Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1890-02-19

ny to the people, and also by an in
1ternal tax on tobacco. liquor, etc.
Call it by what name you will, it is a
tax, and the most of it is paid by la
boring men who each do not earn $500
year. AT least half of it is necessa-
ry TO carry on the government of the
people, and the rest is squandered by
paying high salaries, and in unneces-
sary and extravagant expenses. 1t is
heavy burden on the people. If it
could be evenly divided among the
sixty millions of men, women and
children who compose the American
nation, it would be a tax of $3.50 for
every man, woman and child in the
land.
Let us see how it effects our own
county. We believe there are $4,000
people here. The people here are
better off on an average than the peo-
pie in most sections of the country.
They get more work, they receive
higher wages, and they spend more
money for the necessities and comforts
of life. Alpena people therefore pay
more of these national indirect taxes,
than do the same number of people in
most sections of the country. If,
however. we take the average, which
is $3.50 per head for the entire coun-
try, then the amount of tax to be
paid by the people of Alpena, this
year, to help pay the government ex-
penses, amounts to the enormous sum
of $112,500. In return the people
receive but few thousand dollars
which are paid to the postoffice Off
Gals here, and the wages paid to the
two life saving crews, the keepers of
the two light house stations, the Gus
tom officers salary, and small amount
paid for harbor improvement.
This is question that should set
laborers to thinking. The less the
expenses of the national government
are, the lighter will be the burdens of
the industrious classes. Extravagant
expenditures by Congress tend to
make the burdens of the people more
oppressive.
In addition to the above tax there
is at least as much more paid to man.
ufacturers in other sections of the
country by reason of the protective
tariff tax which enables them to in
crease the value of the goods they
make, and which the people are fore
ed to buy at the manufacturers prices.
Every person does not pay his or
her share of this national tax. Some
men do not work, but dead beat their
living; a large proportion of the peo-
pie are women, children and old men,
and thus their share of this heavy
national burden has to be borne by a
considerably less number than co.
100000 people.
Is it therefore any wonder that a
laboring man working for from $500
to $500 per year, has a hard task to
live and support his family? His
wages are small enough in the first
place, and when they are so largely
decreased by reason of the big assess
ment forced from him by the govern
ment and the protected manufacturer,
it leaves him but few days ahead of
starvation, and fills his mind with
care and embitters his life as he strug-
giles YEARLY along on his dark, cheer
less path of life, with no hope ahead,
no brightness in view, nothing but
toll, weary, incessant toll, and hope
less future. Is it then any wonder
that you see so many serious faces !?
Can you wonder why American peo-
pie look overburdened with life's
cares? A few are getting richer, but
the great majority are becoming but
slaves of work and hardship and mis-
cry.