The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-11-28
No Improvement
Without Taxation.

"1lliOul dAdllO11s
The defeat of three much needed
amendments to our state constitution
in the late election because it possibly
involved a very slight increase in tax
alton TO carry them into effect in the
event of their adoption is decidedly
discouraging TO citizens of the state
who desire 10 see Florida grow along
educational as we'll as material lines.
Taxes are not excessive in this state.
On the contrary. they are light. all
things considered, and the complaint
against them comes chiefly from those
who have the least to pay. Our fears
of burdcnsome taxation are bugbears
and if we are to make progress and
keep up with the world, we must not
get panic-stricken every time any pub
die measure is proposed and instantly
condemn it without investigation be-
cause it may imply additional taxation.
Perhaps the benefits of such proposed
measure may fully Justify the tax and
make it a highly profitable investment
Tor the people.
That was undoubtedly the case with
The three defeated amendments, and
unless the voters can be induced to
hook into such matters with the same
Intelligent scrutiny they would apply
TO their personal affairs, carefully
weighing the benefits against the cost,
all other questions submitted to them
where there is even "A suspicion of in
creased taxation will suffer the same
fate
The Tampa Times treats this very
important question with truth and
force in the following:
The state of Florida has given itself
black eye by its ignorant fear of
taxation. The public knows little
about the object and nature of tax
alton. Literally levied and honestly
administered it is the lifeblood of the
community. Show us common
wealth, from state to a school DIS |
trict, in the process of formation and |
development, in which the taxes are
low. and you point TO a municipality |
which is sluggish. inert. slow. poor, |
unenterprising, behind the times. con-
tent and undesirable of the enterpris- !
ing and energetic kind of people that |
move about over the earth and build |
ing il up where the opportunities are |
favora BILE
Shying a reasonable taxes Without |
reason is the most absurd and ridicu- |
lous failure of the people of Florida. |
In some localities taxes are high. but |
there is Just where the people make |
the money and have the cash to pay
them. In cold fact the association of |
high taxes with activity and prosperity |
Is so close and constant that you /
never see one without the other To |
have business activity YOU must have /
the facilities. Those facilities cost |
money and they are betrayed by tax
alton. To herd a large number of |
people together you must have pave |
ments, sidewalks. fire protection. 20 |
lice guardianship and a whole lot OF |
Dther things which make for safety !
and security and serenity Those |
things cost raft of money and you |
can't have them without. You can't |
have a city without these things No |
taxes, then none of these essential !
things, no city. no prosperity. 1t is |
The natural law. The man who grum- |
bles about his taxes has his remedy. |
ne Can 20 WneTe IneN are low. and /
when he finds how hard it is to get
abe money to pay low taxes. when |
he has become disguised with the |
state of stagnation. he will come back |
to where taxes are heavy enough TO |
accomplish the promotive objects for |
which they wer intended-and he will !
live happy ever after
Theodore Roosevelt is the best OF
the presidents since the civil war in
his public talks about that strife, to |
speak not only with unvarying kind |
ness but with fairness and justice of
the South in that relation. When he |
spoke at the unwilling of the monu-
ment to General Sheridan in Wash
Ington City Wednesday he said:
And you. the men wac wore the
blue, would be the first 20 say that !
this lofty indifference 10 the things of
the body. when compared to the things
of the soul. was shown by Eour broth. |
ers who wore tne gray. Dreadful was
the suffering, dreadful the loss, Of the |
civil war. Yet it stands alone among
wars in this, that. now that the
wounds are healed. the memory of
the mighty deeds of valor performed |
on one side no less than on the otter |
has become the common heritage of
all our people in every quarter of
this country.
The completeness with which this