The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1894-04-24
IS OF PUBLIC ROBBERY
A Protect TarifE-Au Discr;mJ,.+;ro.
Iaxati Is Robbery---The Burg
lars Raw Material and

aSSerVeu bnaG discriminating protee
tive tariff vas a robbery of the people
under the form of law. WHY not saw
all discriminating taxation is robberv9
First let us determine what is a pub.
Tic robbery. Taxes is a forced contri-
button by the citizens of country to
maintain government of equal Justice
and benefit. When a government does
not maintain equal justice and benefit
to it's taxpayers SO far as it fails it be-
comes a public robber. If these con.
trl0utlons were voluntary as in the
case OF campaign funds and contribu-
tlons to religious societies, ETC., their
misappropriation would be breach of
trust-a mere swindle; but inasmuch
as they are forced from the taxpayer
their misuse is a public robbery.
lit is right and just that every man
should pay taxes in proportion to his
ability, then all the tariff systems and
internal revenue systems are systems
OF taxation by which the government
becomes a public robber, for they are
not based on mans ability to pay but
on the amount he consumes Then we
conclude that the federal government,
If this be true, is based 80 far as it's
taxing system is concerned on the
proposition of robbery. If the govern
ment is robbery what will the super
structure bel ALI persons who pay
more taxes, as consumers, to the fed
eral government than is in due proper
tion to ability is robbed under the form
of law. This is robbery No. 1.
Every man pays taxes for equal jus
tice and equal benefit. If he does net
receive this he is robbed again. The
instances where citizens do not receive
equal justice and equal benefit goes be
yond the millions. Millions are robbed
every day by paying more than their
just proportion of the taxes, and mil
lions are continually robbed by not re-
ceiving their just proportion of the
benefit of law. Sum up these two
classes and you will find about $50, ,OOO,~
600 of people prey and victims of
public robbery and about 5000 600
growing richer and luxuriating on the
substance of others. This gives us the
form of robbery No. 3.
Trusts, monopolies and combines
have likewise two systems Of robbery,
one not to pay for raw material over
a certain price and the other not to sell
under a certain price. These two
forms of robbery, like those of federal
taxation, falls on the consumer and
the producer. Thus with these four
universal forms of robbery the people
are robbed and made slaves. 1t is nip
and tuck which robbing system will
make the most by it. This is robbery
Nos. 8 and f.
Whoever controls the money of a
country controls all labor and industry
The federal government has given the
control of the money into the hands of
corporations, therefore corporations
control all labor and industry
verify they control all government.
When a government does not inter
vene between the citizen who pays his
taxes for equal justice and equal bene-
fit but assists any power in preventing
his rights becomes an alder and abetter
of robbery. This is robbery No. 5.
1t is a heinous crime, says Abraham
Lincoln, to make debt and contract
the money volume before that debt is
paid. Edmond Burke says the primary
interests and rights in regard to main
tanning public credit belongs to the
taxpayer and not to the public creditor.
In the face of these two luminous
authorities the federal government has
contracted the money volume, tripled
the purchasing power of the dollar and
tripled the burden of debt and taxation.
This is public robbery No. 6.
No government has right to squan-
der public money, to pay more for pub
lie service than is necessary to procure
honest and competent men, to fatten
party servants az the expense of the
taxpayer. The federal government
uselessly squanders millions of dollars
and pays out annually millions in sal
aries not necessary to procure honest
and efficient service, therefore this be-
comes a public robbery No. z.
Funding is robbing the people on
great scale, says Thomas Jefferson.
The government changed its non
interest bearing bonds (greenbacks)
into interest-bearing bonds, changed
the bonds payable in treasury notes to
those payable in coin, changed those