The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-04-24
Glendale, N. y.
A VETERAN ANTI-MONOPOLIST

Writes Personal But Very Interest
ing Letter-Excellent Suggestions.
CThe following letter is from a veteran
warrior for the right, who corresponded
with my newspaper, '"The Anti-Monopo-
list 20 years ago.-Ed. Rep)
Hon. Ignatius Donnelly, Dear Sir-I re-
Gently received a copy of the Representa-
tive which 1 read with a great deal of
pleasure. The same mail brought me
copy of the Coming Nation. They have
both the right ring and are well calculated
to wake up the people But so besotted are
the masses in their political bgotry that
their party is the means Of their enthrall-
ment Then the flood of partisan papers
that are spread all over the community
and their free d distribution by the party
postmasters, keeps nearly every household
supplied with party literature. To see a lot
of farmers going home with their pock-
cts filled with old party papers, crammed
with false sophistry, that will warp and
infect the immature minds of their child
rem worse than the cast off garments of
fever or cholera patients But to come
back to the first and main object l have
writing to you. I have been long ad-
vocating the taxation of all capital either
real or fictitious, by demanding that the
capital claimed by the trusts, watered stock
all bonds mortgages, notes Of hand or
other evidences of debt shall bear on their
lace the stamp of the assessor for each
and every year since issued or the courts
will refuse to collect or recognize them
IL tc on icCI no
bonds; rot a petty township but claims
the right. But how are they to be paid?
Could you adopt General Coxey's plan OF
issuing bonds bearing no interest it would
check their ISSUE but where could you sell
them? 1t must be borne in mind that all
other civil zed nations collect large part
Of Their state revenue from special tax on
cap;tal England receives over S75,000,WD
from stamps alone. All recognition of
moneys payable or received must be on
stamp paper; then the heavy duty and in
hcritance tax brings in handsome rev.
enue. France collects over $1C0, U0,0OO from,
the bonds and debts of the people. Now
he great object should be to educate the
| people to the justice of collecting a large
| part of the revenue from this source and
| you the right man, in the rgth place
| 10 lead Off in this crusade. l have thought
| that many Of the Peoples party press arc
| fearful of creating a feeling on this ques
ton; but you are fearless when the rights
| Of the people come to the front. My own
| convictions are that the taxation of all cap
tai is the last best resort of the friends
Of republic.
1t is now some time since had the pleas
| ure of meeting you and may have passed
| out of your memory. l have been in most OF
| the reform conventions and l think l met
you a the Greenback convention at Cir
cinnati. I hope you will pardon my in
| trudng on you as I know all your time is
occupied. l could fill sheet after sheet as
| I am full of it. For over 40 years 1 have
| been writing on general reform. l COM
roenced with the Express when Col Heath
| started the paper in Terre Haute, 1 hang
| on to this subject with all the tenacity of
| an Irishman. What nation of people car
| understand the evils of misgov ernment
| equal to the Irish? 1 learned my first
| lesson from such men as OConnel Steel,
| and the noble men that agtated the re
| peal of the Union" 1 hope to live to wit
| ress the dissolution of the house of lords
| oven if Ireland's only duke is kicked out
| " tn the rest
! But I must conclude with best wishes
| to your success and prosperity.
| SAMUEL SINNETT
| Muscatine, Iowa, April Is, 1895.