Durant weekly news. (Durant, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 190?-1944, 1920-06-11
FRIDAY. JUNE II. 1920
LETTER POSTAGE
AND POLITICS

postage in this country, and assigned
that fact as one of the reasons why
the Democrats of Bryan county should
vote for him. If the Senator has
nothing better than that act of his
on which to base his candidacy for
reelection, he is indeed without any
thing on which to stand.
If all of the three cents which for
awhile was charged on letter postage
had been used by the postoffice de-
partment itself, and if Congress had
been able to cut off the penny as a
result of reduced expenses and more
economical operation of the depart
ment, then the Senator and the others
who voted for the measure would have
been entitled to the country's graft
tude. But such was not the case.
Congress added the extra one cent
as a part of the war-revenue pro-
gram. The funds raised as result
of the increase did not remain with
the postoffice department but passed
on into the hands of the treasurer
to be used in meeting the country's
bills in the same manner that income
tax collections and funds from stamp
taxes are used.
In determining on the feasibility
of any tax the most important things,
perhaps, to be considered are, is it
equitable, is it susceptible to evasion,
and is it expensive to collect? No
legislative body in the history of this
country has ever devised plan OF
taxation which more nearly meets the
the test indicated above than the one
which Senator Gore claims credit for
repeating. The burden created by it
rested upon the citizens of the coun-
try exactly in proportion to their ac-
tivities or volume of business trans
acted.
The unfortunate widow who must
earn her living by manual labor and
who would write, say, half dozen
letters a year, would pay six cents
on the cost of the war; not much, it
it true, but just about what she ought
to pay and enough to make her feel
some interest in the Government. On
the other hand, the large industrial
concerns of the country, whose pos
tage bills run into the thousands,
would contribute hundreds of dollars
annually to liquidate the nations war
burdens.
Between these two extremes are the
rest of our citizens and business in
stitutions, every one of whom paid
according to the amount of business
transacted.
Not only was the tax paid in such
manner as to be barely felt by the
taxpayers, but it was absolutely i'm
possible for any individual to dodge
payment of cent of it.
Neither did it cost the Government
anything to collect it. 1t involves nc
more expense to print and gum three
cent stamp than it does one for two
cents. 1t requires no more clerks to
sell stamps of the larger dcnomina-
ton than it does of the smaller So
far as we can see, every dollar Of
war funds realized by the Government
from this source was converted into
the treasury without penny of ex-
pense.
What, then, induced Congress tc
repeal this provision of the war-rev-
enue law? Politics! Apparently the
average Congressman does not con
slider so much the equity or fairnes:
of proposed or existing tax as hi
does the number of people whom il
will touch. His theory seems to b,
that the fewer voters upon whom i
falls, the greater his chances of re
election il he had anything to do will
its adoption or repeal. Congressmcr
seem to forget, after staying in Wash
ington awhile, that the vast majorit!
Of the American people are fundamen
tally sound and not only just but libe
raj toward their Governments
much 80 that when they are made t,
know that tax is equitably laid an,
the funds arising from il are ecopom
ically administered, they will pa,
their proportionate shares rs cheer
fully as they discharge their grocer
bills or any other item Of necessar
expense.
The country wants Congress to han
die its affairs wholly as busncs
proposition, just as the averag
American business man and the grea
industrial houses handle theirs. w
are all sick and weary Of Congress
. playing politics with the great prob
lens surrounding us at this tim,
Rome had nothing on this countr
when its emperor fiddled while tn
city burned. We all long for the da
when members of Congress will ceas
to give serious consideration to thos
things only which will temporaril
popularize them, and devote their er
eriges and abilities TO those question
which will permanently benefit tn
nation as a whole.
A consciousness of duty candid
and sanely done is worth more tina
reelection, and defeat when the d,
feated goes down fighting for sour
principle generally means create
honors later, because the America
people, though sometimes slow
dong alWau, .r,.,x,a s;r,ll,, .