Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1886-12-16

struggle IN foreign MARI sGs with the COM
PETITION of nations. which BY allowing freer
exchange of products an We perm Z. eua-
bic the people to sell Tor prices which dis
tress the American farmer. AS every patri-
otto cit zen rejoiceS in the constantly in
creas ng pride of our people in American
citizenship and of our national achieverAents
and progress. sentiment prevails th4r the
leading strings useful to a nation in It's in
fancy may wefh to a great extent, be DIS
genuity. courage and f5arless seif-reliance
ana Tor the privilege OF lndulging this senti-
ment.
w tn true American enthusiasm our citi-
Gems are re<dy 10 forego an Idle surplus in
public treasury, and all the people Know
that the average rate OF Federal taxation
upon imports is TO day. in time of peace. but
little less, while VI on some article OF eheceer
sity consumption it is anIuHlly more, than
was imposed by the gr evous burden will
inglv borae at a time when the Government
needed millions TO maintain By war the safety
and integrity of the United States Ii has
been the policy of the Government TO col
lect the principal part of its revenues by
tax upon imports. and no change in this
policy is des rable. but the present condition
Of affairs conStrains our people todemand
that by revision OF our revenue laws the
receipts of the Government shall be re-
duced to the necessary expense or its
economical administration. and this de-
mand should be recognized and Obeyed
by the peoples Representatives in the legis-
latve bran. b of the Government. In nead-
justing the burdens of Federal taxation a
sound public policy requires that such or
our tZens as have bu1lt mp large and i'm
portant industr es under present conditions
deprived og advantages to which they have
adapted lneir business. but il the public
good required Il they should be content with
such consideration as shall deal IA rly and
cautiously with their intere SITS, while the
needless taxation is honestly answered.
reasonable and tapely submission. such
without a disastrous shock to any interest
and cheerful concession sometimes aVeruS
abrupt and heediess action, often the out
growth OF Impotence and delayed justice.
AMERICAN LABDRERS.
Due regard should be also accorded, in any
proposed readJustmenr. TO the interests of
VOWED. We congratulate ourselves that
there is among us no laboring class fixed
within unyIelding bounds and doomed un-
der all conditions to the memorable fate of
daily TO |. We recognize in labor a chief
treat those who have it in their keeping as
cit Zens entitled TO the most careful regard
and thoughtful attention.
ms regard and attention should be
awarded them not only because labor is the
capital of our workingmen. justly entitled 10
its share of Government favor. but for the
further and not less important reason that
the laboring man. surrounded by his family
in his humble home, as a consumersiS vitality
interested in AL that cheapens the cost of
living and enables him TO bring withiA his do
nestle circle add tionaI comforts and a6van-
tages This relation of the workinpman to
the revenue laws OF the country and the man
MGR in which il influences the Question of
wages should not be forgotten in the justif-
able prom nence given to the proper main
tenance of the supply and protect on of
atoms suggest such an arrangement of
Government revenues as shall reduce
the expense of LIVING, while it does not cur
tail the opportunity for work nor reduce the
compensation of American labor and injur-
Ously affect its cOnd ton and the dign fed
place il holds i'll the estimation of our peo-
pie. But farmers and ayr culturiSts.
those who from the soil produce she things
consumed by ali, are. perhaps, more directly
and pla My concerned than any other of our
citizens in q just and careful system of Fed
eral taxation. Those actually engaged
in and more remotely connected with
this kind of work number nearly.
One-half of our population. None Ia
Dor harder or more continuously than
they. No enactments limit their hours of
toll, and no interpolation of the Government
their products, and vet for many of the nee
essaries and comforts of life. which the
most ScrupulOuS economy enables them
to bring into their homes. and for their
implements of husbandry, they are obi ged
to pay price largely increased by an I'M
natural profit which, by the action of the
Government, is given the more favored man.
ufacturer.
1 recommend that keeping in view all these
considerations. The lncreas ng and unneces-
snrv surplus of national income annually ac-
cumu ating be released to the people by an
amendment to our revenue laws, which shall
cheaper the price of the necessar es of life
and give freer entrance to such imported ma
terals us by American labor may be manu-
featured into marketable commodities.
Nothing can be accomplished. however, in
the rect'on of this much needed reform un
less the subject is approached in patriotic
spirit of devotion to the interests of the en-
tire country and with IL willingness yield
something for the public good.