Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1898-03-04
HARRISON ON TAXES.
THE EX-PRESIDENT URGES RADICAL RE-
FORMS.
Sirens Song by Which Politicians Wheedle
the Workers.

Washington. Mr.. Harrison took for his sub
ject PUBLICATIONS of Wealth." He said:
Monuments and birthday anniversaries should
be commemorative, not ELECTROMAGNETIC
of deeds that evoke wide gratitude and of vir-
tues that are still imitable. There are men
who have so won our hearts that we would re-
call them if we could. We feel the need of
them, no change of dynasties, no outbreak of
the mob threatens their monuments. One can
hardly conceive any civil revolutions or and
riotous outbreak in Our country that would not
respect the monuments Of Lincoln and Wash
ington While they lived they were at times
hated by men and by communities; but, when
the full stories of their lives we've unfolded
when motives and purposes were explored,
when the universal benehcence of their public
services were seen, in the establishment by one
and the rescue by the other, of free constitu-
tional government, all their countrymen ren-
dered them homage.
In choosing for my theme "The Obligations
of Wealth." l am not wrestling this ami
versary from its legitimate use. We do not
need to forget-ndeed, we cannot forget Wash
the state His life teaches no lesson more
strongly than that the citizen is under obliga-
ton is serve the state; never to shirk his Full
share of burden and labor and sacrifice, but
rather to do more.
The word "wealth" in its modern use has
suffered limitation, if OF a perversior.
Originally and strictly it means veal and well
fare, external happiness. When Paul az mon
ished the Corinthian Christians, "Let no man
seek his own, but every man another's wealth."
he was not anticipating the modern law of the
wheat pit and the stock exchange
We live in time OF great agitation, of war
of clashng thoughts and interests. Men, no
longer satisfied with what appears above ground,
are uncovering roots. There is feeling that
some men are handicapped that the race is sold;
that the old and much Wanted equality of OPP
portunity and of right has been submerged.
More bitter and threatening things are being
said and written against accumulated property
and corporate power than ever before 1t seems
that, more and more, small men, small stores
and small factories are being thrown upon the
shores as financial drift or wreckage; that the
pursuit of cbeapness has reached stage where
ONLY enormous combinations of capital, doing
an enormous, business, are of returns
The seams which mar the face of the social
landscape seem to be widening chasins, and if
these CULTS are to be filled we must establish
dumps on both sides of them. 1t will aid the
work if those OIL either side use the bridges to
oct view Of it from the other side. Wealth
should neither be the object of our enmity nor
the basis of our consideration. Nor what
man has but what he is, settles. his class. In
the discussion of all these social questions good
temper is essential. Men must get together and
use facts, not rhetoric.
The special purpose of my address today is
to press home this thought upon the prosper
Gus, well-to-do people of our community, and
especially of our great cities; that one OF the
conditions of the security of wealth is pro-
portionate and full contribution to the expenses
of the state and local governments. 1t is not
only wrong, but it is unsafe, to make show in
orr homes and on the street that is not made i'll
the tax returns.
Equality is the golden thread that runs all
through the fabric of our civil institutons-the
dominating note in the swelling symphony OF
liberty. Equality, not of conditions, not Of
natural endowment, but of rights, is the foun-
dation stone of our governmental structure
The duty of the state to protect life, liberty aud
property is conditioned upon fair contribution
70 the cost of government. full and con-
sc;encious discharge of that duty by the citizen
;s one of the tests of good citizenship. To
evade that duty is moral delinquency, an UNI