The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1888-08-25
FARMERS AND TAXATION.
The Republican High Tas Policy . DiI
Blight Upon Agriculture.

The Republican High Tas Policy . Dire
Blight Upon Agriculture.
But II is claimed that high taxes will
give the farmer a home market for his
products by increasing the number Of
consumers. But this is for the present
period manifestly delusive. Manu-
facturers in every field OF the manu-
featuring industries are even now COM
planning Of overproduction, and organ
izing trusts and pools on every hand
to limit production and keep up prices.
and yet the number OF farmers stead
lily increase. Every year witnesses the
opening zip Of vast regions Of the vir-
gin lands of our great Territories into
productive farms.
The farmers can not form trusts or
pools to limit production. The men
engaged in an employment so depend
ent on the blessings Of providence,
happily for mankind, can not resort to
artificial methods of regulating pro-
duction. Their numbers are too great
to justify combination; their depend
| ence on the forces Of nature and the
favor OF the Father OF mankind is too
great to justify methods which would
control and regulate the production of
food for the human race. Providence
and human industry must combine in
| agriculture, and providence gives no
continuance to trusts and pools to en-
rich the few and impoverish the
many.
Taxation and land monopoly are the
two forces which in all the centuries
have in Europe destroyed the natural
equality Of mankind and filled the land
with palaces and huts. The taxation
in our country necessary to support an
honest and frugal government and en-
able it to meet all of its obligations
never has and never will oppress our
people. Confined to such purposes,
even with the most just and liberal
recognition of the claims OF citizens
who have imperiled their lives in the
public defense and their widows and
orphan children, equitably and justly
applied, with wealth on the one hand
and labor on the other bearing fair
and reasonable portion of the burden,
the taxation necessary to support this
Government would be unfelt; it would
scrimp the comforts of no home, sad
den no fireside.
But the American people now stand
face to face with the fact that within
the period Of a single generation a
great change has occurred in the
forces that control their public affairs;
that forms of property almost unknown
in former years, stocks and bonds of
powerful corporations, public securi-
ties of Federal, State and local Govern
ments, property which, resting for its
value directly on all the productive in
dustries Of the country in a very large
degree, escapes all forms of taxation,
now constitutes vast portion of the
aggregate wealth of the United States;
that the issue now upon us is whether
this Government shall represent the
powerful corporations and great pri-
vate estates into which this form OF
wealth naturally centralizes or the Re.
publican simplicity of the great masses
of our people. The former encourages
the dazzling embellishments, the ex.
travagance and luxury in Government
which are always incident to great es.
tates, because all these tend to strong
Government, under the shelter of which
overgrown estates only feel secure; the
latter demand the dignified simplicit.
of Republican institutions, that th'
greatness of the Nation shall be seel
in the happiness and prosperity OF it
people, and not in the splendid estab
lishments which only express the meas
ure of taxation labor is compelled tc
endure.
Every friend OF his country and O.
mankind will cling to the hope tha
the ever-growing intelligence of the
American people will be found more
than sufficient to counteract the un
friendly forces which have grown uE
in our midst of excessive wealth and
great estates, hitherto in all the his
tory of the world fatal to Republics.
But it is absolutely certain that ir
the midst of the carnival Of luxury an(
extravaganza incident to the vast &C
cumulation and Capitalization o
wealth which our legislation has en-
couraged during the last quarter of
, century, with their natural allies, col
porate power and great special inter
ests ever seeking to bend legislation t
their own ends, if the American pee
pie intend to maintain the supremac
of their free institutions they must a
least see to it that by compelling mod
crate taxation and reasonable eXpend
> iture their Government remains homes
and frugal.-From Speech By Con
gresham Holman.
WORK AND WAGES.
/ A Just Comparison Based on Official Re
ports and Statistics.
In the following list the wages pait