional
right to grant privileges to any part
Of the community from which the
others are excluded. Nor has 1t the
right to charter institutions to
tax the people ut their own
pleasure; because taxation is II
government prcrogative, which un-
der our constitution cannot be del
egated to individuals or corpora
tons. National banks since their
establishment have taxed the people
81 SOC, 900. 900 for the use Of a cur
rency. every dollar Of which must be
accounted for by the government,
and which every one therefore has
an equal right to, and which should
as all arc taxed for its support, be
. open and free to all. This enormous
taxation to the banks and the rail-
roads has been levied upon the
. profits OF business, OF industry. and
paid finally by the industrial classes
, first in the higher prices OF goods
! and second in the lower wages 81
labor to those who ultimately pay
the tax. II the State has the RICH,
to force You to live IN certain man
: ncr and to perform certain obliga
! tions and duties to 1t, it follows then
! that your wages and the price o
I your products should be regulate,
by The cost OF living in that manner
and by the amount Of means it re
quires you to have to meet thcs,
obligations to the State and society
: Instead OF having done this it ha
i authorized a certain class to pla,
a hide and go seek annually with til,
s, assessor, thereby putting the bur
dens Of the government that protect
: their robbery OF industry upon til
: industrial classes.
/ The government instead of givin,
. equal protection to all and requiring
!, all to perform equal duties towar,
j its support, has made possible, an
j. legalizcd species OF theft which i
, thereby made none the Hess disgrace
full and worthy Of rcprobation, by al
good citizens. Under this law a
: precious q lot Of rascals rs the worl
il ever saw. although languishing I
I, show and prove their devotion I
= their precious country. with nntol
= thousands u filthy lncre in thei
"a possession, about the time the asses
of sor is to make his appearance to as
certain their taxable property. avoid
1t the hurlens OF the government, Stat
10 and municipal by exchanging hi
Il ready money for untaxable govern
Is ment bonds. which are az suddenl
L. re exchanged for the taxable read
money. We maintain that the go,
:. ernment has no constitutional wal
= rant for enacting legislation who's,
. tendency Is to throw all the burden
:. OF government upon the industiia
= classes and to lead the Man 10 vic
. late all his pecuniary and person;
obligations to his country.