Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1896-08-21

EDITOR OF THE Press The last is
sue of the Dispatch contains an ar
ticle from the young gentleman, who
Is, for the time being, holding down
the editorial chair of the Populist
organ of Pike county. The subject
of this essay is the g Income Tax, "
and is handled in the true Bryanese
style, with the specious reasoning,
and absurd misstatements, which
mark the demagogue, as he appeals
TO the prejudice of the poor against
the rich, TO gain their support to
measures which are far more injuri-
Gus to the poor, then the rich. He
pretends TO think the charge of
Anarchy and Socialism - against
his fellow-Populists, is based upon
their demand for an 4" income tax. -
If he is fit for the position which he
is understood to hold, in another
place, and knows the meaning of
the words, he fully understands that
these two epithets apply to the folks
he Is training with, because they are
the declared enemies of the legal re-
straints which hold society To-
gether, as well as the malignant foes
of all who have, by peaceful indus.
try and thrift, laid by a,little pro
perty 'for rainy day. ~ But to re-
turn to the " Income Tax" Like
the demagogue whom he is support
ing for high office, he sneers at peo-
pie who object to this tax, as being
unwilling to help TO support the
government, (which protects them. -
Now, there is hardly a boy in the
Milford graded school who doesn t
know that tits not the general gov
ernment," but the State, which pro
tects us in the peaceable enjoyment
of our personal liberty, and our pri-
vate property. To the State we owe
the laws which secure to us our
rights as citizens, and the courts
which enforce these laws. And we
cheerfully pay in proportion to our
means, the taxes levied upon our
possessions, both real and personal,
to defray the expenses of our State
government. But these people who
have nothing, want those who have
saved something, to pay twice, first
upon their property, and then upon
the income derived from the same
property Again he says 4" it is the
government that protects the great
railroad corporations, etc. in their
property rights, meaning the Fed
eral government. Yes, At is ! When
II is found that the authorities of the
State are too weak to defend such
great properties against the mobs
led by Anarchists and Socialists, like
Altgeld and Tillman and Debs, (the
present allies of our sucking states
men) then the President of the
United States is called on to aid the
State officials, and 1t is precisely for
this clear discharge of duty, that the
present Executive is now roundly
abused and denounced in the Popu-
list platform adopted at Chicago, in
the face of the energetic protest of
the better element of the Democra-
tic party. The idiotic position of
the Dispatch is to denounce the Fed
eral government for doing its sworn
duty, and then abuse the taxpayers
who object to paying taxes a second
time for the above service Hear
him again. :" The Government
raises its money through taxes on
imported goods, and on domestic
liquors and tobacco, and the tax
comes, in the end, out of the con-
sumner. just so. And then he
turns back to his parrot cry, as
though oblivious of what he has
just uttered, and whines, ''it is un-
fair that the poor man should pay
for the protection of the rich man &
property" How, in the name of all
the Gods at once, can the ''pooT
man" do that unless he buys s'mOre'
Imported goods, p" and uses ''more''
domestic liquors and tobacco, than
the erich man?" And this is the
sort of drivel which the Democracy
of Pike county are invited to accept
in lieu Of the pgacepts of jefferson,
Madison aud dacksonl God help
them LEX REGIT.