Evening star., 1923-03-18
Impossible for the Government
To Pay Out Without Taking In

without changing the Constitution
The general government has appealed
to the cupidity OF some of the states
and formed partnership with them
In certain enterprises, then used this
partnership to force in other states
by indirect blackmail. States not
favorable to joint enterprises with
the government are compelled under
taxes which go to less wealthy states
The government aid policy by which
appropriations are made by the Con-
gress contingent upon like appro-
priations by the states. is distinct.
ly bad. Hundreds Of millions of dol
year under the new device of match
ing federal dollars with state dollars
X II y
The general government is inves.
tigating everything under the sun, in
cluding. OF course. the ever-presen,
boil weevil and the lowly wood tick
Even a cursory examination OF the
subjects Of investigation will reveal
that they are OF only indirect interest
to the American people at large and
of primary interest to some locality
or class of citizens. Hundreds OF
millions are being expended.
Congress seems to think that an
unjustifiable appropriation becomes
justified when the state is required
to spend as much of its own money
as OF federal funds. Barberry and
wheat rust may be exterminated by
state in a ffty-fifty partnership
with the general government albeit
taxed 10 pay the governments share
Of the cost.
River and harbor improvements by
the federal government eat up mil.
lions OF dollars annually, yet the
benefits may be largely local. IN
port that only local interests would
be served by the improvements. in
which event the federal government
pays only part instead OF all of the
cost. Just what is being done to
Trinity river down in Texas jus,
now do not happen to know. The
last heard was that promoters OF
its Improvement were still investi-
eating whether A sufficient number
OF artesian wells could be dug &c
I'LL the stream bed after il was dug
For the next fiscal year more than
gress for improvement OF internal
waterways.
y : 4
The people OF the United States
should do one OF two things. either
put stop to federal aid for improve
ments and Investigations and expert
ments OF all kinds or quit complain
ing about high taxation. The govern
ment cannot build highways. look
after prospective mothers. eradicate
pests, improve water transportation
increase production and what no;
without raising money l do not ask
that these activities cease: / merely
point out that if the people desire
they can cut down the taxes of the
general government 25 per cent
Bob Toombs of Georgia made in the
which well may be repeated today
Il have not been sent here TO ask
public money for my constituents,
he said. For the eleven years
have been in the two houses OF Con.
gress my constituents have never
asked me to introduce one bill for
their benefit, or the benefits of their
pursuits, neither special nor general
and ] have never introduced one. II
you are going to spend money wrong
fully. If you are going to spend il
profigately, ] wish YOU TO do IL any
where else but within the borders
OF my state. When the system shall
have been finally established that the
states are to enter into a miserable
scramble for the most money for
their local appropriations. and tina,
senator is to be regarded the ablest
representative OF his state who can
get for IL the largest slice of the
Treasury, from that day public honor
and property are gone. and all the
states are disgraced and degraded
l wish Bob Toombs could come
from his grave and speak again &c
the states in whose rights he believed
and would beg them once. more tc
assert their rights. discharge theil
duties, become self-respecting. anc
cease to be mendicants begging a.
the federal Treasury.
tCopyright 1893 by Thomas T. MarshaI)