Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1891-01-08

and useless the Farmers Institute Law,
authorizing the expenditure ST. 800 an
nually for Institutes; 500 were spent in
Belmont county, and st. Clairsville and
Barnesyille got the entire sum. Mr..
Deuham moved that we instruct our rep
resentative to vote for the repeal of the
act, "To provide for the organization and
support of Farmers Institute Societies,
passed by the General Assembly last win
ter. On motion. Mr. Denham's motion
was tabled.
Rev. Dr. Hulburt now spoke on ''The
Monetary value of Faith among Farm
ers." He showed by diagram the rela
tive numbers of farmers, manufacturers,
traders and professional men. The ques-
ton of taxation is not how to get rid of
taxation, but how to make it equitable.
He complained of the complaints against
their vocations to be heard in farmers
homes How can the sons and daughters,
hearing this daily tale of woe, be other
wise than discontented and unhappy on
the farm? Let farmers look on the bright
side; let them have faith in their voca-
ton, cheerfully shoulder their response
bilities and keep their boys and girls at
home. Adjournment.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
When the afternoon session was called
to order at o'clock, Mr.. Denham's mo-
tion was taken from the table and dis
cussed. The general opinion seemed to
be that while the Institute law might be
just, and of value to counties which could
not without it hold an Institute, this place
did not need any outside pecuniary as
sistance. Mr. Denham's motion was ac-
cordingly withdrawn, and on motion of
r. E. Giffin, it was decided not to hold
an institute at. ClairSville next year, un-
der the law of the State
Mr. L. p Baily, of Barnesyille, present
ed a paper on "The Model Cow Stable"
showing the value of rightly kept stables,
and illustrating by means of drawings
and diagrams how a stable should be
constructed Mr.. Bailey insisted that
each stable should have a silo.
The hall had been gradually filling,
and when Hon. A. T. McKelXey began
his address on Farmers Interests in the
Legislature" there were nearly as many
persons present as the night before. Ag-
riculture, said Mr.. Mckelvey, is the most
important interest of the State, so natur
ally farmers should be better represent
ed in the Legislature than any other
class. But such is not the case; lawyers
always predominant In the last Gener-
al Assembly there were 6S lawyers and %
farmers. For this the farmers themselves
are to blame. The speaker referred to
inequalities in taxation, whereby the
farmers suffer. q DEverytbing he has must
appear on the tax duplicate. But there
are hundreds of thousands of dollars in
stocks bonds and loans which are fraud
ulently withheld. Great corporations,
railroad, telegraph and tramway compa
MES, fostered by the State, return mea
ger valuation upon road-bed and rolling
stock, poles and wires, horses and cars,
allowing nothing for their franchises
Farmers should demand that all money
and all property be placed on the tax du
plicate Insist on new laws and amend
ment of present laws. Here is where
farmers organizations can make them
selves felt to better effect in the old par
ties than by the formation of new ones,
or in the destruction of the old. The
gentleman spoke of the Rawlins bill, and
the exemption given to manufacturers;
of the Tax Inquisition bill, and the eff
forts made to repeal it none of which
were made by farmers. He favored BIZ |
ennial sessions of the Legislature. 9th
er States had tried this plan, and would |
not abandon it. The Legislators are well
paid, if they must go to Columbus but
once in two years.
DR.. Hulburt then spoke for few min
utes on the "Cost of Ignorance" being
compelled to leave for the train before |
the completion of his lecture. He plead
for higher and higher standards of edu-
cation. Keep the bright boys on the
farm; let the stupid ones go into the pro-
fessions and trades.
Mr.. j. H. Denham appropriately sang,
go to Work and Build a Home"
1t was moved that Hon. C. L. Weems |
be asked to address the audience on tax
alton. Mr. Weems thought the farmers
evil condition was exaggerated He con-
trasted the tangible wealth of the rich
men of the olden time, with the wealth |
of modern millionaires The wealth of
the latter, he said, is in the view of the
law and constitution mere rights, and
not taxable property. The remedy for
present inequalities is to construct
great system of indirect taxation. To
tax property is nonsense. Tax the bust
ness itself, the income, the gross receipts.
The Institute then finally adjourned
COLERAIN.