The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-10-24

ma asein to lend its aid. Elections
Anve been held throughout the state
Mime and time again under such pri-
s1nary laws ~ we have. ana I think IN
sthe last ten years I am safe IN say
ang that not one has been held that
lhere has not been the charge OF ifaud
Aand irregularity in the conduct OF the
ELECTION. II these charges be true
haven't We q representative govern.
more desirable to have a fraudulent
representative government rather thah
one without fraud, though We may
have to use the initiative and referen-
dun to re-estabiish the former!
Rights Of Taxation.
Again. most of the revolutions which
have occurred in history have arisen
from the power Of taxation by govern
:nent. Taxation is the enforced con-
-trihution by government from every
man Of a portion Of his property for
&puhlic purposes The power to take
from any man his property by force
which he has accumulated by hard
work must have some powerful excuse.
THAT excuse is that il Is for a pubhc
5purpose--for the common veal
3 Mr. Roosevelt, in the September
number of the outlook, in an article
Es.gned by the editors, OF which he 10
Zone, says:
Governor Wilson has said specitical.
~ in his speech OF acceptance. that
SHOULD be used only to raise revenue
etor public purposes, and that to en-
Hploy taxation for any other purpose
is unsafe and illegitimate. From this
ESiew Of the taxing power We radically
sliissent We believe IL is not only
constitutional, but highly desirable IN
Ssnany instances, TO use taxation as one
4of the instruments Of the police power
tCf the State and the nation.
-frhe taxing power of the government
nf he I'LL
s1nents for effective welfare lesisla-
ssion. Governor Wilson condemns It,
ss,rhe Progressive party recommends IL
sand proposes TO use It. We favor its
salse."
3 No more dangerous policy was ever
senunciated than this. If the taxing
power Of the government can be used
~as a polceman's billet t. hammer the
head of recalcitrants. to be determined
Dangerous claim Of power ever enun-
Sciated by any party. Suppose. for in
Sstance. when Mr.. Miles Martin has his
ssaN bill presented to him this fall by
ethe collector OF taxes he finds the fol-
lowing:
Twenty dollars school taxes. So
;-road taxes. $40 for courts OF justice.
$40 for asylums and IS for John Gar
land Pollard"
q What would Martin say to this? He
W ouiu Halufdii dSh tne ColletloT " nat
-that last item meant. He would say.
Il know nothing about it except that
81 is in the law OF Virginia, passed by
.the Legislature. by which not only
Martin. but every man in Virginia, is
compelled to pay S. to Pollard. Does
That conform to the above definition
sthat no tax is legitimate that is not
5sor a public purpose. Is Pollard a pub
die purpose? Because Pollard has got
ten in partnership with the I.egisia-
sfure and induced it to put such tax
Jon the people of the State. can 1t be
justified? Such law would cause a
fevolution in the State in twenty-four
shours.
Two theories Of government exist
In this country to-day. One is that
used to do the other fellow. the other
is that government is an institution
whose only function is to keep the
other fellow from doing you. The
hrst is the Republican theory Of gov
sernment. the second is the Democratic
theory OF government, and 1 hope to
SHOW you before close that we are
living to-day under a law no less in
famous than the one that I have sup
posed required Martin to pay Pol
lard IS by way OF tax.
= Wanted Tax On Land.
=. The theory that the taxing power
may be used for other than public
IidS OCSl S'AAAANAAoNS -
trated in our past history. When II
was honored with a seat in the Con-
gress Of the United States. Armour &
Co, Of Chicago. the great manufac.
turers Of hog lard. discovering that
cotton seed lard was taking the mar
ket from them, anticipating Mr.. Roose-
veIts declaration by twenty years, de-
termined to put down their competitor
and save the market for themselves by
asking Congress to put tax OF 2
cents a pound on cotton SEED iard. II
was admitted at that time that the
revenue was not needed. And 1t was
the open declaration OF this great
corporation that they proposed to use
the taxing power Of the government TO
drive a competitor out Of business.
1t may be conceded that hog lard
is the best. but It must be conceded
also that the cotton seed lard Is
perfectly pure article Of food AS
well might the corner groceryman.
who finds his red-headed neighbor TAX
ing the trade from him, get the Legis-
lature to pass q law taxing all red
headed grocerymen out Of existence
This remarkable announcement OF the
Progressive party shocks the sensibili-
ties Of those who have been taught
to believe that the true theory should
be equal rights to all and special privi-
leges to none. Tho Republican theory,
on the other hand, IL equal rights to
all-except . few. and special privi-
leRes to none-except our favorfteS-
Ab0uf Foreign C01pe1it1oD.
In discussing the ability OF this
country to compete with Eurcpean
Countries Mr. Tucker quoted from q