Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-05-31
win Meet che Farmers ON Taxes.


this week, will have on the next Republi-
can platform, Secretary Ryan said:
VIII Meet the Farmers on Taxes.
think it will direct the attention of the
Republicans in convention to some declara-
tion looking to a meeting of these demands
in so far as it can be done consistent with
good public policy. OF course the Republi-
can party of Ohio will not undertake to
agree with this third party platform on the
ground of sub-treasury loans, control of rail-
roads or telegraphs or any other socialistic
plank they may insert in their platform
But to all propositions like reduction of tax
alton and the increasing of the revenues of
the State by widening the sphere of taxation
by including especially that of corporate
franchises think the Republican conven-
tion should pay some attention. There is no
doubt in my mind that the farmer and real
estate owner, both in city and country, are
paying more than their share of taxation in
the State. l am equally well satisfied that
there are great public corporations possess
ing public privileges, such as street rail-
roads, telegraph, pipe lines, telephone COM
panies and railroads that are not paying
taxes on their income-producing capacity.
In this regard the State of Pennsylvania
and other States of the Union are far ahead
of Ohio. The truth of the matter is that our
taxation laws were made 80 years ago, and
our Constitution was framed before single
one of the great corporations which now ex-
ist were born, and before the value of a cor
porate franchise was appreciated or known
The maj ority per cent of value of a great
corporation is in its franchise, and under the
laws of Ohio, as determined by our Supreme
Court, il is absolutely untaxable. Now it is
nothing but fair to put q great franchise
which has the power of earning money on
the tax list just as You put an acre of land.
State demands legislation of that nature i
think they are right, and / think the Re-
publican party viii be only faithful to the
people if they put something of that kind in
their platform.
The Man Who Slew Foraker.
General John Beatty, banker and poll
tician, is one of the best known men in the
State. He holds no public Office but was
Presidential elector as far back as 1860 and
voted for Lincoln; enlisted in 81 as a
private and was made a general in '62; was
a member of the Fortieth, Forty-hrst and
Forty-seeond Congresses and an elector for
the State at large in the Blaine campaign.
He is a hearty, active man and power in
politics. as his enemies fiuently testify. The
General has some reputation for getting
both hind legs over the traces-as he
quantity puts it. 81 have been read out of
the Republican party several times by
demagOgues whose schemes l have opposed
but am still in it, and expect to stay"
He is prosperous banker, in this city of
bankers, a close student of political affairs
and has been watching the third party move
ment most carefully. He said:
The candidates of the leading parties are
decided upon-McKinley, of course, for the
Republicans and Governor Campbell will
be the Democratic nominee
despite the factions opposition to him.
Campbell is as strong as his party. He may
lose slightly in Cincinnati. but he will make
this up in other portions of the State by
principle in public men. Mckinley will de-
feat him by a large plurality if the third |
party puts ticket in the field at its Spring |
field convention proposed for August.
Yes, know many hold the view that |
third party ticket will hurt Republicanism, |
but this is the logic of my view There is un- |
questionable discomfort among many of the |
Democrats and Republicans. |
A third party ticket will poll these discon-
tented vote3. If no extra ticket is placed in
the field the Democratic party will poll them,
and the percentage drawn from Republicans
may be enough to endanger Mckinley. Why
will the Democrats get these Republican
instead of vice versa? Because
the disgruntled will take Senator Sherman
and Major Mckinley as the repl esentatives
Of the principles to which they attribute,
Hrongfully, their grievances.
No, the coming Republican platform will |
not truckle to the wird-eyed ideas of these
1t cannot afford to, and its |
record would give anything of the kind the
lie. The Democrats, while not absolutely |
the widest schemes, will trim
very closely to the line and use every effort |
% catch this vote. This agitation is simply |
mother phase of the old greenback craze
something like the measles or scarlet fever /
Ind will run its course as they do, not /
exactly dangerous, but disagreeable and |