Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1922-04-28
TAXATION
(By John Bush)

The question of taxation, which is
the paramount project now confront
ing the American people, is the most
perplexing of all national problems.
1t is the method by which all great
powers of the past reached their
zenith, and in the majority OF cases
was thee ause of their decline. The
time is opportune for the American
people to take cognizance OF facts
and conditions as regards taxation.
Rights and duties exist together,
and the preservation of the former
can be assured only by the observa-
tion of the latter 1t should be the
aim of the American to become well
acquainted with the history of his
country, the prinsiples upon which It's
Government is founded and the in
stitutions which have promoted lts
welfare. He should study the great
questions of principle and policy
which divide the public attention that
he may act intelligently upon them;
and above all he should cultivate
high standard of personal morality
for the republican system OF govern
ment is based on the golden rule, and
he who loves justice, mercy, and truth
will never consent that his voice and
vote shall sanction a public wrong.
It is the duty of the American
citizen to defend the Union; to honor
the Constitution as the sheet anchor
of our liberties and to encourage
honor and purity in the adminlstra-
tion of the government by using his
influence to place honest, faithful and
capable men in public office.
The rallying cry of the people dur
! ing the Revolution was Taxation
without representation is tyranny"
/ The colonists had been taxed without
their consent, and this was one OF the
| principal causes which impelled them
| to seek a change of government.
Remembering the experience OF the
peopel under an unjust system OF
taxation, the trainers of the Constl-
tuition by placing taxation and rep
resentation on the same basis as re-
CARDS apportionment designed to es-
tablish equality of taxation and rep
resentation as prinsiple OF our gov
| ernment.
The trainers of the Constitution
signifed their sincerity when in sec
tion TX, article l they wrote: mo
money shall be drawn from the treas
urv but in consequence of approprla-
tions made by law; and a regular
statement and account of the receipts
and expenditures of all public money
shall be published from time to time. .
Section VIII of Article l reads,
Congress shall have power to levy
and collect taxes, duties, imports and
excuses to pay the debts and provide
for the common defense and general
welfare of the United States"
One of the most courageous Amerl-
cans of all time was Benjamin Frank
lin. 1t was he who in letter to M
Leroy in 1787 among other things
said "Our Constitution is in actual
operation, everything appears to
promise that it will last" But in
this world nothing is certain but
death and taxes. All Americans who
have acquainted themselves with the
institutions which have promoted
their welfare are familiar with the
fact that our Constitution is not II
, actual operation. People who have
kent abreast with the trend of affairs
as regards government know that as
a nation we are in the throes of ar
aristocracy, or government by
few persons who form a privileged
: class.
The result of this conditions is, W.
I have gone back about five Thousand
wears. Though the majority of people
may be prone to admit it, it is posi-
tive fact that aside from many mo
dern conveniences, we are living il
a condition similar to those which
existed in the days of ancient Babylon
and Rome.