Griggs courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., Dak. [N.D.]) 1885-1902, 1888-08-10
BOGUS AND GENUINE REFORM.

John Smith, the millionaire, possessed
of ten thousand acres OF land, herds, and
tlocks, and bonds, mortgages, and money
galore, lives next door to Peter Olson
who is day laborer, getting his 50 per
day for manual labor. The income OF
Smith is $3.50 cooper aDnum: the income
of Olsen is $500 per annum. Smith
dresses in woolen. cotton, and linen
goods, eats off of earthenware aud glass,
lives on sugar, coffee, tea and provisions
(tariff under tie Mills bill % per cent? /
reads books and papers (tariff under the
Mills bill % per cent?: travels on steel
rails (tariif by the Mills bill Sll per tom;
walks on carpets, and is generally com
Portable.
Peter Olson likewise wants to be COM
Portable so instead of running around
naked, he dresses in woolens. cottons
and linens, and instead of eating out of
the pot like a dog, eats like his rich
neighbor off of crockery and glassware,
he also drinks tea and coffee, smokes to-
bacco. and drinks rum like his rich
neighbor, as he has right to: he also
eats provisions tantf % per cent under
the Mills billy 1t would be cheaper for
him of course to live on rag soup and
wind but he does not have to. Peter
also reads papers and books, travels on
steel rails when he is not walking the
ties) like tie rich Alr. Smith.
fo, ! n
desires to sum the government by taxing
John Smith and Peter Olson in an equal
amount although SlGO a yea. is fun for
Smith AMI death to Olson. This is a
Zine retom. Wayland in lis political
economy sans:
-ls}e f,c8. the '.rcHal"rUg IN the as
spssM6gH ofjR3iHcct tN.tcs, it mag be OBJ
scfred. Aint. Ia thcir ret,Y nut'n9", they ore
Hnbie to objcction. becu,nse they do not
impose the pubhc burelen in any manne,
il, proportion 10 tie sitare ,shirh the indi-
ritlua1 receircs of pubNe protection. The
Mt7ircct tar is pail by the consumer
HeNce. h,e j7nr*. ROT accore'ip1 to the bene-
tit lrhich hc re"ei'o% fion tia e.ristcnca Of
cirsl gorefnmeut. but according to tie
GnouDf of pfodurtjon 'ripch he roasun,es.
Uence he ,rho possesses million dollu1s
rorth of property. # he roos"nte no more
ih,,lt ne uho Hres by rs duiIt lttbor. ariif
1uY no it.-g8' share OF the pubir burden
Heace. It ma@fts: UucqaoHtg IS iRrolrca
in tie oftaNM conception fa. indirrc'
tuc
The only genuine reform we shall
have i'll raising reVenue VII he in direct
taxation. During the war the income
tax was such q direct tax. In 1856 the
government secured from the income
tax S72,UuU. coo. in addition the railroad
companies Were taxed directly SS.0OO.0OO.
insurance companies 81 100000. banks
Sll 600 600 This was righteous tax.
1t tarea men in proportion to their mealth.
And yet this tax law was repealed.
President Washington stated that UNI
der his protective tariff OF II per cent
manufactures flourshed
While 1t is doubtful if - per cent is
sut1i cient tariff to protect American
facture the Mills tariff bill of 424 per
cent is a greater enormity than the
present tariff of II per cent because it
is a hypocritical reform bill. made with
a great howl as to its virtue and Godli
less While in reality it reduces the tariff
but 4 /! per cent OF out A per cent.
A reform club which shall advocate
direct taxation. and a moderate
protective tariff OF say l5 per cent will
be indeed a reform club. and can have
the aid of the COURIER every time
Tariff reform which advocates tariff
for revenue, and reduction Of Il per
cent. is like temperance reform in
which the old drunkards are pledged to
drink one teasroonful less of whiskey
per day, ard to drink When they do
drink to get drunk, not fol the protec-
tion of their healths.