davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Louisiana Democrat., 1891-05-20
VOL. XLVI.-NO. 21.

thinks tney should pay In fair assess
Inent of the actual value of their tangi.
BILE property, their ss~sl estate, rolling
stock, etc, but be and the tax reform.
ers oppose 'anFattempt to tax shares oe
stock on mortgage bonds; and they or.
pese the taxing of mortgages on real
estate, which they say only increases
rtbo interest the farmer has to pay, ad.
Tocating instead the taxation of mort.
gagee and owner as joint tenants.
The formation of farmers organ;.
zation for the distinct purpose of tax
reform is of itself an important move,
ment; but that it should be devotinSS
itself to securing fair assessment oR
wild speculative holdings, and instead
of directing wild nnd useless efforts u
reach and tax perscN bal property shoult
begin to exempt bonds, stocks And
mortgages, thus going far towards mar.
rowing the basis of taxation down +,
real estate, is most significant and tnuss
lead to wide discussion of the single
The Louisiana Democrat., 1891-05-20
Maine Farmers For Genuine Tax
Reform.

Within the past year there has come
to the front in Maine political organi-
zation and issue which bids fair to do
much for the single tax movementin that
state. The active spirit of the so-called
TAX reform movement" there is Mr.. l..
d. Bennett, q lawyer and farmer. now
living at Deering, ore of the founders
of the state grange, the farmers organ
ization, and the farmers protective
union; the latter organization, in fact,
was formed as direct result of his ef-
forts to arouse the farmers on the sub.
ject of taxation. The following extract
from the publications of the Union will
show it's object:
Believing that agriculture is the foun-
dation of the state and nations wealth,
and that the prosperity and happiness
of the people, not only those who are
directly engaged in tilling the soil, but
every citizens of our country, are af-
fected thereby; and
Whereas, We, the farmers of Maine
here assembled, believe that the present
depression in agriculture, the abandon
ment of SO many New England FARMS
and so many of our young men leaving
the paternal acres, the home of their
boyhood, to seek other and more lucra-
tive employment, is in large measure
due to the unequal and unjust taxation
to which the farmers are compelled to
submit, by our present laws, which ex-
cess will amount to more than half a
million dollars annually; therefore
Resolved, That we will give our in.
f1uence, and earnestly support any legis-
'lative measure for the equalization of
taxation, until such measure shall be-
come statute law.
Mr.. bennett claims that there are
$4,000, 900 of property in Maine timber
lands and railroads which now pay less
than $3.50, 900 into the treasury Of the
state, which ought to pay, and would
pay, if fairly taxed at the rate of even
~ per cent (which, he says, is less
than the average), S1,OOO,OOO per an.
mum. The timber lands in the unor-
ganized townships Of Maine comprise
an area larger than the whole of Mas
sachusetts and Connecticut combined.
They pay less than $4,000 year into
the state treasury, being assessed at a
valuation of only 81 an acre, and, oi
course, being in unorganized townships
they have no local taxes to pay. The,
should be assessed at fully Sc an acre
say the tax reformers, and in lieu of the
heavy local taxes which all property il
organized townships pay, the state ia,
on these wild lands should be raisee
from Vi of per cent to ~ per cent
The movement, then, rests on the dis
tinct purpose to assess speculative hold
ings so us to relieve industry, both a,yri
cultural and urban, from the burdens
now resting on it.
As for the railroads, Mr.. Dennet
The Louisiana Democrat., 1891-05-20
English Territory Painted Red.

British fondness for territory is illus
trated very graphically in a well-known
pocket atlas published by an English.
firm. British possessions are all printed
in brilliant shade of red; but the world
is large place, and even the numerous
colonies of the little island fail TO make
great show as was desired, SO Grant
Land, the great continent of rock and
ice lying north of the Arctic circle, and
Graham Land, similar tract south Of
the Antarctic circle, were also printed
in rosy hue. These desolate wastes
are underlined and unexplored, and of
about as much use as the Milky Way.
Certainly no nation will dispute Britain
MAS right to paint them red if she
wants to.--Kate Fields Washington.
The Louisiana Democrat., 1891-05-20
The Font of knowledge.

Mr.. De Science-The officers of the
Smithsonian Institution are having the
chatter of monkeys Photographed, in
the hope that in time their language
may be understood, and it may be pos
sible to converse with them.
Mrs, De Science-Isn't that grand? ]
hope they'll ask the monkeys, the very
first thing. whether we are descended
from them or not.-N. Y. Weekly.
The Louisiana Democrat., 1891-05-20
PlTH AND POINT.

-"What wages do you expect?' asked
Mrs B. of the candidate for the position
OF cook-lady. II never works for wages,
num-" returned the cook-lady; 81 goes
on salary or nothin'. Epoch.
Mrs. Rooney-"An' what do ye do
with that big basket, Mrs. McGinty?"
Mrs. McGinty-"Oh, takes that with
me when / goes to see me sister that
lives out at service. Yankee Blade.
Babes are SO slow in learning to
talk because they have to devote so
much of their time and energy in trying
to understand what in the world it is
their mothers say.-Somerville Journal.
Clear" Tailor, why do you
always print your bill-heads on pink
paper?" "Then l am sure the gentle
men will open them, for they will think
they are love-letters. ''-Fliegende Blaet-
ter.
els your nephew practicing ply
sician, Mrs. McCuelley?" asked her Wis
iting neighbor. "Yes, believe he is
practicing just at present, but he has as
good show for learning as the most OF
them"
-'What are your qualifications as
boys teacher? Have you had any ex-
perience?" eyes, sir, the very best
ssMention them, please" II used to be
an animal tanner in Jones lnenagerie"
Philadelphia Times.
-"Well," says Wooden, 81 don't 81 ),
why they keep discussing this qnestI u
of marriage; it's simple enough. {
fellow is poor he can't afford to get M ar
ried, and if he is rich he doesn't eed
to."-Boston Courier.
-"Has Mrs. Wilson Rolls a good s'cial
position?" "Good? 1t is unqLestidhed.
She can do exactly as she pleases. Why,
| last week she went to the theatev and
didn't speak word during the elStnda
play."-N. Y. Continent.
Almost any fashionable woman,
coming home from Europe will agree.
with you that it is wrong to smuggle,,
but she thinks it is just fun to try and
get ahead of those horrid custom house:
oficers.-Somervill Journal.
/ MIR. Pulliam (about to propose)-'
"Miss Sanford, am now going 30 say
what wanted to say an honr ago. Can
you not guess, from my eyes, what it.
is?" Miss sanford-"Do you mean Good
night?' You look sleepy. Epoch.
-Jackson-"G Goodness, Mrs. Tough
ly, that was never made to be eaten!'
Landlady-"Why, Mr.. Jackson, that
was only last years spring chicken"
"Chicken? Why. thought you had
broken up and boiled the sheet iron in
cubator. Light.
Two ladies met at silk counter
II was sorry to hear your husband lost
his position said one. "Yes," was
the reply, "but everything happens fu.
| the best. He started some sort of a
benefit association, and is doing right
comfortably now."- "-Philadelphia Rec
ord.
| If the trainers OF that great chart OF
human liberty, the declaration Of indie
pendence, had said that, in addition to
the disposition to suffer, mankind is
content to grumble at the evils which
aff1ict them rather than make the effort
necessary to abolish them, they would
have diagnosed the case completely
Petersburg IndeX-Appeal.
The Louisiana Democrat., 1891-05-20
A Fair Question.

Stranger-What are your rates?
Hotel Clerk-Seven dollars day, sir.
StraNger-If / come shall want a
room on the parlor floor.
Clerk-That will be dollar extra.
Stranger-I shall also want fire In
my room.
Clerk-One dollar more.
Stranger-And bath.
Clerk-A dollar additional, sir.
Stranger (thoughtfully)--How much
will you charge to let me leave the no.
tel just as l am?-Harper's Bazaar.
The Louisiana Democrat., 1891-05-20

athe City bank OF Ne" loih s,ad a1'o o,,t
v '.,d that they had been swlndled out
s.'' y ssvepty-fve thousand dollars by
~ loans of forged check for that
@ mount, purportingt to have been Drawn
s-C - Commodore Vanderbilt. Nearly a
" g,nth PASSED before the fraud was dis
.orered, aver and in the meantime several
s .,hsr checks for large amounts, dra sn
b " the same party, had been ho- ..ored:
Wit was almost impossible. r nnv of
,bs bank officials to rer aember with
satisfactory distinctne" 4 any of the
cirumstances conne" led with the pay
ment Of the If sudulent document.
However, it W. IS placed in the hands of
. shrewt effective, and he went to
work to Ind clew, and trace out the
uysteg,
.ne officers first suspicion was that
fome of the clerks of the bank had
benin collision with the forger, and
doubtless shared the profits of his
crime After two weeks scrutiny OF
the character, habits and associations
oftb,, various clerks that theory was
abandoned, and it only remained for
Tim to gather from them, if possible,
some clew, however slight, OF the bold
operator. His first inquiry was if any
one, not in the habit of presenting
checks had been seen doing so within
The past month. Only two of the clerks
had any memory ON the subject, and
: theirs was of the most shadowy and un-
satisfactory character. One remem-
bered seeing stout, elderly man drive
astrikinsly beautiful black horse and
fine carriage up to the bank, enter the
office and transact some business, he
knew not what, and depart, since
which he had not seen him.
The other clerk, after thorough ex-
animation, and a multitude of questions
put to assist or quicken his memory, at
last concluded that he did recollect a
strange man, who entered the bank
one day about the time the forged
check was presented, and had draft
'cashed for large amount. A pc
'culiarity in the mans necktie attracted
bis isattention, and he looked him full In
4 The face and retained a vivid recollec-
ton q every feature. He was an
sniateur artist, and especially expert in
pen.drawing. Taking sheet of paper
anda old pen which was lying upon
the desk he quickly produced a por-
trait, which he declared to be good
likeness of the man he suspected.
The officer did not look upon these
elews, If such they might be called, as
promising much hope of success. He
first exhibited the drawing to the clerk
who had seen the suspected rogue drive
up with the fine black horse, and he
confidently identified it.
Here at last was some encourage
msnt The first attempt was to trace
'ne horse and carriage, and discover
who owned or who had hired such a
ng. The effort was unsuccessful; the
o'ilcer, however, was convinced that
me man, whoever he might be, was
an admlrer of fast and stylish horses,
and he therefore commenced search
among the establishments devoted to
.ne stabling and sale of such animals,
hoping that he would find some one
VINO could identify the parties.
After going to nearly all such estab-
Saments, exhibiting the portrait, he
ssne upon a man who recognized in
@e drawing one William Livingston,
The Louisiana Democrat., 1891-05-20
Signs of Greatness.

Mrs. Hopeful-Is my boy improving
any?
Professor of Penmanship-He is get
ting worse. His writing is now SO bad
no living soul can read it,
How lovely! The darling! He'll be
great author some day. "-Good News.
The Louisiana Democrat., 1891-05-20
Easily Accounted For.

Squibs ito his wife)-Here's another
of my jokes returned marked Not
available" / can not imagine what
the trouble is with it.
Wife (suggestivelyl - Perhaps you
wrote it when you were ovt OF hnmor
s-Drske's Magazine.
The Louisiana Democrat., 1891-05-20
Rebuka to y millionaire

Well-Dressed Party No, I've got
nothing for you. Amt you ashamed to
be begging?
Beggar-You are the one to BIZ
ashamed-dressed up like gentleman
and never nickel in vonr p'eti,es !.
Texas SiftiDgs
The Louisiana Democrat., 1891-05-20

TAX manufacturers, and the effect II
to check manufacturing; tax improve.
ments, and the effect is to lessen Inn
provements; tax commerce, and the Ell.
feet is to prevent exchange; tax capital,
and the effect is to drive it away. Bus
the whole value of land may be takeu
in taxation, and the only effect will b,
to stimulate industry, to open new ot.'
portunities to capital, and TO incfeas'::
the productpn of wealth. .@progress 20
Poverty. f--.'.
The Louisiana Democrat., 1891-05-20
How It Would Work.

w. A. Macleod has issued leafet
showing the changes that would ba
brought about by the establishment of
the single tax in Dorchester, one Of the
districts of the city of Boston. Atpres-
ent Boston's taxation is about $29.25 Of.
the thousand dollars. Mr.. Macleod
takes this as a figure on which to base
his calculations, though, Of course, he
points to the fact that if vacant land
were properly assessed, the rate would
be considerably less. He has ascer.
tanned the present taxes on given lots ot
land In the richer part OF Dorchester,
and finds that in many instances the
single tax would be higher than the
rate now paid, whereas he shows that
almost invariably taxes would be lower.
ed in district occupied by a poorer class
of people. In the business districts.
however, taxes would be largely in.
creased over those paid now, except in
cases where the buildings are more val
liable than the land, OF course, Mr..
Macleod's figures only deal with local
taxation, but even in this they demon
strate that the present system favors
the rich and imposes undue burdens on
the poor
The Louisiana Democrat., 1891-05-20

ROBINSON CRusoE, as we all know.
took Friday as his slave. Suppose.
however, that instead of taking Friday
as his slave, Robinson Crusoe had well
coined him as man and brother; had
read him a declaration of Independ.
ence, an emancipation proclamation
and fifteenth amendment, and in
formed him that he was free and in
dependent citizen, entitled to vote and
hold office; but had at the same time
also informed him that that particular
island was his (Roblnson Crusoe's) pri-
vate and exclusive property. What
would have been the difference? Since
Friday could not fly up into the air nor
swim off through the sea, since If he
lived at all he must live on the island.
he would have been in one case as much
slave as in the other Crusoe's owner.
ship of the island would be equivalent
to his ownership Of Friday.
The Louisiana Democrat., 1891-05-20
DETECTING A ROGUE.
uov a. shrewd Forger Was Landed
Behind Prison Bars. !.

NE OF the clev-
crest feats in
the detection,
purs uit and
c a p t u r e OF
criminals that
has been de-
v e l o p o d for
years was per-
formed by an
officer of the
New York de-
tective police
force some
wears since.
About that
time the officers
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-07-30
THE WHEAT SUPPLY.

The latest figures reported modify
these statistics very materially. The
news from Europe shows that the Rus
sian crop will fall much below the point
which it was expected to reach, and that
instead of there being a supply of 100,
100000 bushels available for export
from that country, the surplus will not
be more than half that size, A falling
off is also announced in the Russian
rye crop. and, if this is as great as some
authorities put it, all the Russian wheat
product Will be needed at home to make
up for the deficiencies in the other
cereal. The tldings from India are also
unfavOrable for a large output, while
the estimated crop of the United States
has risen by 25,OOO.O00 bushels. All
these predictions. of course, are liable
to considerable modification as more ac-
curate investigations are made and the
estimates are checked off by what the
season may develop. But the present
outlook is for grand deficit of at least
50,000,000 bushels in the wheat supplies
after the importing countries have re-
ceiYed all that the exporting countries
can spare; and of these exporting coun-
tries America will be the foremost and
the strongest. No quarter of the world
will have a fuller harvest than these
Northwest states. unless all signs fail.
The accumulation stored in Wall street
because of wavering confidence Will fur
nish the means for its movement and
will DOur into the avenues of our trade
enriching and enlivening them. From
this point of view Minnesota will be a
great gamer by the prevailing dizziness
in speculative and investment securi
ties.
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-07-30
THE MONEY MARKET


Very interesting and important to
every one who lives in the Northwest is
the news in the current numbers of the
cOuntry's financial papers. Money is
plentiful in the East, but the market
for investment, as well as for specula-
ton. is absolutely dead. Authorities
agree that never iii the history of Wall
street has so prOtracted a period of dull
ness been known as has been expert
enced there since the end of April last.
If any one wants funds on call and has
collateral which is good and readily
convertible, he can get them at low
rates; but for time loans there is the
closest scrutiny of the securities Of
fered, great reluctance in accepting,
and rates as high as or Z per cent.
The man who has anything to sell can
find no purchaser at any figure except a
ruinous one. New York city two and
one-half per cent bonds, which a few
years ago were flOated at par can be
had IN small lots to-day at ninety. Spe-
cial solicitation by parties with eXcep-
tiOnal backing and influence does, Of
course, elicit response. but the Ordi-
nary dealer, with the conventional
forms OF stocks or bonds to sell, offers
them in vain. People have money, as
the banks reserves prove beyond dis
pute, and people are glad to get an inter
est return on it: but they are not willing,
even for this, to let it get beyond their
control. They Will loan on call, but can
not be induced to tie up their capital in
anything which cannot immediately be
transformed into cash, should occasion
demand. Everybody wants to be pre-
pared for time of great Stringency q.
which they fear may be at hand; or. be
ing uncertain as to whether it Will be
at hand or nOt, are afraid TO venture
out of sight Of shore. All this af-
fects this section in one way adj
YerSely. At this season Of the
year a large number of municipalities,
under authority given them 10y the last
legislature, are issuing bonds in aid of
public Improvements OF one sort or an
other. Prices for these will range low
if they are forced on the market at the
present time. The loss in any single
instance will be small, but in the ag-
gregate Will amount to a good deal.
New enterprises Of quasi-public char
acter, like railroad extensions and wafer
works building. will be postponed be-
cause their securities cannot be fiOated
AS long as lack Of confidence prevails
there will be stagnauOn in all such
lines. This means a temporary cesSa-
ton of progress in this new country in
many things which are needed and
would be profitable, could they be car
RED thrnnrh
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-07-30
bATTLED LIKE DEVILS,
Two Negroes Cut Each Other
Almost to Pieces in a
Dark Room.
The Weapons Were RaZors
and No Quarter Was
Given.
A Falling Building Kills Two
Men and Injuries
Many.
Passengers on a Cable Car in
Chicago Get an Awful
Fright.

New YORK, July 29.-Doud BOucon
and Thomas Channal, negro farm hands
at Glen Head, l.. l., fought duel with
raZors in their sleeping room in an old
farm house about midnight last night.
Channal was killed and BoucOn was
desperately wounded and just alive
when found this morning. The two
men occupied a room about eight
feet square. Last night they went
to bed at the usual time. just exactly
what happened nobody knows. Bou
cons version of the affair is that they
quarreled before going to bed. Suisse
quently he was awakened TO find Chan
nal sitting on him, and though it was
dark in the room, he could see that
Channal was brandishing a razor. BE
grappled with Channel and the two fell
Oh the floor, BoucOn on top.
Both men fought like demons, egch
receiving terrible wounds. BoucOn re-
members nothing after that except that
he regained his senses sufficiently TO
crawl back into bed, where he vas
found. Boucon had over thirty gashes
on his head and neck, one of them
within an eighth of an inch of the
jugular vein. He also received cash
a foot long across the abdomen, nearly
disemboWeling him. But Boucon's
wounds are nothing compared with
Channal's. The dead man is mangled
almost beyond recognition fran the top
of his head to his waist. Everything
in the room was covered with blood,
streams of which ran through the floor
to the room below. BoucOn's wounds
were dressed, and it is thought that
there is chance for his recovery. A
cOroner's jury rendered a verdict this
afternoon that ChannaI was killed in
self defense. Two raZors, big knife
and club were found in the room
where the fight took place.
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-07-30
THE EFFECT ON Us.

On the other hand, this very anticipa-
ton of disaster is eQuipping the coun-
try so that the disaster will never come.
Finance Is the one branch of human eff
fort in which it pays to cross the bridge
before you get to it. Timidlty and
boarding will lead to the accumulation
of a surplus of great proportions, and
confidence and courage will be restored
as soon as the existence of this surplus
is realized. The West VIII reap the
benefit of this fund which is piling up
in the Golfers of the rich because it will
have the commodities for sale which
the world will need. and for which it
must pay. Some weeks ago the GLOBE
gave the probable grand total of the
wheat crop of the United States