Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1883-04-18
"Wednesday, April, IS 1883.
The Poor Mans Protection.


TIE Editor of The Virginion in his
attempted reply to an article IN the
HERALD enIeayors 10 show how much
his party has done in Congress Tor the
relief Of the poor man. lie charges
that the HERALD "said never word
about il, though the HERALD ought TO
know that these votes helped to reduce
taxation 10 estimates ranging between
thirty and forty millions Of dollars
year."
Unfortunately for you The HERALD
does know bow Il csc reductions were
made and we propose TO give the PEG.
pie some facts in regard 10 it which you
failed TO give them. We propose TO
show that these reductions were made
by removing the taxes of rich corpora
tons and monopolists and compelling
the poor man TO pay unreasonable taxes
upon the articles of daily consumption.
"When they voted with men 10 tear
the stamps from matches and scores OF
other small articles, &C."
The HERALD published list ofthe
reductions made, which it seems YOU
failed to see. \ full examination will
show how clearly you state the case to
your readers. The stamps are remOv-
ed from matches. This should relieve
the poor man, hut will it DO il: The
match business, as is well known by
business men, is now in the hands Of a
monopoly, who have almost, if not
quite, exclusive control of prices and
have materially advanced the price in
the last year. No parties will make
more out of this reduction than this
monopoly. You tore the stamps of OF
patent medicines. The one cent stamp
that was placed on q Twenty-Five cent
bottle has been torn Of, but does any
one suppose that lie is now going to get
the twenty-five cent lotlle Of medicine
any cheaper?
You have done the same with per-
fumery, but HON did you assist? The
poor man or the manufacturer OF these
arlitNe? VII Is your "scOres O.
small articles Of consumption" from
which your party has torn tie stamps !:
You we're very careful not 10 Tell your
readers that this same party had re-
moved entirely The tax from bank capt.
tai and bank deposits, and from this
source, The great reduction Is made.
The little bank in this place. with only
Ghy thousand dollars stock, has been
relieved Cf lie payment ola tax Of be-
tween Eve and six Lundred dollars a
year, al d lie large banks Of our cities
With their millions ofcapllal and mil
lions of deposits are relieved In the
same proportion, while the poor man
must continue TO pay from two and one
half 10 three and three-fOurths cents on
every pound of sugar that he buys, and
Ii heavy TAX on every article Of daily
use in his family. This discrimination
against The poor has been made by The
party that protested to lie the enemies
OF bankers, brokers' and bond-holders.
While Your party orators abuse these
classes from the hr stiDgs, your party
allies relieve them from taxes
which consume so much Of the wages
of The tOiling thousands.
With these burdens resting upon the
people, and robbing the poor of their
wages, YOU boastfully proclaim that
your party has saved the State 800.
oCO,C0O, and DIV ell upon the reduction
OF taxes, but every farmer, in fact. every
taxpayer Of Shenandoah knows that
when his tax-blll was presented for
payment, 1t was not reduced one cent.
For every cent taken of for state taxes
a cent has been added for county tax
alton. Why is his? In spite of the
costs ofnew roads and tie approprla-
tons for smallpox cases within the
last few Years, tie surplus in the
county iICasuy afltr making q full
allow ance for al debts, is eight tn GUS
and dollars. The people of Shenan-
dOah Lave continued 10 bear the same
bulden Of taxation in spite Of all your
Boosting of reduction. Will you tell
them that ttere is a little scheme on
foot TO tax them 10 build a new court
house without letting them know it :
II there lie DO such scheme, why are
the people Of shenandoah taxed eight
tn Cusand dollars more than The ex.
perses Of the county require? These
are ques'iO Which interest the people,
who have some curiosity to know Why
these sWe, ping reductions of which sou
boast, have not reached their tax bills.
If you can defend your party by
either locis CT Arguments, you have
certainly good field. Personal abuse
and personal slurs do not satisfy the
people. They may please few, but.
We hope, very lew Of our people who
want the facts.
What do you mean by the slur
"other people owned the iron furnaces
and lie ioundiy," in your editorial in
which YOU endeayor TO show that your
party Las r, duced taxation? Your
readers certainly d. not understand
that part OF your argument. Probably
you can explain it.
When the facts or the ability to re.
ply is anting, personal abuse of in-
diyiduals is sometimes resorled to, but
il only proves The indeiensible position
which the party holds.
The Philadelphia Times, commenting
j.