The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1882-03-11
FROM TEXAS.
Rcd .saer county.

port of our Committee on Unjust
Burdens Borne by the Agricultural
Glass, with request that you publish,
the same. 1t was adopted at our
meeting on last Saturday, February
*. I send the following resolution
by the Grange:
Resolved, That we adopt in full
the report of the Committee on
Unjust Burdens, and that said re-
port be furnished THE PATRON OF
HUsBANDRY, with request to pub
fish the same. H. A. SLOAN,
Master Of Savannah Grange, 1902.
Walker Station, Feb. II.
REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON UNJUST
BUDENs BORNE BY FARMERS.
Worthy Master, Brothers and
Sisters: We, your Committee, to
whom was referred the subject of
Unjust Burdens Borne by the Agri
cultural Class, would beg leave to
make the following report:
After as careful an examination
of the subject as it was possible for
us to make under the circumstances,
we find that it is impossible to
make as elaborate a report as the
importance of the subject demands.
In every department of Govern
ment we find abundant cause of
complaint, but the most prolific
source of the evils complained of
originate in our National and State
legislation. The tendency, under
the plea of protection, has been to
foster and build up the interests of
a favored few, and to do this by
sacrificing the interests OF the many
We find, in round numbers, 1000
articles that bear an import duty
under the ostensible plea of revenue,
and a large percentage bear duty
so enormous as to prohibit their i'm
portation, conseq uently they never
add one cent of revenue; but at the
same time they are bounty to en-
nance the fortunes of the manu-
facturer.
Every necessary of life bears an
import duty from 20 to.over 200 per
cent. By careful investigation of
the subject we find a very few
commodities that afford any rev.
enue, while the duty imposed by
the Government is added to the
price, and is put into the pockets
of the manufacturer by the cos
sumner.
Six commodities pay .oooI per
cent. of the entire revenue-a large
proportion of dutiable commodities
yielding no revenue, but it is a
bounty to American manufacturers.
In this ostensible plea for revenue
we see the real purpose is high
protection. In report necessarily
brief we can not itemize the many
burdens imposed upon us by class
legislation. 1t is enough for us TO
realize that whether we live or die
we are taxed upon everything con-
nected with the commerce of the
world, from the tiny pin to the pom
derous engine, from allspice to salt.
This we must regard as the re-
suit of unfriendly and unjust legis-
lation in the Congress of the United
States. When we see the disre
gard of the rights and liberties of
the people as manifested by the
legislation Of the last twenty years
we have cause to fear for the safety
of our Constitutional Government,
with our free institutions. Ours is
Government from the people and
by the people and for the people.
The indications are, that as a Ma
ton, we are moving in the direc-
ton of a Centralized Nationality,
in which there is great disregard of
individual rights and liberties, also
disregard of the rights of the
States in this Union.
We find that taxation is unequal,
the laboring classes are directly
taxed on all they may possess, be-
sides poll tax, whereas the mil
lionare, possessed of Government
bonds to the amount of millions, is
exempt from taxation, while every
implement owned by the farmer is
taxed to pay a semi-annual interest
on these bonds, Government bonds,
untaxed, sink entirely out of sight
their value of the Nations wealth,
and to the amount of the Govern
ment's debt we find an untaxed
wealth, leaving an unjust burden of
taxation upon the tangible property
of the real wealth producing classes.
Vanderbilt carries 500, ooo,o 900 of
Government bonds, bearing an av-
erage: we will say, of s per cent,
which gives an annual income of
100000, and yet on all these mil
lions of principal he pays no taxes.
Yet he has every protection the
power of the Government can give,
--even making him one of a privi-
liged class, which is contrary to the
principles of Justly distributed bur-
dens and privileges.
We find we are the subjects of
unjust burdens by reason of the
burdens imposed by railroads. They
have become privileged monopoly,
assuming to be above the control of
the people from whom they derive
their existence. They claim the
right to tax our produce whatever
may suit their pleasure or avarice,
even sail it will bear" so as not to
prevent its production.
Railroad companies assume to
question the Constitutional powers