The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1883-01-12


furnishes work and employment to our me-
chanics at remunerative wages. 1t gives the
State the power of numbers, and increases its
influence in a national as well as u CONNER
cial poir of view.
Kansas, offers, perhaps, more real and
substantial inducements to the Immigrant
than any other locality where vacant land
exists or where homes can be purchased at
moderate prices. We have a magnificent
school system, endowed by. an annual dis
bursable fund of over $ 800 600. 90 with all the
advantages that society and refinement give
to the people of any State To the stockman
and agriculturist, our State offers induce
1nents that no other locality surpasses. We
have a soil of unsurpassed fertility. salubri-
Gus climate, short winters, with an annual
rainfall that produces abundant harvests to
reward the husbandman. and plenty of water
and green pastures for the stock man,
whether he wants the tame or native grasses.
Our railroads checker over the State, and fur
nish the great arteries that transport the
cereal product and live stock to market.
1t is necessary to keep these advantages
before the people of the other states,
and of the Old World, to secure a large, val
liable and annual increase to our pOpu
1ation. We need the hardy industrious and
economical German lrishman, Swede and
Canadian, to help settle up. and subdue our
native soil-to aid i'm developingthe inexhaus-
t1ble resources of our young commonwealth. /
shall earnestly cooperate with you in any
means you may see fit to adopt to induce and
invite immigration to our State, whether
through the influence of our State Agricul-
tural Department, or by the appointment of
state Agent to represent us at New York City,
or TO visit Europe in the interest OF 1mmigra-
ton.
1t is important that the impression now eS-
listing against our state, on account of certain
supposed infringempnts of the personal rights
or liberties of individuals. and interfering
with certain common and harmless customs.
should be dis-ipated. Amendments tosome of
our laws, with proper and judicious manage
ment, will, think, accomplish the wished-for
result. and then in a short time the tide OF
immigration will be turned to our State.
INDIRECT BURDENS.
There is a surplus in our Federal Treasury
OF Sl5o.0o0yO0o, which, together with the an
nual expenditures. measures the apparent
burdens on the people This surplus attracts
those who would for their own selfish ends
make spoil OF the public funds. Not only the
fscal officers of the general Government and
the President of the United States. but all
good men OF all parties. have denounced and
deplored this surplus as tempting and cor
rupting in its effects. 1t is consequence as
well as a cause of evil policies and practices,
and denotes excessive taxation and the null
duplication of useless and unnecessary bur
dens on the people, 1t means excessive cost
of fuel, shelter, food, clothing and other ne
cessaries and comforts of life. 1t adds by its
.exactions on iron and steel, burdens on the
cost of railroads, and increases costs. of
transportation of the produce of the farmer
to the markets of the world, and adds greatly
7tothe price to the customer, while it does
not paw back anything to the producer. 1t is
a tax on food which does not inure to the
benefits of the producer consumer. 1t is
increasing at a rapid rate the wealth per
capita OF the States whose people are enjoy
ing the effects of protective tariff, while the
rateis being rapidly reduced in the Agucul-
tural States of the West.
Whether this excess is a hundred or two
hundred millions, the pernicious principle is
the same. 1t concerns the people of this ag-
ricultural State to know why this burden is
laid upon than. and what is the consilera-
ton they receive for bearing it. If the taxa
ton by the present tariff simply furnishedt the
funds to carry on the Government. trugally
administered, even though there were inc
qualities in its arrangement. a patient agri-
cultural people might not complain. But rs
the census shows there are States which may
be called protected States. and others which
may be called unprotected States, yet the lat
ter furnish not only their full share of the i'm
mediate expenses of the general. Govern
Ement, but they furnish immense sums which,
by the present protective system never ling
their way to the National Treasury, but 90 TO
swell the wealth of those who profit by this
tax on the industries of the agricultural States
that might be profitable, were If not for this
protective system that aids a favored few to
amass immense fortunes OFF the masses. Our
census reports show rapid increase of the
wealth per capita of sucE States, and grad
ual decrease OF wealth per capita OF the az
rlcultural states. The average tariff FAX on
manufactured articles generally used by the
farmer varies from thirty to one hundred and
fifty per cent. and this immense tax on the
industries of the state makes fearful inroads
on the earnings of the patient, toiling farmer
To this tax must be added the increased cost
of the article to the consumer which adds
greatly to his burdens and raises an immense
sum of money annually that never Iinds its
way into the Treasury vaults, variously est
mated at from five hundred millions to one
billion of dollars which il collected from the
consumer by the enhanced price of articles of
daily use.
The protective policy of our present tariff
laws Is the result of bad legislation and a
vicious system that assumes to tax one class
of people and business to help another class
OF people or business; taxing the consumer
so as to raise the revenues for the support of
the Government, and at the same time and by
this system compelling them to pay immense
tribute to a few because they have succeeded
in bnilding up immense monopolies and Sc
cured in years past the favor of Congress and
a protective tariff. The sham excuse for this
perniciouS system is that it makes a home
market. The fallacy of this argument has
been demonstrated by every writer on politi-
ical economy. 1t is only necessary to add
that the price of fam produce is not
regulated by the domestic demand, but the
markets of Europe that measures the value of
our meat ana the great cereal crops of our
State. 1t Is argued that it keeps up the price
of labor. The history of this protective sys
tenn in onr own country proves its failacy, as
also the additional fact that the countries
that are the most protected are the worst OFF
in Europe, pay the lowest wages.
The agriculturistS of Kansas have their own
local interests, but they happen to be in ac-
cord with the general interests of mutual
trade and commerce with other lands. Com
merce is not one sided affair. The markets
for the cereals and meat OF the great farm
factories of our State, and of the West,
must be made, and when made, con-
Sinued by hberality and justice of
our own laws We must not provoke re-
taliatioa nor invade the National laws of
trade, nor limit our markets in which to buy
what we need and sell at the best prices and
where we please. The revenues for the sup
port of the National Government can be and
necessarily must be raised by tariff system,
but that system should be so adjusted and ar
ranged that ii will raise revenue Tor the lib
.eral, though economical support of the Gov
sernment and he levied on the luyurieS rather
than the neeessaries of life, thus freeing labor
OF its unjust burdens and placing the farmers
of Kansas on an equality with the other in
from exactions they ought not to bear
While it may be argued that you have moth
Eng TO do with this question, it is important