The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1895-05-02
TRUE PATRIoTzs4.


government, which is built upon it,
try that brought the minute-men to-
gether at Lexington that sustained the
ragged army whose bare feet left blood
upon the snow at Valley Forge, and for
eight years made the continental army
superior to hunger and privation. 1t
was patriotism that gathered the clans
of the north to war with their brethren
of the South, and it was patriotism,
though applied to locality instead of
the whole country, that filed the Con-
federate ranks. Without it no govern
ment can exist; and herein lies the
greatest danger to our institutions.
The wealth OF the country is setting
an example of selfshness, of greed and
disloyalty. 1t Is doing so in undertake
ing to avoid the payment of its share of
the expenses of the government. The
submission to taxation is an example of
patriotism, but unfortunately an exam
pie that is not set by the very wealthy.
Under our system of raising revenue, by
customs and imposts, the burden is
divided, not according to a mans ability
to bear it, but it is per capita tax, of
which the poor man pays just as much
as the rich one. John Smith eats just
as much sugar as John Jacob Astor, and
pays just as much tax. Yet John Smith
has 81 900 in the government partner
ship and John Jacob has 100000, 900.
The expense of carrying on the govern
ment should be borne in proportion to
their wealth, as 100000 to 1. Why?
Because John Jacob has 1000 times as
much interest at stake, 100, 900 times as
much in which his interests are protect
ed. If it were not for John Smith and
of the government, some man or men,
stronger than John Jacob, would take
his wealth away from him. He should,
therefore, pay in proportion to the
amount he has at stake.
In time of peace the John Smith class
pays 95 per cent of the expenses of car
rylng on the government, and in time of
war that class furnishes 100 per cent of
the soldiers who risk their lives to pro
tect their small sums and John Jacobs
large ones. In time of peace the ex-
tremely wealthy are tax dodgers, and in
time of war they are danger dodgers.
1t is true that during the late war John
Jacobs class submitted to an income
tax without questioning its constitution
atty; but it was because their interests
were at stake and they could not dodge
it without risk to all they had. When
the war was over almost the first tax to
come off was the income tax, though
John Sherman, who was then an honest
man, at least, tried to retain it. The
poor millionaires set mp the pitiful plea
that II was ''a war measure" that they
had submitted to peacefully, and now
that the war was over the burden should
be lifted from them. They ignored the
fact that the $2,6Oo, ,0OO, 900 debt was
also 'sa war MEASURE and gracefully
slipping from under it, they let the full
weight rest upon John Smith and his
class. That class was patriots. They
proved it on many = battle field, and
emphasized it with their blood and
their lives. A half million of them left
lifeless bodies on southern battle fields,
and when at last the fratricidal strife was
over, they came home SCARED, manned
and broken in health, to be honored
with the plaudits of proud nation, and
permitted to go to work to pay off ali
their share of the war debt, and that oi
John Jacob Astor's class too. They
were patriots and submitted to this
most damnable outrage.
Our school histories, in treating of the
late war, devote considerable space tc
the fact that Vanderbilt presented the
government fine steamship, costing
$l50, 900 or more. 1t is said that it wa.
a great gift, a magnificent gift. Per.
haps it was; but weighed in the scales
with some others, it was as the floating
down of the thistle in the. scales agains
q universe. AyeI there were SOC, ,o0(
gifts beside which Vanderbilt's wal
nothing; gifts that loosened heart
strings. instead of those of the purse
When the noble American mother
moved by divine patriotism, claspeC
her yet beardlezs boy to the breast tina
nourished him, and sanctifying hin
with her tears, sent him where dut,
called, she gave him to her country ant
her country's God. She gave priceles