Natchitoches populist., 1898-07-01


liberty and because their pecuniary in
terests are on the side of plutocratiC
government in Cuba and elsewhere.
Since they could not prevent the war
they have insisted that 1t should be
Waged at the expense of the poor and
to the profit of the plutocrats. Taxes
are to be Increased on the necessities
or the people. but no additional burdens
snail be levied upon the luxuries OF the
rlch or upon the enormous incomes of
the millionaires and trusts. And we
must provide further for the war fund
Dy Issuing bonds upon which the peo-
PIE VIII have to pay interest for gen.
erations.
II we now had a really popular gov
ernment no such schemes would win.
II submitted to vote of the people
tnere would be an overwhelming ma
Jorlty in favor oil an income tax, and
the issuance Of war greenbacks, In
stead OF taxes upon labor and inter-
est-bearing war bonds. Let the voters
pass upon the two propositions at the
polls next November. We appeal from
the plutocrats at Washington to the
patriots in their homes.
The well-known reform writer, Celia
b. Whitehead, writes TO the Twentieth
Century OF the popular loan" hum
bug, as follows:
"A certain journal in this city has
for years. whenever the men with
money have decided that the United
States of America must issue bonds,
cried out for popular loan;' by which
1t means bonds from $50 up offered to
all the people
The writer of these popular loan
editorials must know that there Is no
sense in the idea. asked young
college man this morning, How many
people do you know who have $50 in
spare changer and he replied, 4 don't
know as | know any, only those who
have a great deal more!' And that is
just the fact In the case, A five hun
dred million dollar loan means an
awful burden on those who have not,
for the benefit Of those who have
money to take it Zip. l doubt If taking
the country through, one person In a
thousand can invest in $50 bond. To
call such thing popular loan can
have but one object and that is to de-
ceive the people and keep them quiet
while they are being robbed.
I'VE want no bonds at all. Let us
have greenbacks; not those with an
exception clause, but receivable for
all dues, public and private and not
any we promise to pay endless chain
attachment. II we as a government
promise to receive it, 1t lis enough. |
What the government wants is some |
thing with which to enable those 1t |
employs, either as soldiers, manufac-
turers or what not, their services to |
exchange for food, clothing, manufac-
turing materials, etc. That is all it
will get by selling bonds"
The Grand Rapids Chronicle says:
"It is proposed to tax the producers
and consumers fOr war purposes to
the extent Of $110,O00,O0O. A. moderate
tax levied upon The incomes of our
multi-millionaires would realize a suf-
fcient sum without heaping addition
al burdens upon the common people,"
War financiering in the interest of
the flnanciers Is thus described by the
Santa Cruz Surf:
when government issues bond
for $1,000, to run thirty years at s
per cent, it attaches to that bond 81 500
In coupons. The issue Of a bond then
for $1,000 at once creates an obligation
'or $4,000, because the government
iebt includes the body of the bonds
with the coupons attached. Garry this
Up into higher figures, and for every
u, 100000 the government will OBJ
ain. it issues obligations for ~, SOC, 900.
Assuming that war with Spain
will cost $1,000,00O,00O, in order to OBJ
ain that amount of money the gov
irnment must issue obligations
to s25o00O0 900.
"These bonds arc always purchased I
" the rich. They are exempt from
axation, and including this exemp-
ion, they pay the highest interest, {
rhen the character Of the security is /
onsidered, that is known. For ex- /
mple, in a municipality where the 9
ate Of taxation is 211a. including state Z
ounty and municipal taxation, the a
xemption operates to add ~ per cent y
. the per cent which the government t
ond bears. {
"Let 1t be remembered that the Ia 5
or Of the country pays the cost OF Q
ar. Railroad corporations charge
ieir taxes in the rate Of transporta-
on. The water companies charge
leir taxes against the water consum- q
:. The banks charge their taxes In h
le rate of interest. The merchant Il
aarges his taxes to his Axed ex- 3