The De Soto County news. [volume] (Arcadia, Fla.) 1898-1924, 1905-11-10
A PLEA FOR
STATE ECONOMY
SCHEMES TO
DEFRAUD THE PEOPLE
EXTRAvAGANCE AND
INCREASED TAXATION

Jasper News; 1t would appear to a
person of ordinary intelligence that
one dollar would be just as good as
another, supposing that the purchas-
ing power were the same.
But, such is not the case at all times,
nor with all people.
Many persons have particular fond
ness, peculiar hankering after, and an
unutterable yearning Tor the govern
ment dollar. They are ready and will
ling to forsake all other kinds of dol
lars for the sake Of possessing the gov
eminent dollar.
And, strange to say, the peculiari-
ties of the government dollar are what
should make it repulsiye instead Of at
tractive.
Its chief peculiarly consists in the
fact that it is the dollar which is wrung
from people by taxation for unjust,
unwise and unnecessary purposes. 1t
is composed, too, not only Of silver or
gold, but also OF the widows mite the
orphans little savings the earnings Of
the cripple, and the hard labor OF the
poor
1t is but few weeks ago that law
yer Of national reputation gave up a
practice said to be worth fifty thousand
dollars year to accept an office which
doesn't pay as many hundreds.
Government dollars seem to possess
strange, but powerful influence.
And every time the legislature Of
Florida meets, more and more OF these
government dollars are coined and put
in circulation. Coined by extrayagant
legislation. Legislation providing for
increased expenses, and increased ex-
penses means increased taxation.
Years ago when the-Republicans had
possession of our State government the
enormous taxes were all attributed to
Republican rascality. Our cry then
was, "turn the rascals out" Just
give honest Democrats chance and
We'll show you a government OF the
people, for the people and by the peo-
pie, in which no more taxes shall be
levied than are necessary for the ex-
penses Of the government economi-
cally administered.
Since that time our State has doubled
in population and quadrupled in
wealth, but the burden of taxation is
greater than ever.
Honest Democrats are running
things, TOO.
Just a little while ago the State OF
Florida received the payment OF her
Indian War claims from the national
government a sum large enough to
have wiped out our entire State debt
and left a surplus in the treasury, but
it wasn't done. That large sum is nov
numbered with the things that used &c
be and the taxpayers are still paying
interest on large bonded indebted
ness.
Extravaganza runs riot at every ses
sion of the Legislature, and the people
pay the bills.
1t is high time to put stop to it.
But few years ago it was seriousl!
, proposed that the people of Floridi
, should throw away their State capito
and pay a half million of dollars q
build one some where else, solely TO
the benefit of a few individuals. tn,
people sat down on that project-au'
! they sat down hard,
Now, similar schemes are again oil
foot TO extort money from the ta1pay
ers, from which the large mass of then
> will never receive benefits to the yalu
of one penny.
The thing for the people to do is L
: reject every scheme or proposed pro
y iect which has to be supported by tax
n alton except the necessary expenses o
the government economically admins
tered.
: We will have more to say about thes
: schemes in the future.