Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1896-01-31
WHO PAYS THE BILLS?
COSTS OF GOVERNMENT COMES
FROM THE PEOPLE.
The Depa rtmemt Pension BiIl-MiS-
taken Ideas of TaxatiOn-Indirecl
Taxation Encourages Extrava.
gance.

average Congressman knows OF nj
cheaper way to win the favor Of pen
sion claimants in his district than t
draw up pension measure and make
a speech upon it for circulation amont
his constituents. If the bill shoull
pass, the people pay the costs and the
Congressman's popularity is thus
paid for at public expense.
Our pension laws are already more
liberal than those OF any other nation
in the history of the world. In 1881,
the outlay for pensions was abou,
$2S, 100000, and President Garfield
predicted steady decrease of the
amount.
After the passage of the dependent
pension bills by the Reed Congress
the cost OF pensions reached $780,
100000 q year, more than twice the
total cost of maintaining the govern
ment before the war, and a greater
sum than the cost OF keeping a stand
ing army OF a million men in Ger
many, and greater than the amount
paid for pensions in all Europe.
Still the demand for pensions is not
satisfied. Demagogues and pension
attorneys are urging Congress to pass
more liberal laws. There will be no
rest until every man who belonged to
home guard or soldiered in Q hos
pital, whenever there was danger in
sight, has a pension. Men who were
paid large bounties or hired a sub
stitute to 60 to the front, after the
hard fighting was all over, are the
most persistent of all in claiming a
permanent bounty from the govern
ment.
Much of this reckless demand for
public funds has grown out of mis-
taken notions OF finance and taxation.
The indirect system of taxation by
tariff duties encourages many citizens
to believe that our national revenues
are no burden upon the people. 1t is
thought that our government has the
magical power of making something
out of nothing by stamping paper as
money or by making foreigners pay
our tariff taxes.
When Harrison became President
there was q surplus OF more than two
hundred millions, including the sink.
ing fund, but the billion dollar con.
gress aided by Tanner with his hay
scales, soon converted it all into a
sinking fund, which at the close Of
that administration reached the bot
tom of the treasury vaults.
There is large class of people who
believe. that the more OF Uncle Sans
money that is spent the better will be
the times. They do not comprehend
that no government has the power to
raise money except by taxation, either
direct or indirect, and that taxation in
any form is but q species of confisca-
ton Of private property for public use.
Many of the greatest wars in history
were fought over the question OF taxa.
ton. Our origin as q nation dates
from successful revolt against an un.
just use of the power of taxation.
All of these wars might have been
avoided, >and America might have re-
mained dependency Of England had
the governments concerned known of
any means Of creating money except
by taxation of their subjects. If gov
ernments can create value without
cost to the people there is no reason
why national, State, county and mu-
nicipal taxes should not be forever
abolished as An unnecessary and op-
pressive burden upon the people.
It is evident that many of our peo-
pie believe that government money
costs nobody anything and that it
should be as free as water.
"Give everybody pension and
times will be good" say the superb
cial thinkers. They do not see that
this would be like ten men raising
among themselves q fund of ten dol.
lars that each man might be given q
dollar. If any man gave more than
his proportionste share he would be a
loser, while no one would gain unless
he had contributed less than dollar.
The pension money would all come
out OF the people, but some would get
less than they paid in taxes. Peter
would be robbed to pay Paul, but the
people as whole would have no more
money than before the distribution of
the pension fund. Times would be
better for the man who pays no taxes,
but harder for the Taxpayer.
Under q system of direct taxation,
such % that by which the State
raises its revenues, the people would
see that the expenditures of the ma
tional government came out of their
pockets sooner or later and would in
sist upon more economical manage
ment of national finances.
Now when national taxes are hid