The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-12-22


intact to use again in the purchase OF
some other line of goods, ana 10 again
to the treasury. by tnus using
the funds the members are all ehapieu 10
get their goods at the lowest prices and
are each benefited more than Uhey could
be in any other way. The execuaVe.com-
mittee as their report will snow, nave
been alert-striving to present. 20 the
Patrons of the state opportunities Tor
financial benefits and will succeed TO just
the extent they are supported by the MEM
hers of the order.
AS an object lesson in organized work,
the efforts of the Legislative COMMITTEES OF
the National grange should teach us how
much we can accomplish when we work
unitedly for our common good. In 1886
through the influence of the grange. an
of $4,000 for the free de-
livery of rural mails was made by Con-
gress as an experiment. In 1891. sou, 600
was appropriated for continuing the same
The House committee of the present Con.
gress reported an item in the postofice
appropriation bill for Sl50,000 for the
same purpose, and the House increased
the amount and passed the bill The
Senate, after discussion of the subject,
struck ont the entire appropriation clause
Of free delivery Of rural mails from the
bill and thereby stopped all further pro
gress in this direction. The legislative
committee of the grange made vigorous
and determined efforts to secure an APP
for this purpose. AS result
Of their protest $3.50, 900 for the free de-
livery of rural mails was placed in the
bill by the conference committee of both
Houses of Congress and adopted. This
result was brought about entirely by the
action of the grange committee and no
one else. as they were the only representa-
tives of agricultural people present, and
the grange can justly claim the credit OF
what was done; also the fact that IN this
state we are able to obtain commercial
of the same formula, for $500
per ton less than when the movement
started. The fire insurance companies
have demonstrated again what can be
done along this line, In the way OF sub
stantial benefits to the mem bers of the
order. when sound business methods are
employed. We are pleased to Know they
are doing an increased business each year
and are potent factor in drawing the
f. rners TO the grange. We believe that
the grange Should and oanAbe without any
detriment to the other features made
something more than a mutual admira-
ton society and that we can secure from
the organization benefits commensurate
with the work done.
LEGISLATION AND TAXATION.
Ihefq question of levying and collecting
taxes is far reaching and oppressive to the
agricultural people. The power to assess
and collect taxes to defray the expenses
of government are almost unlimited, and
SO searching in extent that the courts
scarcely venture to declare that it is sub
ject to any restrictions whatever except
in the discretion of the authority who
exercises it. 1t reaches every occupation,
every object of industry, use, or enjoy
ment: no attribute of sovereignty is more
peryading, and at no point does the
bower of government affect moro con :
stantly or intimately all the relations of
life than through the exactions made
under it. 1t Is said that the only security
scainst the abuse of this power is found
in the str ucture of the government itself.
in recent years immense fortunes have
been built UP in our own country With
such great rapidly as to astonish the
world; and still mora recently we have
the concentration OF untold millions
placed under the control of one manage
ment. to affect all the lines of trade, tegis-
lation. taxation, to the detriment OF that
class whose property is visible to the tax
gatherer These large private and col
porate interests have become so vast and
so varied that all are engaged in a mad
rush for advantage, each Skirmishing for
Dosition, relying uron other interests, to
care for itself. They seek to influence
decisions of courts and the
Verdicts of juries.
The farming class, slow going, conser-
vatiye and unorganized have become a
mack horse, burden bearer and yet they
have been furnished an object lesson they
should not fail to heed; in the organized
1z- \ l,xr iV,fc a M in
successful results Several years ago the
grange made an effort to have the List
ing BILL SO called, enacted into law
and would have succeeded beyond doubt
if il had not been for the opposition of
those who are called Patrons OF Husban-
dry. who produced all sorts OF arguments
TO prove what great calamity 1T would
be, to take any notion tnat would tend to
more equally distri butte the burden OF
taxation upon all classes. Their position
was SO apparent that one is reminded of
8 Sam JONES' who having been criticised
for some public utterance by an 1ndlgnan
he arer replied, "Did you ever throw a
rock at a lot of ours on the streetp If you
nave you know the one that yelped loud
est was hit hardest.
A short time since our state tax was
reduced to cover the necessary running
expenses and the people had feeling of
relief; but almost Immediately the legis-
iature Assem- bied and extravaganza apprO-
priations followed; in vain did Governor
powers endeavor to check the oxtrava-
gance by calling the attention of the legis
lature to The necessity of rigid economy.
The state tax was increased and the last
report of the state treasurer showed that
with not an appropriation overdrawn
single dollar, the state debt Increased
s25 900, aud temporary loan had to be
made to meet the deficiency. This condi-
ton was not brought about by extrava-
gance in the legitimate expenses of the
state governmnt, which has been conduct
ed as economically as consistent with
the public service; but by the deliberate
acts OF the representatives of the people,
for fayorite schemes Another legislature
is soon to assemble; already rumors ara
rife that schemes innumerable are being
matured, larger and more of them than
ever and unless counteracting influence
is effected the records of the last two
years are likely to re repeated with in
creased emphasis Do the farmers of the
state endorse such a policys If not let
them come forward, through this organ
lzation, and protest against such wanton
use OF the peoples money. The war with
Spain will OF necessity increase the ex-
penses in that special direction and be-
yond that there does not appear to be any
good reason for increased expense In form
Of taxation upon the people, who with
the closest possible economy, are hardly