Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1917-03-09
The Life-Blood OF Government.
To the Editor Of the Montgomery County
Sentinel


as 1t were with whips of scorpions, through
the misuse of powers of taxation, through
turning over for private exploitation pub.
lie rights and franchises, and through de-
livering Government into the hands Of
machines which conduct it primarily in
their own interests. Because Baltimore is
a sinner in these respects to a degree
greater than any progressive city in the
United States, because the citizens Of
Baltimore city to an extent beyond those
OF any other part of Maryland dis
play the unconscious cruelty Of great
wealth, let it not be thought that the
counties are guiltless. Their offenses
against the well-being of their citizens are
in the matter Of taxation-and this is the
best that can be said for them not greater
or different from those of practically all
other counties in the United States.
Taxation furnishes the life blood Of gov
eminent 1t has been said that all the
great battles for liberty have been fought
over it. Certain it is that the struggles to
do away with the feudal system were
efforts to deprive great lords Of their powers
of taxation. though not always so described
The English revolution of 1910 was a con-
test on the part Of the Commons to control
taxation. The American revolution was
primarily based upon the fight of the tax
payer to determine his own taxes. The
French revolution was fight against en-
forced taxes. The spring Of action in the
movement of mankind toward higher
civilization for several hundred years past
had had little basis other than the ques-
ton Of taxation, and withal we have not yet
advanced much beyond carelessly follow
ing the dictum Of the French minister who
said that the Science Of taxation seemed
to be to pluck from the goose the largest
amount of feathers with the least amount
Of squawking."
In some parts Of the Union the indus
trious goose has commenced to squawk
about the needless robberies Of feathers.
but has hardly peeped in Maryland. Bal
timore kisses the hand that plucks and the
counties generally do not know that they
are robbed. A mere discussion Of possible
evils In taxation aff,icts many of their
citizens with cold shivers.
Consider for moment the association
between liberty and local taxation. Liberty
D,,, = a.. - &c. :. ,Lo ILL.,, 10 =,
80 ,ho ,,n~h..-,o,.d -,ah, 80 o,.,n o,o, -
aoIt 20 ~, ono,a .oo,,,,,o. :" ,Lo;. ha., .,so
10 o,ao,a 90 h,,,,a 80 mannfoo,n,o 10 90,
80. :, - u.ao.a,--., - 60. III,
,,,,ho,, l.. - h,,1.anoo :, on,, ro,n, IT,
o,.o 80. :, -. 800, - .,ooo,,
ond ., ,ho go. rsoodon, - ,,,o,,on,on, ~,
Ia, =. ,I',-r ..,,, .,,L..,'.-
:, 10 49,, a. ~. .,~,o-,,., :,
am ,;ah, 10, ,s 600 ,.,ho,hor .,~ hova
rhor,, :. M..,,,ond - Co. .o,a.,
UI,oa,.a 49, -. - - :.
H., - - 49, -. 4. :.
,'n,,, h. 49, o.,S 49,. ,"'s. ~" 80. 49, -
.,ooL 4. 80 ana 81. ~ -.
49, -,.,,.,,oa~ -. A. - M.'r...,I.
-. ,.aa. 81, H., =, -.s.ss,. -. 81.
49, 80, 90 ,.a.I h~I.aa,., - h,.e :,
anoo.oa M. .,sh. - - y. IN :.
no,u-oI ~ T. ,h., % L-oa,h,na and -
.saor,,.I,. ~. HI. :. La-a -
-. -, =, - -,
IiLs 70 40 n ,bino advantoeeous N ,he
communi,v and IN himself and the com.
munitv comneIs him IN nav for the riobt
ma II /, were n nrivileoe
IT, having completed NV purchases from
the merchant mr. Zimmerman take the
,b;nos an houoh, and frame them in,o the
form of n house NV taxes are Increased
mot once Inn, for as manv years "a the bouse
NAV stand Protection asainst the win
ters cold and summers heat therefore il
mt freely enioved as n riobt but bouoht a.
a n,iv,lasa The DossihiIi,v NJ NV arm
plovino nv fellows under the circumstance
advantageous IN both sides ia diminished
So. II I furnish NV bouse find the
State and county at every staoe in tho
nroduc,ion Of the furniture I would huv
have levied their toll unon nroduction and
interfered nv lIcenses and nersonol taxes
with the freedom Of the Droducer in sell-
ind and INV freedom in purchasing
rIam nossessed of a ,,oc, ~ land and
nlow and fertilize n. az hniId fence.
around n M nlan, f,ui, ,rees and develon
an orchard ~ I furnish ,nv farm ,,i,h H..
s,ock the he,,e, IN enable human he;nas
N live ,fIh,ild siIoo. hoo,,,t,, ra,,
nlace nv se,,;na ~, ,oses and I;locs and
shade trees in every ins,ance NV Iihe,,v
10 do these ,binos il restrained nv taxo,;on
and fnaIIv N, every inc,ea.ed dolIo, .,
volna,ion that comes ,,or, .uch oxarc;s. :,
nv ,nd,s,,v tho S,a,a and oonn,, 49,.
one or two cen,s ner veo, and Lsen ON
TAXING I, so lons "a I moiD,oin ,besa i'm
movements MsanwbiIe ,ho ,roc, ~ ,.na