The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1902-1905, 1903-08-14
A SURPLUS BY EXToRTIoN.

The national treasury shows a big surplus for
the year ended June 30 and the people are expect
ed to rejoice and be glad. 1t is pointed to as II
triumph of craftsmanship. There are people who
suppose we are all the richer for this surplus.
But there is another side to the matter. This
surplus is nothing more nor less than hard earned
money belonging to the people, taken from them by
unnecessary taxation and locked up in the treasury
for no purpose.
nation can never make itself richer by taxa
ton Many nation has made itself poorer by it.
And any nation makes itself poorer when it un-
necessarily takes money out of the hands of the peo-
pie who have earned it aud piles it up for fools to
cape at and exclaim: Just how rich we are. "
As we'll might a merchant take part of his
money out Of his business and put it on exhibition
in his show window proof of his sovency. In
stead of proving his sovency it would raise doubt
of his sanity.
No sounder political principal was ever enunci-
ated than this: Unnecessary taxation is unjust
taxation. 1t breeds great brood of niustices and
extrovagances and peculations 'Hou might as
we'll - said the picturesque William Allen, try to
run powder mill in hell as an honest government
with pethoric treasury" Allen is dead, but the
truth remains.
The surplus revenue collected during the year
was 500. 100000, some 10000 900 more than the
estimate OF this at least $50 900 900 is the prod
uct of unnecessary taxation.
Despite the cutting off of the remainder of the
internal revenue taxes imposed to meet the cost of
the war with Spain. the total sum collected was only
1900 600 less in 1902 while the total expenditures
were nearly S3G, 900 900 greater.
Though the war in the Philippines has been
officially certified to be over, the expenses of the
war department for the year We're Sis 800 0OO-an
increase of more than $G0O00OO over 1902, and
double the cost IN the year before the Spanish war
And so through exhorbitant taxation of gen
erous people the money flows INTO the treasury and
because it flows it is spent, and if a little more
flows in than can be managed to be spent we are
asked to accept the surplus a measure OF our
national honesty As matter of fact, 1t is but a
partial measure of our national eXtortion.
The people of this country are today riding on
the crest Of of prosperity. The pinch is not
felt today But for all these vast expenditures and
all this wonderful surplus left in the treasury after
the bills have been paid the man who works with
his hands has to contribute out of his slim earnings
The pace is being set in good times, and the
cost may not worry us, but it is drain upon our
resources lust the same and we shall feel it severed
when depression comes.
Every dollar of these expenditures, every cent
of this surplus, out Of the earnings of the peo
pie who work with their hands. They pay it indi
recty III the increased cost of living under an adj
mInstraton that collects more than it needs in or
der that it may point to big surplus as an evil
dence of its wise management.
That surplus is nothing to be pointed to with
pride 1t is a monument of shame and extortion.