Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1891-04-22
Letter from an Old Jackson Democrat in
Greenwood Township.

M Lear MI. EdH0T:-Hc nave n0d
a royal old time to night. When I
came in the old boys all laughed aad
said, ah, ha, you have kicked skunk
that has made tail of the Tribune
and scattered its stink all around,
bat as you don't take that paper the
smell of the varmint WAS lost on
YOU" I said whats tho matter
boys" They answered by telling
me that game fellow that's got big
head, published an article in the Tri-
bune charging me with saying that
the Czar of Russia taxation bill 2l0,
in the Legislature is the Changers
bill. He signs his name Granger.
We all know you didn't say it was
the Granger's bill. Then my friends
asked: "Well, Barton Speak, what do
you say about the sInelli" L said:
The Tribune always has bad smell
about il, if it doesn't smoll like a
skunk, it smells fshey. Il is neither
cod fish or mackeral. It has no con
victions. it is a bastard, cross be-
tween bad Democratic policy, and
bad Democratic trickerY politics,
which is as nasty as bad whisky,
mixed with large quantity Of dirty
water"
Ny friends. those of them, who
read the Tribune said: Tho Tribune
has reformed al but its correspond
ent Granger"
One Of the Andy Jackson friends
read Granger's letter and shook it
under my nose. A fellow once shook
his fist under desr old Andy's nose
and he didn't die. Granger's shake
only shook the creasos out Of the
snaky so-called Grange bill 30, and
makes cles. the fact that it is a
messly double tax bill, that taxes
both the farm. and all the farmer
raises on it. l said that isn't what
| the Changers want. l say again,
that isn't what the GraHger's want"
l said the Grange bosses pulled the
wool oyer their eyes when they got
the members Of the Grange to sign
petitions for the passage Of bill 210,
that thsy never read the bill to the
signers, and that the sjgners did not
know that they we're asking to have
everything on the farm, in the barn,
and in the house taxed. That's as
trus as your Bible. The Grangers
thought they were signing for the
passage Of law to revise the tax laws
Of the state so that the corporations
and railroads and money at interest
pay more tax for local purposes. for
| schools and poor and road purposes,
which is now al paid by real estate,
by farms, and houses. That's what
they thought they were signing for.
They would have seen the petition
sent to perdition before they would
have signed it, if they had thought
they were asking for q law to tax all
of the gross earnings of a man in ex-
cess Of three hundred dollars. If
Granger of the Tribune had told the
people when lie wss carrying ths Pc
tition that tho income Of butter and
eggs and chickens and vegetables
raised on the farm was to be taxed,
he would have been told to stick his
petition in his hat. He talked cor
pGra'inn 10 them and excited their
prodjudices. May bs ne didn't
know what he w.s talking about. II
be did no told them only half the
truth, and that's ss bad as a whole
lie, 40 said old Hickory. Tie Tri-
bune Grasger has'n mora hayseeds
in his hair than | have If he thinks
he has lot him come to one OF our
Andy jackson meetings on d Saturday
night and have his hair Strengthened
with a fine comb and then count the
seeds. 1t is the next thing to a pub
liza crime to Increase the tax rate of
people without therc being a pub
lie nscessity for it. 1t is the next
thing to a public crime to have the
farms and all things raised on them
taxed. All civilized nations, dste
the beginning of their decline and
overthrow from the time when they
began to tax everything. The Gran
gers don't want 70 loan themselves
to scheme OF taxation to plague and
rob them, and iu time confscate
oil their earning-. The tax on cor
porstlons has paid the state debt of !
almost forty millions Now what is
to prevent the Legislature from pass
ing a law, directing that, that tax be
paid to the several counties for school. |
poor and road tax purposes for the
relief of the over-taxed farmers.
That would be equalization sof taxa
ton III this, that 1t would bring a
portion OF the tax on corporations to
help the poor, the schools and the
read taxes, which they do nothing
for, excepting small amount com
paratively speaking for the schools.
NO the GranSers never thought of
asking to have their tax ist increas-
ed or multiplied. All they want is
that the great corporation interests.
which are doing world of good,
help to bear the burdens of keeping
the poor, keeping the schools, and
repairing the roads. Granger is a
boss among the Grangers and does
Ut seem to know what the Grange
wants. The Tribune Granger goes
among the grangers snd tells them
of the other states that have adopt-
ed the Paul Pry system of taxation.
IN Massachusetts, and SO forth, but
then he hasn't told them the other
half of the truth that Mass
achusetts since the tax rot has been
introduced is RAINING to the dogs.
Yes, they tax everything in Massachu-
setts that man has, but his debts.
and other New Eng
and States are dying with the tax
rot. Within the past few years thou
sands OF farms have been abandoned.
people are leaving those states hvt tan.