The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-07-07

Editor The Advertiser:
 The whole question of government among civilized and semi-civilized peoples is receivable into the question or taxation--the collection and dis oursement of taxes. No question has given rise to so much contention and abuse of individual right as taxation. It's consideration has given rise to more abstruse questions of govern, ment than all others combined. The Democratic party. founded by Jeffer- son, was based upon the principle of the lowest possible taxation and the greatest economy and equality in ad- mtnistration. The fact that 1t was, made me Democrat almost from my infancy. notwithstanding the force of the example of having a Whig.father. These principles are consistent with the greatest liberty and the. fewest re- straints upon the individual citizen. The Democratic party in its founda- tion and administration until since the civil War was the party of low taxes and economical administration. JeG- ferson in illustration set the example Of simplicity and economy when he rode horseback to the capitol and httched his own horse to a post, while he went up to the. front of the capitol was inaugurated as President. Andrew Jackson was another disciple of true democracy. who said in one of his mes- sages. Take from the citizen in taxes
 
 an economical administration of the government, and leave all else of his means to be expended by him as he sees 1t; for ours are governments by porations or for their benefit" De- mocracy is the embodiment of the larg- est amount of freedom to the citizen consistent with good order. Alabama existence was strictly democratic in her legislation and administration: but where Is she now? The Republican party, for, To! these many years, has been the party of high taxation and extrayagant expenditures. That party following the pernicious doctrines of Alexander Hamilton, has carried pro- tective tarifr to such an unreasonable length as to accumulate in the United States treasury hundreds of millions of dollars in excess of the demands of an economical administration of the Fed eral government, and has thereby set A most pernicious example to the States. which Alabama, though Democratic in name. has bItndly followed to her det- riment. And where does all this use- less money come front From out of your and my pockets. Under the ad- ministrstion of that party, tariff tax ation Tor the benefit of private parties and of corporations has grown to such prodigious proportions and so far in excess or any claim advanced by Ham liton that were he now to awake from NSs@N hO U0uAo uQI ToCCKnlE4 if Trusts, monopokes and ineouaiities of Legislation startling in their magni- tude!
 At every assembling of Congress the vast surplus in the Treasury invites both Republicans and Democrats alike to great rivalry with each other to see who can get the largest aggregate districts and statesd and the larger the amount a. obtained the greater a patriot who obtains such appropriation. And cals., eaais, in these degenerate time9 is nothing short of plunder Tn the days Of Bagby. Lewis. King, Fitzpatrick, Moore, Clay, Yancey and hosts of other good. true and able Democrats, such practices of plundering the Treasury would have caused every Democrat guilty. of participating ther, in to be ignominiousiy busted out of the party. instead of such condemnation. the caught the infection. Our present Leg isiature has appropriated every dollar cry one that will be in 1t for the next