Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1895-03-06

AS the time approaches to put in
operation the new income tax law, it
is heartrending to notice the concern
manifested by those who are liable to
come within the bounds of it's provis-
ions, and the efforts being already
made to have it declared unconstitu-
tional by the courts.
To a student of the times as they
exist at present, these murmurings
are entirely unnecessary; there will
be few, very few whose income is large
enough to make them amenable to the
law. How the philanthropist's heart
must bleed when he sees the great
number of poor men this country sup
ports, when the assessor appears; and
with what surprising alacrity do they
recover their fortunes once the danger
is past.
Can man be honest who evades the
law? If he can, then the natural order
Of things is reversed, and all who can
not count at least half million when
making an inventory of their possess
sion, must be classified as dishonest
There is one consolation the laborer
has when voting for public officials,
that is, the purse makes the man, VINO
gets elected. How -Sheerlngi With
what commiseration and pity for the
sad lot of his ancestors, does he turn
back the pages of our history. To
think that they were compelled to elect
men to these same Offices who had
nothing to recommend them but first
class reputation, honesty and ability,
Quails the stoutest heart, and causes
him to marvel how the country sur
vived the honor. How the voters
cheeks must have tingled with shame,
when, after electing a congressman,
to think he would be debarred from
giving more than two $4,000 dinners
out of a salary of half that amount,
and be able to retire at the end OF
his term with fortune. Those indeed
were times that tried mems souls, how
to steal and not get caught at it. They
have since learned.
How sad must the people have felt,
when, after getting petition signed
with hundreds of names to send to
their representatives for the purpose
of having needed legislation enacted,
had they paused to consider that the
individual would have to attend to it
in person. No stenographer; no frank
ing privileges; no free passes nor pri-
vate car for himself and family and
all his relatives down to the thirty
third cousin. Let us be thankful that
the people of to-day do not have to
bear this humiliation, nor leave to pos
terity such a heritage.
1t seems to be a crowning stroke OF
progress and of advancement in civil
lzation, that congress must first a3cer-
tain, when agitating the money ques-
tion, what effect it will have on Wall
street and the national banks. 1t is
through these mediums that the pro-
ducer is kept under control. To lose
that grip, the average politician of the
present would lose his occupation.
Why must the government depend
upon these sharks for it's existence? 1t
| seems entirely foreign to the question
| to answer that national banks and
scheming brokers must be fostered un-
der the protection of the government,
as medium of exchange. We are ac-
1
will not patronize local banks, even
| when they know the proprietors are
worth many times the amount of busi-
ness that can possibly fall in their
hands; but deposit their hard earned
! savings in a national bank under the
delusive idea that the government
stands behind it and will make good
| all losses. The failure of many OF
these institutions within the past few
years with liabilities running up in
the millions, assets practically moth
ing, leaving the depositor a dividend
OF 300 per cent in experience, is gra.
dually disabusing the public mind oI
some Of the fallacies Of our present
political machinery.
The government is supposed to bt
of the people, for the people and b,
the people. Should this sentiment be
come lukewarm, political tricksters de
vote many days stumping the countr,
for which the people BAY them +;
princely salary-to impress the maxim
with renewed vigor into the minds O
doubling constituency, and awaker
the dear people to greater conception
of how the party in power is workin,
for their especial benefit and a flag o
liberty to live under.
Granting this to be true, why ma,
not the student of political econom.
arise and ask the question: IF tn,
people are the government Is not It
promise to pay good, as long as ther'
is enough responsible people left t,
form a government" II it is good
then why must it ask for the iRdorse
ment of its acts of Wall street ant
the national banks before enforcing
them? II it is not good, then may W.
ask, what is bank note worth. II thu
bank issuing it becomes insolyent?
II True, replies Shylock, but the
nennla do not study these great ques.