1891.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 4. 227 



honest legislation. I wish that a resolution might be brought 

 forward and backed up by the farmers here, that shall look 

 to securing the passage of a law providing that all property 

 that is invested in mortgages in Massachusetts shall be taxed 

 like other property. 



Mr. F. J. Kinney of Worcester. It is a matter of fact, 

 — it is not guess-work, — that property rules the nation. 

 Now, supposing that the man who loans money to a poor 

 man on a mortgage has to pay the taxes on it ; the poor man 

 will have to pay them, because his rate of interest will be 

 increased until the rich man is secured. In very many ways, 

 and unknown to themselves, farmers are gathering about 

 themselves clouds that it will be very hard to escape from, 

 and that is one of them. 



Dr. Twitchell. I am much interested in the question 

 now under discussion. We are working upon it down in 

 the State of Maine. One gentleman has said, " Send a class 

 of men to the Legislature who will be true to your interests." 

 I say, " Get behind the men you have now in the Legis- 

 lature." There is the work for the farmers in your State 

 and in my State to do. We have got to get behind our 

 legislators, and make them feel our power ; and, doing that, 

 we shall bring about results. The trouble in the State of 

 Maine is, that we cannot arouse the farmers to come up 

 before the committees of the Legislature, and there stand 

 together for results. They ask the grange, they ask the 

 Board of Agriculture, to do this and to do that for them. 

 We turn round and say to them, " Gentlemen, if you want 

 this thing done, go up there yourselves, unite your influence 

 with ours, and we will give you results." 



Professor Roberts. Mr. Chairman, it seems to me that 

 the fault lies with ourselves entirely. We have submitted 

 to this wrong and oppression, because it was easy for us to 

 get a living and pay the taxes to boot. The arm of the law 

 can reach every dollar of property. There is no trouble 

 about it. Uncle Sam manages to reach everything that is 

 in your trunk when you land in New York ; and, if you 

 undertake to lie out of it, he will take your property and 

 confiscate it ; he will take your trunk, and he will take you. 

 It is idle for any man to get up here or elsewhere and say 



