The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-12-29
A Short Lesson Adapted From
Bastiat.
. THE FOURTEEN SACKS OF WHEAT
Out of Which the Grower Pays Six as His
Share of the Expenses of Govern
ment and the Tariff
ADAPTED FRoM BAsr1Ar.)

| elll Sh
O.-Give me six of them.
F.-Six sacks out of fourteen? Coco
heavens you want to ruin me- If you
please, what do you propose to do with
them!
O.-The first will be given to the credi
tors OF the state. When one has debts, the
least he can do is to pay the interest.
F-Where did the principal go?
OFT would take long time to tell. A
part OF it was put into cartridges, which
made the finest smoke in the world; an
other part paid men who were manned OF
Killed In The civil war; the largest part OF
II, however, goes to pay pensions to men OF
their relatives who once fought in the war
Still, one must pay what he owes, no mat
ter whether all the money was wisely
spent or not.
FL cheerfully pay one sack for that
part of it; but why do you seize the other
five!
O.-One is required to pay for public
services, the civil list, the judges, the con-
gressmen, and myself, your servant, who
does not work for nothing.
F.-Certainly, service for service There
is nothing to say against that So much
for the second sack. This leaves four,
however.
O.-Do you believe that one would be
TOO much for your share of the army and
navy expenses
F.-Alas, it is little compared with what
they have cost me already. They have
taken from me two sons whom tenderly
loved.
O.-You wished the government to seize
your wheat, however
F.-You are testing, Mr.. Collector; have
l vote in the legislative halls9
O.-Whom did you vote for as your Rep
resentative.
IA brave general, who will be Sen
ator if God spares his life.
O:-On what does this brave general
F.-My wheat, presume.
O.-And what would happen were he to
vote for reduction of the tariff?
F.-lnstead of being made Senator, he
would be retired.
O.-You understand the third sack, do
you9
F.-Let US pass to the fourth.
Dwell, that goes to Samoa.
F.-To Samoa | have heard that Sa-
means do not eat bread; but what services
Will they give me in exchange for this
wheat, which has cost me so much labor!
.O.-None at all; it is not intended for
Samoans, but for portions of our army and
navy located there.
F..What can they do there which will
be of service to me!
O.-Undertake and undergo raids: kill
and be killed; get sick and come home to
be doctored; dig harbors, make roads, etc.
for the Samoans.
F.-Thls is too much, and I fatty refuse
| this sack. They would send such a foolish
| wheat-grower to the madhouse.
O.-But then you lay the basis of a great
empire, you carry civilization into the
Pacific, and you crown your country with
immortal glory.
F.-You are poet, my dear collector:
but am wheat-grower and refuse.
O.-Think that in few hundred wears
you will get back your advances hundred
fold. All those who have charge of the
enterprise say so. Your objection is too
late YoufRepresentative has agreed that
you shall give sack of wheat for this pur-
pose.
F.-This is but too true Cursed weak
ness! 1t seems to me that l was unwise
IN making him my agent; for what is there
In common between a Representative and
the poor owner of wheat field.
O.-You see well that there is something
in common between you, were it only the
Wheat you raise, and which in YOUR name
he votes to himself.
F.-Laugh at me; deserve it. But be
reasonable and leave me the fifth sack at
least. The interest of the debt is paid, the
civil list is provided for, the public service
assured, and the war in the Pacific per-
petuated. What more do you want?
O.-The bargain is not made with me.
You must tell your desires to your Repre-
sentative. He has disposed of your wi eat
F.-But what do you propose to do With
the fifth sack! Come, examine it. How
plump and golden!
O.-Splendid article. 1t will suit MED
the sugar refiner, admirably.
F.-Mr. D., the sugar-reiner! What do
you mean.
O,-That he will make good bargain out
of it.
F.-How? What is that? 1 do not un
derstand you.
O.-Do you not know that D. has started
a magnificent sugar refinery, very useful
to the country; but which, so D. says, loses
money every year.
FL am very sorry; but what can do
to help him!
O.-Congress thought that if it gave D.
sack of your wheat, few potatoes from
the cellars of your friends, and few cents
cut from the wages of the workingmen,
his losses would change into profits.
F.-This recipe is as infallible as it is
ingenious. Is d. to cover his losses by
taking my wheat!
O.-Not exactly the wheat, but the pro
ceeds of it. That is what we call a bounty
for the encouragement of industry. But
you look amazed. Do you not see what a
great service you render to the country?
F.-You mean to ID.
Ono; d. asserts that, thanks to this
arrangement, his business prospers, and
thus it is, says he, that the country grows
rich. That is what your Representative
recently said in the House.
Fits damnable fraud A man ex-
torts money from me and calls it general
gain!
O.-Your Representative having come to
that conclusion, all you have to do is to give
me the five sacks of wheat, and one more
also.
Fin heavens name, what will you do
with the sixth sack. You will not give it
to some other man, hope?
Ono; the government has no use for
this last sack, so its proceeds go to keep up
the surplus.
F.-Of what use is that, pray2
O.-To prevent you from receiving too
much cloth, iron, or leather from abroad in
payment for the eight sacks you have left.
II the government permitted you to re-
ceive payment for nine sacks from abroad,
you would be able to sell your cloth, iron,
and leather to your neighbors, at fair
profit to yourself, and thus you could COM
pete with the millowners of this country
who sell these articles, and who are per
mitted by law to charge twice what these
articles are worth.
F.-Why does the government discrimi-
nate against me in this way?
O.-Because farmers that raise any sur
plus products on their farms are enemies
of their country, when they receive pay
Gmports) from abroad for them So the
government fines every man who exports
his surplus products. The government