The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1922-07-21
Only One Issue.

There is only one issue before the
American people. There are hun
dreds and hundreds which are only
subordinate and incidental, but kept
in the limelight in many instances to
obscure the main issue.
The one issue is tax.
The United States Government
cannot continue to function for many
years as a nation of free and indie
pendent people if the operation OF
Federal and State Government-leg-
islative, executive and iudicial-con-
tinues to increase in the same proper
tion that has prevailed in the past
ten or twenty years.
One candidate says that one-sixth
of the adult population is in public
office. That being the case the 9TH
err five-sixths are taxed to support the
minority. This means salaries and
all the governmental activities this
minority is engaged in.
There are three agencies actively
engaged in contributing and foster
ing the conditions and responsible
for the mushroom growth or govern
ment. One is the novice in politics,
who has a legislative nostrum for ev-
cry private demand; another is the
professional politician, who is utterly
obliVious of any moral responsibility,
and the other is the political accident
who has no qualifications but neg
alive influence in government,
The abnormal growth of govern
ment is the result of the control of
these agencies as against the gradual
ly diminishing forces of statesman
ship.
The novice in politics proposes
without the presence of check in
craftsmanship to dispose of the pub
lie business. The interests of the
professional politician are with the
purchasing powers. The accident
follows the tide which is swallowed
mp in corruption.
Hence the complexities and irri-
aants operating to defeat the pur-
poses of good government, and as
good government fails the tax bur
dens grow.
Propaganda comes out in the guise
of optimism which would have us be-
lieve that nothing is too good for the
people if they will only tax them
selves for it. 1t comes with the
premise that few more departments
few more bureaus, c few more
courts, a few mere commissions, a
few more ships and few more sol
'diers will make this the greatest ma
ton on earth. The optimist is an eff
fervescent being. He looms nightly
when the great foundation project is
set on foot and when pay day comes
he is a derelict
Propaganda makes us believe that
the Federal government must take &
hand in all our affairs. compromising
legislation and Increasing appropkt&
tions and taxes. 1t is continually
contributing to the poison of pater
nalism, an enemy to free government
and pfling up taxes for the ostensiblC
purpose of benefiting the people. TIT
latest proposition is the Sterling
Towner educational bill, which is tt
make Federal department of educa
tion and establish it's roots and
Branches and expensive bureauerae3
everywhere upon the theory that thu
States are not able to take care o.
themselves, and thereby multiplying
Federal and State taxation. The at
titude of the Government is that the
people are not able and cannot bt
trusted with their own educational
affairs. 1t is class feeling of su-
periority and egotism. The system
Of private colleges and universities
in the United States is the greatest
on earth, and yet the Government has
the audacity to ignore the fact