march 12, 1903. : : THE NEBRASKA. INDEPENDENT. .9
V.
'.'V
THE BAILKO AD LOBDS
Congress may pass what tariff laws
It pleases, but the railroad managers
decide how much "protection", shall
be allowed. There is," for instance, a
high "protective" tariff on salt The
claim made in passing it was that we
must protect the "infant" salt indus
try, but the railroad managers con
eluded that salt didn't need any, pro
tection so they just knocked . it out
The managers also thought that the
tariff on tin was a nuisance (in which
they were right) : and concluded to
modify that They way they did these
things is told by the interstate com
merce commission. That commission
says: - -.
A twelve months' contract for
the shipment of salt from an Eng
lish port to Kansas City through,
an American port was taken ' at
the rate of 14 3-4 cents per 100
pounds,' when ' the rate from
v Hutchison, Kas.- a point which
can supply the entire salt, trade of
the territory west of the Missouri'
river to Kansas City, a distance
of 200 miles, was 10 cents. A rate
was , made on tin plate from
Swansea, Wales, to Missouri river
points which was only 50 per cent
of the rate "from the Indiana gas
fields to the same point" .'
' As for a tariff on cement the rail
roads would have none of it. Thoy
use large quantities of cement in con
struction work, and they made a rate
on cement from New Jersey to Chi-!
cago greater than the rate on im
ported cement plus the tariff.
The railroads under private owner
ship are lords of all they survey from
the center clear round to the sea, in
cluding tariffs and everything else.
When an article can' be delivered here
in the west at so low a rate that for
eigners can ship it in, pay the tariff
and yet have an advantage over the
home manufacturer, the tariff is
knocked clear out by the manipulation
of the freight rates.
- TAXATION :
It is impossible that the people
should not know that the trusts, the
great corporations, the banks and the
railroad managers air favor the re
publican party, or the plutocratic wing
of the democratic party. Here and
there among those classes there is 'a
man who rises above his environment
and comprehends the results that must
certainly follow the policies that the
republican party has inaugurated and
defends, but the exceptions are few.
Those being the facts, it is not at all
strange that legislation, both-state
and national, will be in the interest of
the corporations, trusts, railroads and
national banks, where the republican
party rules.
If a glance is taken at the, legisla
tion in congress and the state legis
latures under the control of that par
ty for the last year, it will be seen
that it is all of that kind. The total
appropriations of the present congress
have been $1,564,108,496. Wrhen the
first billion-dollar congress closed, all
that the republicans had to say was
that this was a billion-dollar country,
and The Independent replied that
when the expenses rose to two billions,
by a parity of reasoning, all that
would have to be said in defense would
be that this was a two billion-dollar
country. Now that national taxation
has risen to more' than a billion and
a half, at the same rate of increase
the next congress will be a two bil
lion congress.
If the result of such extravagance
Was felt the next day after congress
adjourned, there would be something
akin to. a revolution, but as it will
come slowly, and the burden grow
little by little : the unthinking will
make no protest. -
That such heavy taxation will pro
duce distress no thinking man will
deny. To take a billion and a half
dollars out of the products of labor
every two years, for which nothing
goes toward the reproduction of
wealth except the appropriations for
the postoffice, irrigation, the light
house service and the part that is act
ually expended for the improvement f
rivers and harbors, must reduce the
expenses for comfortable living among
the - working . population to . a , degree
that will make it a very heavy burden.
The question is: Can- the laboring
portion of the population be made ta
see why it becomes hard to make, a
living?'? - ; V
In every state, county , and munic
ipality, where the republican party
rules, taxation has been increased at a
greater rate than by the national gov
ernment. Those taxes are many times
greater than national taxation. When
they are all added together the
amount is appalling. While this in
crease is going on, the corporations
and the rich generally, more and more
shirk their share. If all the taxes from
school districts to that of the national
government were added together it
will amount to about $50 per capita,
or $250 for each family of five.
Taxes in the main are per capita.
The tariff is strictly . so. A tariff on
sugar is a per capita tax. -The poor
man consumes as much sugar as 4he
multi-millionaire.- Taxes that , in
crease the cost to the consumer of
any necessity, is a per capita tax. It
will be seen that the main portion of
this heavy taxation must be borne by
the common people because there are
so many: of them. The question is,
how long will they bear the burden
before they discover the cause? , '
-The railroad legislature in this
state which is determined to relieve
the railroads of their share of taxes
is only a sample of republican legis
latures everywhere. .The same tale
comes from . j Wyoming, Idaho, Wis
consinfrom everywhere that the re
publicans rule. It is not to be ' ex
pected that after the railroads have
gone to the trouble to control conven
tions, nominate men for state offices
andthe legislature and . have spent
thousands of dollars to carry elec-:
tions that they would make a mistake
in the men whom they have thus nom
inated and elected to office and that
those men,, after being thus elected,
would make the railroads pay their
share of taxes. That is not what they
were elected for and if they : did it
they would be worse scoundrels than
they are at present They have a
right to say that if the people vote for
them, knowing that they are candi
dates of the railroadsJhat they would
betray their constituents if they voted
to make the railroads pay the same
rate of taxation that the farmer pays
on the value of his property.
THE INDEPENDENT OBJECTS
The Independent is forced to take
exceptions to the course that some re
form papers in this state are pursu
ing. It cannot see the thing in the
same light they do. The facts, which
none of these papers will deny, are as
follows:
The fusionists held the state govern
ment for a time and during that time
greatly decreased the 6tate debt. This
they did in the most severe years of
depression and , hardship that this
state has ever known. They, greatly
increased the apportionment to com
mon schools. They provided gener
ously for the state university. They
did this after the state treasury had
been robbed of over a half million dol
lars by a representative of the repub
lican party, ' and without increasing
taxation in the slightest degree. " The
people of thes state did not like that
kind of government, turned them out
and restored the republicans to power.
Upon regaining power, the republi
cans pardoned the man who had
robbed the treasury, reduced the ap
propriations to the common schools
and their governor vetoed an appro
priation for the state university and
greatly crippled it in its work. By
the appointment of inefficient guards
two of the state buildings were burned
down, a large number of convicts were
released from the penitentiary through
pardons and commutations and the
state debt began to increase at an as
tonishing rate.
To meet this new condit'ion of af
fairs the fusionists proposed that rail
road and other corporations should be
"J
3
Lftj
fnn?fMT- fowl sit.;
1 U j si i !s suns ma mucous
Astonishing Closing Oat Sale Values Neyer Offsred in Omaha Before
Ovtr 4so Men's Suits at $5.00.
These suits come in cassimeres, cheviots and fancy worsteds, in
plaids, stripes, pin checks and plain colors, all lined with a fine farmer's
satin lining and we have over 25 different patterns to select from; one
of the biggest bargains ever offered in men's worth up d .
to tlO.00; clearing sale price (mail orders filled)....;., ")UU
A Geaulno All Wool Melton 5ult at $6.75.
These suits come in brown and oxford gray, are lined with a fine
Italian cloth and well made throughout; they come in all sizes from 34
to 46; also in stouts and slims; none worth less than x. d L 4
112.50; clearing sale price (mail orders filled)....... .... ;..;pOy
Over 550 Hen's 5ults to be Cloud Out at $7. 50.
Theise suits are made in the very best fabrics, in latest shades and
patterns, round or square cut styles, slims, stouts and extra sizes, heavy
serge lining.padded shoulders, hair cloth front interlining, the greatest as
sortment of suits ever offered at such a remarkably low price; "
none worth less than 15; clearing sale price.mail orders filled P O
A Genuine All Wool Overcoat at $6.75. t
These overcoats come in brown and oxford gray, in long and me
dium lengths, medium weights, lined with a fine Italian cloth lining and '
' well made throughout; they come in sizes from 34 to 50; none worthless
than $10.00, and up to 1 12.50; in this great clearing Q!
sale (mail orders rilled) ..P0e J S
MEN'S PANTS In all-wool cassimeros and Oxford gray mixtures,
in all s'ze s from 32 to 48 waists; 30 to 30 lengths; none d
worth lebrf than 21.75; sale price (mail orders filled) .......... ) I 0 O
500 pairs of odd suit pants, in all sizes and colors and all wool fabrics,
in black, clay worsteds, cheviots, cassiraeres, blue serges and fancy
worsteds; nono worth less than $2.50 and $ 3.00; d mmg
sale price (mailorders filled)............, ......ItO
i Mail orders FILLED PROMPTLY, Send for new free spring cat
alogue of clothing, , ...
HAYOEN BROS.
V
J WHOLESALE SUPPLY HOUSE,
OM AHA.
ir
You'll need them soon. We
arc heavily stocked with
White Clover, Blue Grass,
Alfalfa and other field seeds,
and carry a fine assortment
of Landreth's Garden Seeds.
LAHR'S HARDWARE
103a O STREET.
taxed at the same rate as other prop
erty in the state. That was the issue
in the last campaign. The subject was
given so much prominence and so ful
ly discussed that it was impossible
that the voters should not know what
the issue was. The railroads main
tained that they were taxed enough.
They went to great expense to pub
lish their views, paying for the inser
tion of articles at regular advertising
rates.
The other side of the case was just
as fully presented. The fusionists
claimed that the value of property was
what it would exchange for in money
and that all property should be as
sessed upon that basis. That where
roads had lately been sold for from
$50,000 to $80,000 a mile . that that
should be the basis of assessment for
taxation. The campaign was fought
out on that line and a majority of the
people of the state said by their, bal
lots that they! did not want railroads
and other corporations to pay the same
rate of taxation that the remainder of
the people of the state paid on their
property. They voted that they did
not like the kind of government that
reduced the ' state debt, doubled the
apportionment to the common schools,
provided for the state university, de
clined to pardon convicts, refused to
increase taxation, and that they want
ed a government that would not tax
the property of corporations the same
as other property was taxed, that
would increase the., state debt, reduce
the apportionment to common schools,
curtail'the usefulness of the univer
sity and raise the rate of taxation.
They did that after all the facts were
presented to them.'
The Independent holds to the prin
ciple that the majority should rule and
will not abandon it The majority said
what kind of government they wanted
and they should have it. Members of
the legislature elected by the republi
can party who refuse to exempt the
railroads from the payment of the
same rate of taxation as other prop
erty, are traitors to "their constitu
ents and are not heroes and patriots.
If they held those views before elec-'
tion, then they deceived the men who
furnished the funds and secured their
election. Deception is not an attri
bute of patriotism. Representatives
in the legislature should carry out the
wishes of those who elected them and
not . turn over to the opposition. A
republican member of the legislature
who votes with the fusionists to tax
the railroads is not a hero, but a base
deceiver and betrayer of those who
elected him. ,
A f usionist who betrays his constitu
ents and votes with the republicans to
exempt the railroads from paying
their share of taxes is a man of the
same character. - No reform paper
would think of making a hero of him.
PLEASE BE GOOD . ,
Unless the railroads put an end '
to the tax war by cheerfully or
regretfully consenting to pay their
just share of the burdens of tax
ationstate, county and munic
ipalthe' paramount issue in.Ne--braska
for the next two years will
be, "Up with railroad taxes
down with railroad freight rates."
Omaha Bee.
"Consenting," eh? Did any one ever
hear of a legislature inquiring if the
small taxpayer will "consent" to pay,
his taxes? This "please-bc-good" at
titude of the Bee would be laughable
if it were not such a serious subject.
Uncle Mark, he lay low and say,
nuffin. He gwine to lay a trap for'
Brer Teddy.
11
IN
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