The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1882-12-27

AAhhtSBDAGs DecemDer 1Z.--1ne
following letter vas read before the
Pennsylvania State Grange at lis re.
cent session
i Yong. Pa, December 10, 1882.
i MY DEAR SIN 4 neighbor and near
relative Of mine has shown me the letter in
which you express your strong desire 70
see ana hear me at your meeting on the
18th inst. With much Eeluctance, and only
from Imperative reasons, deny myself the
! honor of uniting my voice with yours in the
loud demsnd which you aud other Patrons
Of Husbandry propose to make for equal
and fair taxation. I hope you are accurate
/ ~ informed upon the operation and effect
Of the present system. am not, but can
hardly be mistaken in supposing that the
i products Of land and agricultural labor are
taxed, directly aud indirectly, nine or ten
times rs heavily as the average of the bur
deds imposed upon other classes. Why
should not this BE- remedied All our pub
lie institutions, ,inciading courts, jais, schools
poor houses and country roads could be
supported, and all the proEer expenses of
the State could be paid by a tax laid with
eYenhanded justice upon all classes alike,
and the share of The Elrmer would be re-
dueed 80 per cent. below what it now is
Why should not the farmer be taxed &C.
eordingly to the productso of his business and
other persons at the same rate according to
theirs7 Ii am right, a fund sufficient Tor
all purposes to which public money is now
applicable could be raised by the State with
out taking from any class more than one tenth
Of what is now paid By farmers aud owners
of real property. This fund, when raised. |
could be easily distributed among the coun-
ties according to population, aud the oner
Gus local taxes would be wholly abolished |
Il, in addition to that you could redncs the |
excessive and arbitrary exactions Of the
railway corporations to the reasonable and |
uniform rates which the Constitution re-
quires, you would get the blessing of every |
Just man in the Commonwealth. Doubtless /
it will require some labor, care aud exdmi- /
nation to make and mature ii perfect plan /
for carrying out this principle, and you
must expect the opposition ofpnwerful per |
sons who are interested in the present /
abuses. Ny lack of statistical facts, as we'll |
as want of time and space, prevents me from
going into detail.
Nov IS the accepted time topress for JUS
tice and equal rights. The party coming in
can not be faithless to the pledges it has
given so freely. II the Independents are
really independent and half as honest as l
take them 10 be, they viii give their ut
most aid to yourcluse As to the old habit
ual enemies Of good government, they are
On their death-bed protesting repentance,
which / hope is too sincere To permit of any
ne4 sins which might add To the shame and
leony of their E0iitica! dissolution. The
new powers that be-or will be in Il few
veeks-are worthy of your generous conf
lence. They will probably commit some
I L.. Il ,.t..,
b>iure your faith gives way.
Sometimes, perhaps, they will seem to be
trong when they are not. Wait for the
light, andafe that your conclusion is clear
Xcondemn them. Make due al
l0r the difficulties OF the task before
is always uphill work, being hard 9
sQpared with the descending :
vicious administration
easiiy.1.But watch these
and legislative i
well, aud cen t
feiiction Of !
ther plain
they have d
fear, favor or Z
kSe robbed you
mercy, hutscourge =
Hfemeut from which
S4-eoe have emerged.
DndeFa cheap and economical govern d
lent-if We get such one in Pennsylvania t
by which taxes are imposed only for pub
c purposes and collected with horizontal I
quality from every class alike, agriculture b
i'll flourish as it never did before. The s
lx-eaters may not atten quite as readily s
) they do at present, but the land will smile
fth plenty II you have more than you
ant von need not D3 RI wi tn it to the greedy 4
lillionaire, but think of the unfortunate b
borers, starving aud striking in the b
lines and factories all over the countra1 /
nd "shake the superfux to them" | am
ith profound respect, yours, etc,
J. S. BLACK. p
0 Leonard Rhone, Esq, Harrisburg, Pa. t