People's Pilot, Volume 6, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 October 1896 — THEY DODGE TAXES. [ARTICLE]

THEY DODGE TAXES.

THE ‘‘HONEST MONEY” MEN OF THE CITY OF CHICAGO. Public Plunderers to Shield Themselves Within the Folds of Old Glory—Waving the Flag with One Hand and Plundering with the Other Is Altogether Too Cotninou in This Country. Chicago, Sept. 28, 1896.—[Special.]— The Chicago gold bug papers announce that a movement is on foot to decorate the streets with American flags and bunting in honor of the “honest money campaign.” Imitation is the sincerest flattery. The flag adjunct to the gold standard cause had its start one afternoon in the New York Stock Exchange. The zealous patriots and patrons of American labor and industry who compose this exchange, had finished a hard day’s work. They had hammered down several industrial stocks on encouraging McKinley news, and were feeling good. A leading gold broker was seized with an inspiration. Pinning a McKinley badge to his breast, he produced an American flag and marched around the hall. Other stock brokers and money lenders followed him. Tne press accounts declared “that scores of wellknown Democratic stock brokers tore Bryan badges from their breasts and joined in the parade.” This was the inception of the flag movement in behalf of honest money. It must have been an inspiring sight. Future generations will shed tears ■when they read how Mr. Ickleheimer, of the well-known firm of Heidelbach, Ickleheimer & Co. (maintainers of national credit), dashed his Bryan button on the floor and declared for McKinley, honesty, sound money and for his beloved country. Bluff, old Ben Johnson once said: •'Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.” A modern philosopher declared that "Waving the flag with one hand, and plundering the pockets of the people with the other, is a form of patriotism which is becoming altogether too common in this country.” money men of Chicago should lose no time in spanning the down-town streets with flags. Next to honest assessments the Chicago millionaire lows honest money. Let us throw a little light in on these “honest money” citizens who are about to slop over with patriotism. You will get no information concerning them by reading the Chicago papers. Here are a few facts about Chicago millionaires who are now raising a corruption fund to insure the triumph of honest money: Without an exception they ar<> tax dodgers. By systematic bribery, perjury and fraud they evade the payment of their taxes and throw the burden of maintaining government on the small property holders and the working classes. By reason cf these crimes on the part of Chicago honest money millionaires, the city treasury is bankrupt, the streets are unpaved, and unswept, public school facilities are lacking,’ and the various municipal departments are the laughing stock of other cities and a disgrace to Chicago. Every tax dodger in Chicago is for McKinley, honest money and a permanent gold standard. < They should raise the flags at once. It will not be the first time the folds of Old Glory have shielded public plunderers. In 1872, after the great fire had swept out of existence the larger par# of the city, the assessed valuation of Chicago was $347,000,000. The population was less than 400,000. Today, twenty-four years later, with a population of not less than 1,600,000. Chicago property is assessed at $237.000,000, Look back at those figures of 1872. What ao you tnmk ot it? According' to the sworn statements of Chicago property owners, the city is worth $100,600,000 less today than ithvas twenty-four years ago. It may be that this is on account of the crime of 1.873. If so, it is a bad showing for the gold standard. Property in the down town district ■which, recently sold for $750,000 is scheduled and assessed at $65,000. Great railroad corporations owning city reab estate and property worth $25,000,000 are assessed at $300,000. One piece of property—a, sixteen story buildingworth $1,250,000, pays taxes on $65,000. There are some honest money people forjyou. They are going to drape their buildings with flags and proclaim to the open-mouthed world their honesty, purity and patriotism. They are not in favor of repudiation. They demand that the people of the United States shall pay their debts. They in» sist that every American dollar shall be just as good as any other American dollar—unless it is invested in their buildings. They are the guardians of the public morals; the keepers of the public conscience. Who has to pay the taxes which these millionaires evade? The farmers of Illinois. I*ls farm is assessed at nearly its full value. What is left after the Chicago board of trade has absorbed its share of plunder, is taken by the tax collector and poured into the public treasury, to be expended in protecting the property of Chicago’s honest money patriots. Waving a flag with one hand and plundering the people with another is a form of patriotism which is becoming altogether too common in this country.