Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1882-12-21
STATE GRANGE.

LeauOTu hnoue, tue h"Sl'i p''Si''"S'
We take from the published minutes,
the following letter from Judge Black:
BRocKIE. NEAR York, December
10, 1892 My Dear Sir A neigh
ber aud near relative of mine has
shown me the letter i'll whith you ex-
pr,ss your strong desire tosee and hear
me at your meeting on the 18th inst
With much reluctance, and ouly for
imperative reasons, deny myself the
honor of uniting my voice with yours
in the loud demand which you and
other Patrons OF Husbandry propose
to make for equal aud fair taxation.
| hope you are accurately informed
upon the operalioE aud effect of thr
present system. am not; but ! can
hardly be mistaken in surprising that
the products of land and agricultural
labor are taxed, directly and Indirect
ly, nine or ten times as heavily as the
average of the burdens imposed upon
other classes. Why should not this
be remedied? All our public instiIu
tions. including courts, jails, schools
poor houses and county roads, could
be supported, and all the proper cX
penses of the state could be paid, by
tax laid with even.handed justice upon
all classes alike and the share of the
farmer would be reduced ninety per
cent. below what it now is. Why
should not the farmer be taxed ac
cOrding to the products of his business
and other persons at the same rate &C.
cording to theirs? II am right,
fund sufficient for all purposes Ia which
public money is now applicable could
be ra sed by the state without taking
from any class more than one.tenth ot
what is now paid by farmers and own.
ers of real properly. This fund when
raised could be easily distributed
among the counties according to popu.
lation aud the onernus local taxes
would he wholly abolished. IT, in al
ditinn to that, you could reduce the
excessive and arbitrary exactiuns OF
the railway corporations tn reasouahl.
aud uniform rates which the consllGu.
ton requires you would get the b.e-s.
ING ~ every just man in the common.
wealth.
D"ubtless it will require some labor.
care and examination to mature
perfect plan iur carrying out this priu.
cipIe aud you must must expect the
opposition ut powerful person, who are
interested in present abuses. My lack
OF statistical facts, rs well as want ui
time and space, prevents me from
going into details.
Now is the accepted time to pres,
for justice aud equal rights The pnr
ty coming in cannot be- iaIhlcs- T. the
pledges 1t has given So freely. Ii the
independents are really independents
aud halfa honest as | take them tn
be they will give their utmost aii to
your cause. A. to the old hahltual
enemies Of good government, they are
on Their death bed protesting re-.
pentance which hope is too sincere
To permit of any new sins which might
add to the shame aud agony OF their
political dissolution.
in a few weeks are worthy of your
generous confidence. They will pro!n.
bly, commit some errors. Let patience
hope aud charity he exhausted before
your faith gives away. Sometimes,
perhaps, they will seem to be wrong
when they are not wait for the light
and that your conclusion il clear he
fore you condemn them. Make due
allowance for the difficulties of the
task before them. Reform is always
up bill work, being hard aud slow com.
pared with the descending grade on
which vicious administration travels
down 50 easily. But watch these new
rulers in the executive aud legislative
departments-watch them well and
ceusure them freely for every dcrelc.
ton of duty. If they come short Of
their plain duty. or wilIfully break the
vows they have made to sound priuci.
piles, from fear, favor or affection to the
rings that have robbed you heretofore,
show them no mercy but scourge
them back into the retirement from
which they ought never to have
emerged.
Uuder q cheap and economical
government (if we get such a Que in
Pennsylvaoia) by which taxes are i'm.
posed only for public purposes and
collected with horizontal equality from
every class alike agriculture will flour.
ish as it never did before. The tax
eaters may not fatten quite so rapidly
as they do at present. but the land will
smile with plenty. If YOU have more
than you want you need not part with
it to the greedy millionaire but think
of the unfortunate laborers starving
and striking in the mines aud factories
all over the country and shake the