The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1897-10-29
A $500 POLL TAX.
Do the Republican c Candidates
Fav6r M The Tariffs
Head Tax.
ME- SInr.

party, and politician
by instructive greatness more than
human, is essaying the farmer 10
believe not Rowland, as TO who
pays the tax. He would have us
believe that some foreign benefac-
tor pays our bills, aud simply asks
us to flounce around on beds OF eli
der-down and pluck fortunes from
strains OF natures sweet lullabyes,.
This soda-water statesman Is all
fizz. For the sake of proving his
arguments false, l will admit them
true. The question | would have
answered first Is: "Can you name
one foreigner who is going tn pay
to merchant in our country $607.
for the privilege OF selling him 800.
worth OF buttons?" The tax would
be $607. on 800. worth andthls will
have to be paid II the buttons come
to our doors. Do you think any
business man silly enough TO pay
$500. for the privilege OF selling an
American merchant 500. worth OF
cheap clothing? Your statements
are OF the silly brand and need no
further thought. But, my friends,
is it not Republican tactics to de-
ceive? They were elected on certain
financial promises and then gave
us an increase in our taxes as sop.
They are going to reform the cur
rency laws by taxing the farmer.
They are going to make US happy
and contented by increasing our
distresses.
One more question, please. Who
pays the protective tariff or tax
collected on goods manufactured In
this country, that never sees a for
eign shore? II a protective tariff
or tax is not intended 10 make do
nestle goods high, why do they
call it @protectivo" tariff? In
what way loes it protect? There
is one other feature Gin regard to
this tariff tax that shows how pos
itively unfair such a tariff tax is.
Before the passage OF the Dingley
bill, experts OF the U. S. treasury
were put TO work to figure out the
amount OF taxes to be raised. To
do this, they figure up what each
man woman and child in this coun-
try will consume annually in goods
clothing and other necessaries. On
this consumption Of products the re
shall be fixed a given tax. This rate
OF consumption per person, does not
vary any great amount each year.
To add the increase OF population
each year is an easy matter, to as
certain the amount Of annual tax
by multiplying the individual tax
by the number OF inhabitants. Is
not this essentially a poll-tax?
When our county officials are re-
quired 10 raise revenue and fix a
levy, they place head tax on each
male person over 81 years OF age
and then turn to our property for
the remainder. But the Federal
Government, under Republican
rule, counts the number Of mouths
to be fed and the number OF backs
to be clothed and has power to fix
on them tax, while they have no
will power to turn to property
rights for revenue.
Is this justice? Is II just to place
a poll tax upon the women and the
children OF the country? Under
Republican management. ]. Pierr-
pont Morgan, with his untold mon
ey and wealth, will pay to the sup
port OF this Government, $500
while Andy Webb, with his nine
teen children, will pay l47.OO. Is
not this, then, a head or poll tax.
Any tax collected other than an
assessment upon values is a poll
tax,
Does not Messrs. Holt, Boggs,
Rife. Mays, Gambill, &C., endorse
this system OF taxation? Then they
are in favor OF the most diabolical
poll tax ever riveted upon a civil
lied people.
Many good men, honest and true
at hear, have loaned aid to the par
! ty that has so grossly falsified their
party pledges, and / hope you will
study well this subject, and you
will find that 1t is not to our inter-
est to affiliate with the party that
will support a great Government by
an unjust, and ubiquitous system
Of taxation.
Let us go little further and see
what the final result will be. Where.
we will finish in this race, II it
continues Statistics show that in
1850 the wealth of this country was
about fortyihree billions Of dollars.
We now have about eigty-six bill
ions, a gain Of forty-three billions.
By the operation OF this system,
this properly has been distributed
in the same ratio as you would di-
vide one dollar between twenty
men. One man out OF the twenty
getting 66 2-3 cents while the other
nineteen get 80 l-S cents. A frac-
tlon over per cent. Of our people
own 20 per cent. OF the property d.
and little over 9S per cent. owns
the other 30 per cent. Of property,