Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1896-11-18

OuIlnX Iu6 T6ceHI campaign we nave
said that the tax lexy in the county
and township was increased because of
the large number of delinquents, but
our statement was challenged by the
Cresset at various and different times.
In behalf Of the republican party the
Burke mystery sheet said it was be-
cause the POpulists were N control of
the county government but the voters
of the county did not take the dose.
Hence the Cresset has again changed
its tactics and in its last weeks issue
endeavors to attribute it to another and
entirely different cause. While doing
this it admits in an unguarded moment
what 1t denied during the campaign.
We refer to the following taken from
the Issue above referred to, and what we
have iterated from time to time during
the campaign:
The county, financially speaking is the tax
payers that pay, hence those who pay have to
| pay an increased rate in order to carry those
| who do not pay; for instance, if John Smith
| pays his tax and John Cax does not, the coun-
| ty commissioners are compelled to increase
the levy on Smith in order to carry Cax.
This statement is as refreshing as the
Cresset's ante campaign statement that
the Populists are reducing county ex-
penses and perhaps it will cause that
sheet quite as much trouble In future
campaigns. But be that as it may, the
statement 80 far as it goes IS neverthe-
less true. But why don't John Cax pay
his taxes? Simply because we have
had so much gold standard, protec ton
to the corporations, legislative and ju-
| dicial discrimination in favor of trusts
and combines, so that Mr. Cax, being a
| farmer, could get no more than 40 cents
per bushel for his wheat, Is cents for
his corn,29 cents per pound for his pork
and so on. After he paid the expense
of production his cash was exhausted
and he had nothing left with which to
pay taxes. He had the will and honesty
of purpose but he was deprived of reas
enable return for his products and his
labor, hence could pay no taxes.
John Smith, perhaps, is better situat
ed. He MAJ have come to the county
with more cash than did his unfurtun-
ate neighbor, but now that he is com.
PEELED to bear part of CaX's burden il
will be only short time, under exist
ing conditions, until he is also bank
rupt. Thus the mill grinds or; as one
man cannot raise money to pay his tax
es, the burden becomes more cumber-
some on others and nothing but higher
prices for produce will alter the condi
ton.
The reason assigned by the Cresse1
for this condition of affairs is that The
interest on delinquent taxes was reduc
ed from 81 to Is per cent. This il
threadbare argument. One of the prln
cipal causes of the present dIstres:
among the producers is high interest
Farmers are anxious to pay thei
taxes as soon as possible, anC
lower rate of interest makes il
easier to raise the required amount 0
money because 1t Will not be necessar
to raise such large amount.
While the Cresset's position of las
week Is very absurd we are glad that l
admits that which it denied during tn
campaign. But we would like to Sc,
our contemporary take a position OF
this matter and keep it as long as 81
months at least. This thing of discov
ering cause in September and anothe
in November which is Numerically op
posed to the first, is becoming monot
, onous to us, if not embarrassing to AK
line.