The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-07-18
JUDGE ASHbY WICkHAM
ISSUES IN ADDRESS
To the Democratic Voters Of the Third
Congressional District:

To the Democratic Voters Of the Third
Congressional District.
The United States Government takes
from the one hundred millions OF peo-
pie living In this country. and spends
more than one thousand million of
dollars--ten dollars from each man,
woman and child. or fifty dollars from
the average family.
II Is commonly said property pays
tax That Is wrong. Property pays
no tax. No horse. nor house, nor
farm, nor bank deposit ever did or
can pay one dollar of tax, II is paid
by the men. women and children who
work with their heads or hands, or
both. n every one of them walked
cut of this State morrow, with
nothing but their clothes on their
back. and left behind to those who
cannot or Will not work all their
money. provisions and other kinds of
property worth hundreds of millions,
those left behind would starve in a
week Labor pays tax and nothing
else pays It,
Compare the fifty dollars paid TO
the United States by the average fam
lily with the tax IL pays to the city
and State, and say whether II Is A
heavy burden. 1t is indirect and you
feel it less. because you pay ii in
driblets every time you buy your daily
food or your clothes or pay your rent,
but when the year ends the $50 Is
paid in full. and there Is nothing to
show for 1t. not even a receipt
But this is not the worst of 1t, 1t
liz estimated by competent authority
that for every dollar man pays to
the United States he pays more than
two to the meat trust, the sugar trust,
ha ha
lumber trust and all the rest of them.
That levy their daily and hourly toll
on the lives of men. For example; 1T
costs now the average family of FIVE
at least $500 a year for food, cloth
ing, light heat and rent. These ex-
penses have increased about so per
cent In the last fifteen years--that Is.
what cost s400 then costs 5000 now.
OF the $500 difference, $50 goes to
the United States and $3.50 goes main
~ into the treasury of the protected
Interests" Daily wages have in
creased In that time % per cent,
monthly salaries hardly at all. The
increased burden on the wage-earner
is heavy enough in all conscience. on
the saaried man II is simply crush
ing!
AS a further sample, take the tariff
on lumber, and the fact that the
Democratic platform declares for free
lumber and Captain Lamb voted re-
peatedly against any reduction on the
lumber tariff. makes 1t an issue In this
canvass. Lumber Is one of the neces-
saries of life. When a man is born he
Is put in a wooden cradle, he lives
in a house, largely or entirely built
OF wood, he sits on a wooden chair.
sleeps on a wooden bed and last OF
ta Ad Frnv tNa
a wooden coffin. Before II permits
any one of these things TO be done, the
lumber trust. following it's victim from
the cradle to the grave. exacts its
tribute IN advance.
In this district who is benefited
by this tariff on lumber under which
the price of lumber In the last ten
years has nearly doubied--the con-
tractor? The rent payer? Or the home
builder? Let your present represen-
tative in Congress explain who Is BEN
efted and what considerations Undue
ed him 10 vote with the Republicans
against "a Democratic principle. Sure
~ he cannot. say that a high tariff Is
a good thing on this necessary OF
life, and a bad thing on others,
thoughtful and consistent men will
answer that the man who takes that
position is neither a good Democrat
nor a good Republican. nor a good
representative OF the interests of the
vast majority of his constituents.
The vital issue before the people OF
this country may be summed In
word. Observation-Disclosures of the
tariff. reduction of the expense of
government and reduction OF the high
cost of living--the. three IRIS" OF De-
mocracy On this platform stand
and will do my utmost to help make
it's principles prevail. To promise
more is TO boast win not do that
and respectfully ask for your votes.
Very respectfully.
T. ASHBY WIcKHAM
July IS, 1910.