Rensselaer Republican, Volume 25, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 September 1892 — A Democratic Veteran’s Figures [ARTICLE]

A Democratic Veteran’s Figures

The howl of the free trade democrats because the Commissioner of the New York labor bureau did asot suppress or distort the figures in his annual report, just issued, is an example of the honesty of the Democratic party. The facts as presented in this report make a first class argument in favor of the McKinley tariff law and against f/ee trade. The Commissioner was honest enough to say that when he began to investigate tbe subject he expected the result would be favorable to Democratic ideas on the tariff; also honest enough to refuse to suppress the figures when he saw that they were favorable to a protective tariff. Yerily, “an honest man is the noblest work of God.”

Hon Joseph B. Cheadle, nr Frankfort, ex-member of Congress tronr the Ninth district, spoke in the public square last Saturday afternoon. ' Owing to the facts that but a few days notice of Mr. Cheadle’s coming had been given, and that the people had been attending the soldiers’ reunion a few days before and were tired out and not inclined for any more public meetings, the attendance woo small, but not smaller than might reasonably have been expected. Had the meeting been deferred until night, the attendance would have been very much larger, but as a number of farmers were in town who wanted to hear Mr. Cheadle, it was decided not to postpone the speech. As the usu al amount of lying will be done about this meeting, by the opposition press, we state now that a pretty careful count of the voters present at the close of the meeting showed that their number was almost exactly 100. The number would easily be ten times that if Mr. Cheadle shonld come again and sufficient notice of his coming be given: for he is a very able political speaker and makes a most clear and convincing argument, and entirely free from everything that even the most sensitive Dem ocrat or People’s party man could oonstrae as abusive.

Qpr -1 I very meanest feature. of the Democratic tax law, which bristles with meaness, w> s touched upon by Mr. Chenille in his rj'crch f*?turdsy r f‘°’ ,, oon. Tills feature, like the whole spirit of tliu law. i, specially in Jiu. with the wnpje injury George socialistic theory ot levying all taxes np-

on the*land and which the state organ “of the Democracy openly advocated a few years, ago, and to which the national democratic party is giving great assistance by circulating, at public Expense, as a portion of the Congressional Record, hundreds of thousands of copies of one of George’s incendiary publications. Ths particular feature of the tax law, to which we refer, is especially intended to bear hard on the owners of farms or homes of any kind. Briefly stated it is this: If a man holds title to a farm in the country or a house in the town, Worth say, $4,000 and owes upon it, say $3,000 he still has to pay taxes upon the full face value of his property, the same as though he owed nothing upon it. But the man who owns $4,000 in cash or notes and is in debt $3,000, can offset his property in cash and notes by the amount of his indebtedness, and will have to pay taxes only on SI,OOO. In other words the farmer or home-owner must" pay taxes on all he owns, regardless of how much he is in debt for it, while the capitalist or money., lender is “obliged to pay taxes only on what he owns above his indebtedness. It is tndy an infamous feature of a most infamous law.

“This,” said Chairman Gowdy, handing an Indianapolis Journal reporter two type-written sheets, “was given me by a democratic sold,ier who has been searching the records to see if the democratic claims that democratic Congressmen are true friends of the veteran. This democrat,” continued the chairman, “told me he was using the sheets to convince other democratic veterans that they should not vote the Cleveland ticket.” Below are the contents of the sheet: The arrears of pension bill, passed Jan. 19, 1879: Democrats for the bill. 48 Democrats against the biU 61 Republicans for the bill lie Republicans against theb1U........ 0 Wilson’s pension bill, passed Feb. 2, 1886, (increasing widow’s pension from $8 to $12): Democrats for the bill 80 Democrats against the bill ;. 7. 66 Republicans for the bill 118 Republicans against the bin o The amputation bill, passed Aui,\ 4,1883: Democrats for the hill .75 Democrats against the bill , .51 Republicans for the bill 91 Republicans against the bilLiwvr;: 0 W idows’ arrears bill, giving, widows’ pensions from the date of

the husbands’: Senate: Democrats for the bill 1 Democrats against the bill *o Republicans for the bill 25 Republicans against the bill. 9 The disability pension bill, granting pensions to disabled soldiers and dependent parents and children :_ Democrats for the bill .88 Democrats against the bill. ..■« 56 Republicans for the hill 117 Republicans against the biU o Piiscners of war bill: Democrats for the bill 85 Democrats against the bill 78 Republicans for the bill 119 Republicans against the bill 0