Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1920-03-23

/ pare The bills that SO before me leg
isiature. They devise the demand
for new millage taxes. They havi
printing offices, they have time an,
money and trained workers to carr,
on the campaigns TO befool the vet.
/ ers into accepting greater and greater
burdens Of taxation. So We have :
complete Inversion Of the doctrine
that the people rule. We have enter
ed the stage where the people are
ruled by the official classes as COM
pletely as the monarchists and aris-
tocraey of Russia ever ruled the peas
ant masses.
! The mass meeting of taxpayers
held at Salem Saturday was composed
OF substantial and fair minded per-
cons who own property and do not
get back all they pay to support gov
eminent from five to twenty times
over out of their fellow taxpayers.
Can they have any influence on the
situation? Mr.. Greenbaum and the
few officials OF the Taxpayers league
cannot begin to put up the campaign
that the organized officialism of the
state can carry on, in fact have al
ready organized and are carrying on.
What private citizen not in the nav
of the state has the time or the mon
ey to spare to travel about over the
state and appeal to this or that
group selfishly interested in promot-
ing the millage taxes? Not one. Mr..
Greenbaum and the rest of the men
named with him to look after the
interests of the taxpayer have little
time to give from saving their own
business from running away with /
them. The office holders have the
double drop alwoys on the private |
business man or woman. They are
free to take up any private business
or occupation that offers. them bet
ter employment Private citizens or
business persons have only the chance
Of success in their own business.
They can jump into public employ
ment only by the political game.
Fhose in political jobs have the time,
he acquaintance, the money of the
and his time to carry on
heir advancement and promotion of
heir own financial interests, whereas
he citizen must use his or her own
means. The fight of the taxpayers to
read off the constantly encroaching
wave Of taxation and confiscation is
! losing one. 1t is a two to one bet
hat all the various millage taxes will
'e carried by default of the citizenry
o turn out in their own interest,
7hen every group of the selfishly in I
crested voters will be at the polls I
lay 21st. We are too far gone in the g
Of the ruling oligarchy '
D hold our own. The proposed mill q
sc taxes and the regular state, coun- I
and local taxes this year, on the I
aluation of 1918, IL all the demands a
AIRY, will transfer at least thirty b
iillion dollars from the pockets of q
ne taxpayers to the pockets of the
eneficiaries. The Legislature of Ok a
'homa at the last session appropri- >
ted eleven million as against the
regon legislature fourteen millions.
to the figures printed and il
O have about one third the wealth q
1d population Of that state. Our Il
ext contribution to organized Off !
alism will be about forty dollars y
ar capita, man, woman, chiiuren
nd dogs Yet, we say the people rule
know that Il stern rebuke is await
g the activities of the Marion coun-
taxpayers league, as the ruling A
ass has always captured our state fo
xpayers league We will do well if til
Q escape indictment as bad and un- ler
'sirable citizens If we keep up our Ito
SHIT against jumping the state levy Ii
ON 3,23 to eight millsS AS Fl
Il. HOFER, go