The independent. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, March 12, 1903, Page 9, Image 9
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 w