The advocate and Topeka tribune., 1892-08-24


Outside Of our postal system this most inn
pOrtsnt function Of a government of th,
people, by the people and for the people
has been almOst entirely lost sight of, whil'
government for the purposes of restriction
entailing exorbitant and unnecessary eX
penditures, has been ampli6ed and OK
tended until it has become standing men
ace to the liberties Of the great, plain people
Of the country.
The demand Of the hour is for more gov
ernment for the purpose Of rendering use
full service to the whole people, and hence
more revenues, and less-much less-goV.
eminent for the purposes Of restriction, and
consequently less expenses. Under the 90.
operative commonwealth, useful service tC
the people would become the chief, if NOT
the only recognized, function OF govern
ment. Such a government would have nc
enemies among it's citizens and would have
no need of the sword, unless, perchance, TO
repel foreign invasion. Armies, in time
Of peace, are only needed to perpetuate bad
governments, which do not render useful
service to the people, but on the contrary
restrict their freedom.
II is not, however, our system Of raising
public revenues, but taxation in its broader
sense, covering all the burdens imposed
upon the people in accordance with law, in
which we are to-day most directly inter
ested. The word tax is closely allied with
task and presuppOses the existence of a
taskmaster. The power to tax carries with
il the power to impose task. So far as
this power is exercised by the state, it is
supposed TO be a self-imposed burden on
the people, and they are their own task
masters; but whenever it is imposed by cor
poratiOns or individuals, for the means of
production and exchange, for the purposes
of private gain, the taxpayer ceases to be a
free citizen, as his natural rights to the
fruits of his labor are infringed upon, not
withstanding the fact that this may be done
by the due process Of law. Under our law
created system Of land tenure, the owner Of
paper title to land, no matter how OBJ
tanned, is vested by law with the power to
levy tax for its use, in the shape Of rent.
The disinherited classes must pay him for
the privilege of living, as most assuredly
they could not live at all if they were de-
prived of place to live. Under our law
created system of finance, corporations and
individuals who control the distribution Of
money are vested with the power to tax the
people for its use, in the shape Of interest
OF all the taxes upon the energies Of the
people this interest tax is at this time the
most grievOus to be borne. Manufacturing
monopolies tax the people in the shape Of
profits; railroads in the shape of freight and
passenger rates; coal and oil combines in
the shape Of an increased cost of fuel ant
light, and 80 on to the end Of the catalogue
Of monopolies which have sprung into OK
istence, vested with the power to tax thu
people, strictly according to law. These
taxes, in the shape of interest, rent, profit
etc., which the law enables corporations
combines and individuals to impose upor
consumption, constitute the major part o.
our cost of living, and are almost infinitely
more oppressive than any system of taxa
tion we have ever had, not excepting ever
our illogical, absurd and oppressive robbel
tariff. These taxes are all indirect, anC
until recently have been generally paid with
out the knowledge Of the taxpayer. The!
form part of our necessary cost Of living
and are in proportion TO our expenses, tax
ing the necessities Of the poor and exempt
ing the incomes of the rich in the sam'
proportion. No citizen can avoid the psy
ment Of these taxes without dispensing
with the use of food, shelter and raiment
unlaaa ha ahandona Civilizad hahika take