Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1909-04-28

tenn and de6ed bv those who insist upon its abolition For
instance the argument OF is OF the foremost
advanced by those who believe that regulation and not
prohibition the proper solution OF the vexlng problem
Nor is this entirely mercenary though it not
to argue the merits Of the prohibition question this
nection Revenue is simply the wages the income, OF the
state CITY and nation which born the purple
and do not live by inheritance They have to their
living as it might be called. That is to say they must
have an income upon which they count and
is that income.
Suppose lust as bit OF speculation, that the city, state
and nation taxed the churches the colleges the many and
varied agencies Of intellectual and moral upl instead OF
the many and varied agencies OF intellectual and moral
down push Suppose that is. that the government in its
various branches Of city and nation allied with
what may be categorcay classified the agencies OF the
good instead of the agencies which oppose these agen
cies Of eood-to employ euphemsm that will be COM
n ground What would be the result?
hurches are not taxed colleges not taxed tor the
Mson that they are employed in the work OF eevatng
~ race making the world better. The other things
ked because It is the consensus Of the the political
nss that they ought to bear the burdens that lifted
from the agencies OF good. Bur il vastly illogical and
he churches and the colleges and their associated nstu
ons have undoubtedly gained their immunity from taxa
ton at the expense OF immense amount OF power which
they would have automatically received if .hey had been
on the tax ros
For the alliance between the government and the
nue. producers is natural inevitable and lasting the
revenues The saloon owes is political power the fact
that so largely controls the strings well the
votes, Of the city, state and nation How long would it
survive If the in dependent up
on it? Suppose the government looked to the churches
and schools for its spending money would do what the
churches and the schools want done. 1t cannot be said
that the government oppresses ignores these agen-
cies but can and must be said that they have not the
weight in the legislative councils and the polls that they
would have il they constituted the financial coadutor Of
the government, which has very wholesome respect tor
the sources OF its income
This suggestion is not made argue that the churches
and schools should be taxed That is too big question
to be dogmatized into any hnas OF individual iudg
ment But the suggestion points out interesting poss-
blity Of what would have been and what would be it po
sitons had been reversed and if the leaned
upon the agencies of good instead Of those evil 1t may be
said ,yhcu ut hesitation that the government which is sim
ply the organized will Of the people, would prefer the best
allies that could be secured The people today hero
icay and patriocay deying political and waiv-
ing vast financial benefits in their sweerng reforms They
are vo ing millions OF dollars out Of their pockets because
those dollars are tainted They are voting away i'm
mense and material assets in the OF the
prohibition reform just they have voted away other
millions by suppressing gambling and racing and other
things which their conscience condemns. Slowly they
learning that financial ruin does not attend moral
eress that the government can have allies tor which it
does not have to blush and still be bankrupt They
re hewing nobly the line and longer permit the
&llar to weight down the scales where the tendency
WI ultimately lead is problemacal 1t will hardly lead to
the taxation Of the churches and the schools Tor that is
inherently repugnan to moral constut-
ed lf we had been consulting and coddling the higher
agencies for hundred years and MORE perhaps the idea
would not be SO revolutionary But the will be
eminenty logical and eminentIy high minded Some day
the realization will come like burst Of sunlight instead
Of being foggy and dmy perceived possibility that there
are incomes which deficits and that there surplus
which created by not spending rather than by ex-
cess 81 receiving A dollar Of income that demands two
oIars outlay is 50.cent dollar and the
Of the people will demand honest dollar in everything