The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1882-09-02
Tho Wav for Every Taxpayer
TO Look at the lDcbauch of
Public Funds bv Con.
gress.

gress.
Congress gets away with a great
deal of the peoples money every year.
Each year the amount is growing
larger, until this last session Con-
gress managed to appropriate for the
current year in round numbers, $500
OOO, 600.
Much Of the debauch, profligacy
and corruption represented in this
fabulous annual sum is not generally
noticed by the taxpayer because it
is taken from him Indirectly.
1t is taken by high protective tar
iff and internal revenue therefore he
is apt to overlook it.
But it is one of the chief causes of
high prices of the necessaries of life
and the trouble to-day between CAPT
tai and the wage worker.
But he pays 1T all the same-every
cent of it.
How then does he do it? Because
he is the consumer and must pay for
it.
No one else can.
Now let us see by actual figures
what proportion of this vast expense
each person in the State Of West Vir-
ginia pays per annum.
1t is the simplest proposition in
the world.
The total receipts by indirect tax
alton which came into the National
Treasury last year were in round
numbers, $3.50, 100000.
AS Congress did not at its recent
session reduce taxation but increased
it on knit goods, the receipts will be
as large il not larger, this year.
Now mark carefully what follows
and think over it and talk to your
neighbor about it.
The people OF this country last
year paid an indirect tax of $3.50,
100000. Our population is 10000
600 souls, which divided into the
above puts levy of nine dollars on
every man, woman and child in the
United States.
West Virginia has population,
according to the last census, of 6lS,-
1913 souls, which multiplied by nine,
the number of dollars levied on each
head and we have an assessment
levied by the general government,
upon what the population Of West
Virginia use, eat, drink and wear,
amounting to the vast sum of 5,563,-
1877 per year, Of nearly fourteen times
as much as we pay into the treasury
of our own State.
There is nothing difficult to under
stand about this showing and it is
just as true as it is plain. We pay
it in some shape or other and we can
no more shift the payment of it to
someone else, or something else than
we can fly.
There is only one way to avoid it
and that is to send men to Congress
who will not spend the money, and
who will reduce taxation in spite of
powerful Hobbies and great money in
terests.
This applies to both Senators and
Representatives alike. There seems
to be less disposition for extreme ex-
travagance in the House than in the
Senate. Congress is Republican and
must be held responsible for this
frightfnl robbery Of the people.
Finally: If the wage worker, the
farmer, or anyone else thinks that an
annual tax of $5,563, 1897 Ga sum that
represents over forty five dollars per
year on each head of a family on the
people of West Virginia, by the Ma
tional government, is first lien on
his very existence let him sink every
issue into perdition in the selection
of Senators and Congressman, except
that of return from corruption and
debauch of the peoples funds to
wholesome economy. This should
be the battlecry at every hastings in
every district in the State through
the coming campaign. Each candi-
dates fitness for Congress ought to
be measured by his ability and ener-
getic determination to abate the
great burdens of taxation now being
imposed upon the people, and which
the last Congress, after an eight
months session, had not the honesty
of purpose to relieve one dollar but
on the contrary, to increase.-News.