The labor standard., 1919-03-01
COMMUNICATIONS
A Remedy For Excessive
 Taxation

The comments by our local press on the Taxpayers meeting held in the State Armory Feb. 26 are conflicting and confusing. "First, it states that it was disgraceful affair."" There must have been a cause for this dis grace. What was it? Was it taxation without representation? The report further states that this same disgrace was expected" that the promoters of the new high tax rate, had prepared for it. Said preparation being plain clothes men, city guards, in civilian clothes, with fixed bayonets on their rifles, placed. where they could get them at a moments notice. Why these precautions in a civilized land Were the politicians putting one over, backed by certain interests?
 One more comment by the press states, "the rubbing of elbows of the foreigner who cannot talk good Eng fish, and the manufacturers" These remarks give one the impression that there is class that think themselves made of finer clay than the average man. Yet they ask for a higher tax rate to Americanize the foreigner. These remarks are very inconsistent to American principles and Democratic form of government. Why s.lznock,, the foreigner? The, inhabitants of this city are about 85' per cent. foreign born are they not There must have been some induce ments by certain interests offered to them for so many to settle in this city. If this were not so, why such a percentage of this class here? Is it fact, that some money interests in this city caused a pamphlet to be printed, setting forth the opportuni- ties offered to the foreigner here in America, with a photograph of Mr.- on the fly leaf of the pamphlet, as the greatest man in America, and had the same sent to, a foreign country? If there are sfacts,s<be consistent in ydur doctrines, do not knock the for eigner that you brought here. Better demonstrate to him that this is a Democratic form of government.
 In this present period of unrest, it seems to me that it would be advis- able to drop factional prejudices. We have tried both old political parties, and yet your tax rates have advanced rapidly. With these advances in tax the money interests are backing a certain political party and in so doing are putting the burden of the tax on the small property owner. If the manufacturers of this city were taxed for one-half of the valuation of the property they own, taxpayers would not have to pay more than 10 mills on the dollar, and then have more than enough revenue for the running ex- penses of this city. There is positive cure for these existing evils. The cure is the American Labor Party. Use this cure, MT. Taxpayer, and you will not have the disgraceful scenes as stated by the press, at the taxpayers We are living in country, which our forefathers made free, by enduring many hardships, and engag- ing in many hard fought battles. We have inherited a better weapon than the rife and other implements of war, by persistent courage of our the ballot box. Lest history repeats itself, we will leave to the interests, and the political par ties, the old weapons of warfare, and use the more safer and sane weapons of a civilized country, which are the methods of the American Labor Party. By adopting these weapons you will rule out anarchy from our midst.
 Very respectfully yours,
 OLD IRONSIDES,
 THE AMERICAN.