People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1893-07-07

ern political bosses who wear the
name of Democracy and tramplt
upon It's principles
JEFFERSON ON TAXATION.
Mr.. Jefferson's theory of taxation
was altogether different.
He knew that Hamilton's system
would concentrate wealth in the
hands of a favored class, thus making
the rich richer and the poor poorer.
His idea was that taxation was a
public burden, and should be laid
upon the shoulders of those who
were able to bear it.
1t was no part of his democracy
to put the heaviest burden upon the
weakest shoulders.
1t was no part of his dream of
"equal and exact justice to all mem,
that few thousand manufacturers
should so frame the law that sixty
millions of consumers would be COM
PEELED to buy from them, whether
the price was reasonable or not, re-
suit of which lovely system would
be that the manufacturer would
fleece the consumer $7OO,000,0OO
while the government was collecting
5000, 900. tax.
No county, can be far from des-
potism or revolution when the tax
ing power is given over to favored
class, in ORDER that they may levy
tribute uponSthe balance of the peo-
pie
Mr.. Jefferson saw this. He re-
allied the dangers of concentrated
weolth. He dreaded the advent of
the millionaire.
His conception was that the earth
was a common stock, given to us all
by the Creator, and from which we
had the right to demand living IN
return for labor. The right to work
and to be paid fair price for it, he
designated as ga fundamental right"
Therefore he was bound to see
that in proportion as a few men
seized upon the lands and the pro-
ducts of the earth, there would be
scarcity and suffering and oppression
to the many.
According to his belief, the earth
and all it contained was Gods pro-
vision for his children. That all had
right, by labor, to eat, to wear, and
to live.
Hence when a million dollars was
accumulated in the hands of one
fortunate individual, the common
stock Of all men was to that extent
lessened. The opportunity of all
others to labor and to live was to
that extent diminished.
Great fortunes accumulated in the
hands of few, meant great proverty
to the many. Thus class distinctions
would arise, inequalities would be-
come unjust and dangerous, man
ners would be corrupted, morals de-
PRAYED, politics debauched, and
money would become more impor-
tant than the man.
He had observed in France the
evils attending such system. Re
had seen the Princes Of the State
and the Princes of the Church in
possession of almost the entire wealth
of France. He had seen how AFRO
gantly they overrode the common
people of the State and the poorer
priests in the Church. He had seen
among the favored few, reckless ex-
travagance, riotous living, shameless
morals, goddess lives. He had seen
among the unprivileged, squalied |
misery, Wretched huts, fields stripped |
to baroness by exhorbitant taxes,
labor robbed of its right to reward,
bent and starved by the rigorous
cruelty of undeserved poverty.
The poor paid all the taxes and |
got none of the blessings of Govern
ment.
The rich paid none of the taxes,
and got all the benefits Of Govern
ment.
Go read these letters of Jefferson
written from France previous to her
bloody Revolution i!
You young men into whose hands
are speedily coming the destiniss of
this Republic-go read these letters
and ponder them well
And then remember that suffering
humanity, having appealed in vain
for peaceful redress, rose up IN
mighty wrath and swept that foul
tyrrany of Church and State, off the
face of the earth, in the red fires of
Revolution.
THE DAY OF THE PLUTOCRAT.
Just as clearly as he foresaw the
terrors of the Slavery question, JEFF
ferson's vision behold the horrors of
Plutocracy.
Among the shadows of the uncer-
tain future Of his country, he saw
the tremendous inequalities of
wealth, the rise of the untaxed mil
lionaire, the colossal fortune of the
Notional Banker, and the sPro-
tected" manufacturer.
His prophetic eyes saw the vision,
of which we have made a reality
the regal splendors of Fifth Avenue
and the abject misery of Five Points
the splendid hospital for pet dogs,
and <ho ~>ao4iJao+IoI 4o~o.~ao 80 .oA.1o