Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1894-12-21
Taxation Without Responsibility

the matter of an amendment OF the
law which allows voters who are not
taxpayers to vote upon propositions
for the levy OF special taxes. 1t holds
that
lnasmuch as taxpayers must bear
the burden of taxation, they may be
pretty safely depend upon not to vote
taxes upon themselves unless they are
necessary-particularl in times like
thesc-but the same cannot be said of
non-taxpayerS who are sometimes per-
fectly willing to cast their ballots in
favor of a tax that some one else must
pay; especially ii by so doing they may
benefit themselves"
AS an instance, the Vidette cites
case where somebody wanting employ
ment had presented petition asking
special levy be made for building a
road in his district. The petition
complying with the law, the Commits
sioners ordered the election. The
petitioner and others like himself,
uOuO VI Whoui WCIC AutCACS1Cu ia suC
matter farther than to obtain employ
ment, out-voted the half a dozen tax
payers, none Of whom we're in favor OF
the proposed improvement, and a
portion of there property was taken
from them by educ process of a law"
that nobody will claim is founded on
Justice.
This came thing has been done in
this community, time and again, for
the erection of expensive school build
ings, until the interest on the bonds
issued for that purpose alone amounts
to about $500 per month, or about $50
per day for each school-day of the
year if the terms last ten months.
When this building mania siezed the
people, times were flush, and the tax.
payers themselves favored liberal
allowance for that object, but when
:. the annual levy became burden, and
all other business transactions were
modified to meet the changed condi-
tions the special tax mania was per.
petuated by those who had axes to
grind. The scene presented at the
l polls of one of the special ELECTIONS
= showed very plainly who were the
1 promoters of the scheme as we'll as
the selfish objects they had in view.
d Certain school rooms became the CEN
r tiers of artful means for influencing pa.
: rents. Pupils were asked to hold up
d their hands if they knew their parents
= to he actively engaged in the cam.
paign for keeping the schools open,
n and the dullest child was made to un'
II derstand very clearly what the parents
duty was under the circumstances
: viewed by eyes that kept the teachers
s salary constantly in view. Pupils were
IL at times supplied with campaign lit
erature" to carry home for the enlight
p eminent OF obdurate parents. A kin
n dergarten system for object-teachins
ii OF guardians was devised by some o
r the teachers. Pupils were told on thu
eve OF voting to take their books home
8 as the schools would certainly close
y unless the people voted for the tax
n Many OF the teachers became active
e ward politicians, and hired teams t.
3 haul unwilling and often unqualified
: persons to the ballot box to deposit
o their votes in favor of q tax tina,
might keep the high pressure service
II enstated, with the salaries established
0 when all branches OF labor were re-
$ ceiving adequate remuneration.
The injustice of such proceeding
e is SO apparent that it will only be
u necessary to submit an amendment
restricting the votes on propositions
: for special tax leyies to those who pay
them, to have it receive favorable
l. consideration. 1t is as unjust in
principle as taxation without repre-
sentation, which became a conceded
i just cause of rebellion on the part oil
the New England colonies.