Rensselaer Republican, Volume 24, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 August 1892 — Can’t Swallow Free Trade. [ARTICLE]

Can’t Swallow Free Trade.

In the face of their own published tax statement, furnished through the Democratic state auditor, showing conclusively that the local taxes are increased only 813,251, and that nearly 90 per xent of that increase was caused by township and town officers, the Pilot gang have the unmitigated gall to still insist that the increase is 816, 000 and that the county officers are , responsible for all of it. Under the name of “reform” the Pilot gang is trying to make the people believe a monstrous and slanderous lie; all in the interest of a. few democratic and sore- head office-seekers.

The Democratic Legislature nearly doubled state taxes by nearly doubling the assessments, then added 6 cents on 8100 to the tax levy, on top of tkai, to make the double complete. The Republican county commissioners reduced the levy for county taxes 30| cents, and the Republican township trustees reduced theirs, on tlie average, 30 cents. And yet the two local democratic organs have the ineffable gall to say it is the Republican county officials who are responsible for higher taxes; the hardihood they exhibit in making such a in face of such facts, is continental in its magnitude. It is collossal enough to be the eight wonder of the world.

Why has fche alleged People’s Party organ nothing to say in condemnation ot the Democratic tax law audits increase of state taxes in Jasper county of 100 per cent? (The increase is much more 100 per cent on farms.) And why is it so falsely and vindictively trying to throw the blame of increased local taxes upon Republican 1 county officials? Simply because the paper is being run in* the interests of the Democratic party, by such “re formers” as Messrs. L. E. Glazebrook and David Shields. And what is more, they even re ceive their misleading and onesided facts, figures and arguments, direct from Democratic state headquarters, and this we know to be a fact. How do our Republican alliance friends who took stock in the paper upon the profession of its being a non-partisan alliance paper, relish the idea of their cash being turned to the support of a Democratic organ tun “for politic cal effect’’ by Bourbon Democrats rtf the most hide-bound variety ?

The former or Republican plan of assessing property for taxation was, within certain limits at least, -io adjust the assessment to fit the revenue yielding character of the property. On this principle farm lands, for instance, were assessed much lower than notes at interest or ready cash. Toillustrate the justiceof this discrimination. Suppose a man in Carpenter or Marion tps., j for instance, has a 100 acre farm worth $5,000. If he can get S3OO .year, in cash rent, he will do well. Again he will do well if s7s' out of the S3OO will keep the buildings and fences in repair apd the value of the farm from deteriorating. Under the present method of assessment, the taxes would take $75 more out of the S3OO, leaving only $l5O, or 3 per cent, per year

net profit, to the owner of the farm for its use. The man’s neighbor has $5,000 in cash. At a low estimate he can get 8 per cent, or S4OO ia year, for its use. It costs him nothing to keep in repair, and the taxes are the same as upon the farm before described, namely $75. This leaves the capitalist $325 per year, clear money, dr nearly 7 per cent, for the use of his $5,000, while the land owner gets only $l5O or 3 per cent for his $5,000. This comparison, which really understates the actual comparative rev-

■ > ’ enue yielding power of farm property ahd cash, shows the justice of the old plan of assessing property, and the injustice of the present Democratic plan of taxing the farm more than 100 per cent higher on the basis of its net revenue, than they tax the cash am mortgages.

Editor JEitf of the Woodland Herald Supports Harrison and Reid, andg Tells Why He Does It Under the heading of “ Herald’s Politics,” the Goadland makes the following editorial announcement: The tariff for revenue only of the Democratic party means free trade, pure and simple. Democrats, whom to call free traders last campaign was in their estimation a studied insult, no longer disguise the <fact that their party is committed to free trade out and out. For years the party has talked tariff reform —-reduction, not annihilation—of the protective tariff.

The Cleveland message carried au argument for tariff reform —a moderate reduction of the tariff and the burden of the song of the Democratic party, until the Chicago convention, has been for a “reduction of the tariff.” But when Mr. Vilas, a member of the committee on resolutions at Chicsgo convention,laboring under the impression that his party meant what it said, introduced a plank asking for moderate reduction of the tariff, a sentiment in perfect harmony with the party’s boasted principles, he was snubbed by the committee and hooted at by the democratic newspapers. The free traders had the whip-row in the committee, and they proposed and did force their issue upon the party Many members'of the democratic party, whir hold to the faith of necessary protection to home industries as against the competition of foreign- overproduction and lowpriced labor, were not prepared for the extreme ideas of free-trad-ers, and refuse to swallow the dose. Of the Herald is one, and in the present campaign this paper will consistently,and to the best ability of its editor, support Harrison and Reed and the Republican principles of protection. , We have voted the Democratic ticket for 20 years to get tariff reduction, but that party, with 147 majority in the lower house of congress in 1892, has failed to give a practical demonstration of its faith in principles enunciated in its platforms for a decade. As a dissenting opinion is responeible for this change, the Herald has not, nor will it have, warfare with individuals. In the political conduct of the paper it will pursue the fight on the line of principle and deal with men only as real and ostensible representatives of those principles. *