The Washington herald., 1914-07-19
Uncle Sam Is Neither Tightwad Nor Spendthrift

/ daily mails and tax the capacity Of our
waste baskets.
Even election and legislative reforms,
such as primaries, the initiative and the
referendum. are a heavy charge on the
taxpayers. as can be learned by examin-
ing the expense accounts OF the States
which have adopted those new agencies
OF democracy. The cost OF such meas
ures comes back upon the real estate
owner the business man and the wage
Garner either in direct taxes TO maintain
them or in reduced appropriations for
other purposes. / am not convinced that
the income tax. in the adjustments of the
activities and accounts of those who are
specially picked TO pay it, does not also
in the end fall as heavily on the poor man
as II does on the rich man.
'.As to takers. the subject Is too vast
for much discussion at this time. They
come to Congress in all sorts Of guises,
from the cheap-skate lobbyist. who re-
ports to his principal that he dined last
night with the President, who told him
so-and-so in strict confidence, tS the be-
jeweled lady who pleads destitution as a
reason for an increase in her pension and
who reveals by her perfumed card that
her receiving day is Tuesday.
How Americans Are SwIndled.
THE extent TO which American people
are faxed into spending money Is really
a serious matter. Not millions, but hun
dreds Of millions are taken from the peo-
Iple-generaly poor people-by fraudulent
mine projectors and get-rich-quick
scamps. SChool-teachers, housewives.
working men and women. whose scant
| savings are luTed from them by rascals,
are. after all, the taxpayers. and II is the
takers and the frauds who increase their
cost Of living and add to their distress
and discomfort
IF the people themselves persist in
! wasting their money. what shall be said
of Congress? As a rule, Congress re-
| fleets the will and peculiarities OF the
| people. Then think OF the task that is
put UP to Congress. At this moment We
are asked to amend the Constitution, 10
! change existing law. to enact new law.
TO raise money. 10 spend money. to de-
clare war, TO maintain peace, TO promote
business to suppress the courts in GER
tain instances, to establish prohibition
and woman suffrage, TO regulate inter
state commerce. to revise the navigation
| laws. and so on and SO forth.
There are probably 2c,oCO measures
which some people want Congress TO act
upon. 1 say some people. because I think
most people want Congress to adjourn
and 60 home. And all the while Con-
gress is trying to do the will Of the peO-
pie Mr.. FitZgerald-tO whose party dc
not belong-chairman OF the Commit ee
on Appropriations. says Congress. this
very year, has become more eXtravagant
than ever before in its history.
We spent nearly 500 go on the Pan
anna Canal for the benefit of foreign ma
lions: We spent 1870, 000.o1O or s4OO.OJO.O0G
for the liberation OF Cuba and the Philip
pines. and now We are going into the gov
ernment ownership OF railroads in Alaska
and a variety OF other enterprises.
Heats All the Records.
NO Congress has done so much TO es-
tabIish government ownership as has this
Congress. The railroad venture in Alas
ka starts with Sg5,OCO.OOO assured. That is
the money Of the people. The sum rep
resents about 5000 for every white per
son in the Territory. Nothing like il has
ever been done for anybody in the United
States.
The same sort OF business was started
in the Philippines. but we escaped respOn-
sibilty in part by unloading the enter
prise on the Philippine government. Lit
orally. We did not fake investors into put
ting up money for Philippine railroads,
but We sanctioned the Philippine govern
ment's doing so. The bonds held by the