The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-10-25
TAXES.

A discussion of the matter of taxes
is a feature of every political cam
paign. The campaign now in prog
ress has been no exception to the
rule.
Because the mounting costs of gov
eminent in this country are reflected
not only in the national budget, but
also in state and city budgets, because
the reasons for the increase in these
costs are the same in each instance
and because the total of these costs is
borne by all the people, it seems
proper to reprint what was said on
the subject by former United States
Senator Elihu Root, at the New York
state Republican convention.
1.-The most important question in
the coming New York state election
he declared, twill be whether the
great, busy, orderly, good natured ma
jority are going to attend seriously to
their part of the business of govern
ment. It is a question OF the amount
of interest taken by the men and wo-
men who haven't any axes to grind,
who are not trying to get anything
out of government except the ends of
government that affect everybody
alike-order and liberty, efficient pro-
lection to life and property, prompt
and impartial justice, good sanitation,
good roads, good schools, economy in
public expenditure, efficiency in pub
lie service. moderation and fair distri-
button in taxation. Will the men and
women who want these things and
seek no special privileges or profits
from government for themselves real
lie their duty?" Mr.. Root proceeded
as follows:
For period which began before
the great war there has been a steady
increase in the activities and the cost
OF state government. Expenses, APP
preparations, payrolls, tax levies, all
have steadily mounted up higher and
higher. We have all been talking
about it, the newspapers have printed
countless articles about it; years ago
IL became apparent that the process
must be checked or government would
run into bankruptcy or be saved from
bankruptcy only by imposing upon the
people of the state burdens of taxation
which would destroy prosperity. Yet
no one appeared to be able to stop
the process Nof initiation.
stoned partly by the increase of popu-
lation; partly by necessary and proper
extensions OF governmental activity to
meet new conditions of living; partly
by the pressure of organized minori-
ties and special groups, who sought
special expenditures from government
and whose power to punish politically
made resistance to their demands diff
ficult; partly by the increased desire
to share in the distribution of public
funds created by observing freedom
of distribution; partly by the inevita-
BILE looseness of expenditure incident
to government whose organization
formed under simple conditions had
never been adapted to more compli-
Gated conditions; and partly by that
universal weakness of human nature
which makes it easier to spend other
peoples money than to make political
or personal enemies by refusal.
The process which have described
was reinforced by the demoralizing
influence Of the great war; the habit
of indifference to cost under the
necessities of war; the habit of loose
and profiigate expenditures which is
associated with every great war: the
widespread appetite for public plum
der cultivated by getting easy money
from public treasures. Under this in
fluence the process OF state extrava-
gance was accelerated at the very time
when we were all demanding that 1t
be checked. Our state government
did not stand alone in this process.
The same thing went on with the fed
eral government; the same thing went
on to an even worse degree under the
government of the city of New York.
But that makes the situation rather
worse than better. Overtaxation by
the federal government is hardly a
remedy for overtaxation by the state
government. Our present business is
with the government of the state
which We have seen for years running
wild in extravaganza with nobody
seeming able to stop it
I am not charging criminality upon
anyone. I am stating facts which
plainly result from having the govern
ment controlled by the weakness OF
human nature rather than by the
strength.
What the speaker says of New York
lis true of every state IN the Union to
a great extent. For these conditions
no political party is directly respon-
sible.