The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1892-08-19
THE TARIFF TAXES.
On Whom Docs the Burden
Fall!
4 Gray Haired Farmer Studies
Cat the Question.
A Glance Over His Book Reveals In
terestlhg Facts.
He Il Taxed From the Cradle tO the
Grave, But Gets No Tax Receipts
to Show 1t.
A Glance Over His Book Reveals In
terestlng Facts.

For many years the farmers of Amori-
ca have been dimly conscious that there
was something wrong in our economic
system. They knew that their prohts
were growing loss every year, but they
could not toll what WAS the matter.
They bent themselves to their toll with
renewed enorgy. They tried the eight
hour system-that is, eight hours IN the
forenoon and eight hours in the after
noon. But it was no good. Tho profits
grow still less and less. Finally one
old gray-haired fellow sat down and
went To thinking, and this IL what he
thought:
AZ have worked hard ali my life. l
have raised thousands of bushels OF
wheat and corn, OF oats and rye, OF po-
Latoes, apples and beans, and hundreds
of head OF horses, cattle, sheep, hogs,
chickens, ducks and geese, and my
family has con Gmed but small
part OF them. What became OF the re-
iIaindor? ! have given away little
to tho raurch and charity, but it was
very litJle; | wish II had been more.
But what has become OF the rost?
know wa never ate hundredth part of
tho wheat, corn and oats, or OF the beef
and pork, or wore out in clothes a tenth
of the wool. Where did it all go to?
VINO got iL2'
Thon he thought, and thought, and at
~ know where part of it won't.
paid some of IL out Tor taxes. wonder
how muchY
Then he went to the cupboard and
from a drawer ho took out bundle of
papers, some OF them yellow with age.
They wero his tax receipts. lie hunted
up an old stump Of pencil nnu called
his daughter Mary, who hai been going
Ia tho district s,.ltOrl, aud said to her:
al want To call oil these figures, ana
YOU set 'em down and aud EN- up. l
want to see what they all come to-"
He had his tax receipts for twenty
slasArt lnr- A
nip and "provod" the sum, as she hal
been Taught III school, aud I'll" WAS sure
she Was right, she said THAT TIA" sum oil
all the figures RiuOunL'',i L" , tlu-J'. but
the old man shook hIa head aud said
alt don't account for 1t AL; 1t d"iI ac-
count for it, ALL"
"DIn't account for what, pApaY'
asked Mary.
corn and pork and wool and beans and
garden stun and other things have
raised"
.'D,dn't we cat itT''
"Nhy, bloss you, child, Wa could not
have eaten One-th0usaudlh part "t IT,
ssDid any body stoHl IT"
isNow, child, you ought To 10 ashamed
of Yourself. You know ali oar h1ISh
lt,T,. arc honest No ono ever slolo
cent from mo" (ltight here The old
farmer was wrOnS.l
ruo old man worried about what had
become OF his crops. Tho more lie
he had not consumed them. One day
he said 10 his wife:
aNIGther, do you know whore the taN
receipts arc?"
an the cupboard drawer"
aAre YOU sure that they are thereF
~ ann sure. There is not another ono
about the house,"
s'5ring them here; want To look over
them"
rho good old wife brought them. liz
sDroad thcin out on the table and looked
tbem over. They wero all there, iol
every year for twenty years sun th'
old man worried and wondered apou
what had become of his crops. At las
aNIother, how much do you suppose
we have giVCn 10 the preacher, the doc
tor, the missionary socletles anu Suc'
sWo have never had the doctor" sh'
reDliCd, @but five times, and nave pal'
him in al, about SOD or $50, ana nav
kent an account of what We haNo piliu u
the church. l will sec."
In Few moments the OLD lady re
turned and said:
awe have paid to the church, tho mis-
sioI,urv societies, and things like that
$3.50. II isn't much more thiln 3iV
wear. 10 YOU think it is too muchY
"No. no, mother" he replied, cit IL lit
lie enough, tho Lord knows. BuL !
don't account for il. 1t don't AccOun
anon't account for what?" aske'
mother. What in the world arc 'yo'
tuIking about2"
'.(Vbv. an the wheat and corn, beet ant
,,o,.l. horses and cattle, shcep AMI hoS>
iNirtcus and turkoVs, and everything
also | have raised on this farm. lwoui'
like 20 know who got IT,"
a'rhe storekccper, got some" meckl.
remarked the wife.
on 'rh &c GOOD wife furnished hmm TN
figures. They were $3.50
san the old man was not s;'tlsi,ed'
tfi,I not account for il, he said. he wa
,sothpriTle. up his receipts wht II mothe
oSI,od him what kind of taxes those re
ceipts had boon given FOR
1Stnte and county taxes, he SAID
"NV here are the receipts for the Sehei
nj government taxes" she asked.
al neN er had to pay any SoNerhhieI
taxes" lie said. But moment after
wards Ire dropped the receipts anu y, ~
down in char ana thouShI Ior h"HiN
Al last he said:
al ,Ion't eNcr romember having pan
o,,H, government taxes l must hav
forgotten il, but ! can't Tor the me
mo remember anything about IL.
suppose / must, mother. Dld You eve
see any government taxes receipt
about tho housep'
.XVhat do they look ike?"
81 don't know, but must nave pan
aon,a Government taxes, and II dlu
,youIdtake a receipt. But don't remeh
her anything about It,"
knock was heard at tho door and
neighbOr came in. 80, -,
ii am awful glad you came" SAID th
old man. ~ want to ask you about IN
government taxes. can't remeIlp'
sto',t waving them, but L must hov
dono 30. / know. When do we pa
avery day and every hour from u
cradle - the grave, and they teHy 5 ansl
leave any money behind us our frienC
aIfow is thats" the old MAJ, asked.
a1'be government puts tarih -
arery article the Farmer buys an