The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1933-01-05
LETTERS TO
THE EDITOR
SPEAK NOW OR HOLD YOUR
PEACE-EOR TWO YEARS

Editor The Times-NeWs:
l know there are some who
would like to "Sand Bag" per-
son who persists in talking about
the high cost of government.
We have heard so much about
this subject throughout the past
two years that many of US have
become "Saturated'' and bemud-
died by the multiplicity of talk
and figures. We have lost some
of the determination and pur-
pose engendered by the first real
awakening to our financial situa-
ton and the complexities of gov
eminent as it is administered to-
day. But it must be patent to
all of us who have not absolutely
lost out in our efforts to COM
prehend "what it is all about"
that governments are set up for
the purpose of securing to the
governed security Of person, Sc
curity of property, individual
liberty and the pursuit of happi-
ness. However many laws we
may pass or however much the
cost of government, the justifi-
cation for either rests in the de-
gree to which these are secured
and maintained.
The great fundamental power
of all governments enabling them
to function in these respects is
bottomed upon the power to tax,
and by the very nature Of things
this power wrongfully or unwise-
ly exercised beyond a certain
point may destroy (and has fire.
quently in the past destroycdD
government. The taxing power,
however, was never known to
destroy government during
prosperous times, but the evils,
attendant upon taxation during
prosperous times for the support
of unnecessary departments and
agencies, high salaries and waste
full practices, under the guise of
progress, inevitably leads to
trouble during times of depres-
sion and business stress. It is
when the storm breaks that the.
overloaded ship capsizes, not on
calm sea.
If greater trouble comes to
this state and nation it can not
be truthfully said that we have
had no warning. And however
much we may have been led to
believe that education is a guar
antee against disorder and revo-
luton, and however much we
may rely upon the good sense
and calmer judgment a d the
equilibrium supposed to be Sc
cured by educational means,
nevertheless, educated people get
just as hungry as uneducated
people and en- mass have a
greater capacity for carrying
through revolutionary id a S,
when they are once reused, than
more ignorant people are able to
do. On the other hand they
have a greater capacity to pre-
vent conditions from reaching
those stages that bring on revo-
luton, once you can get them
to realize the danger. The world
is in such a situation just now
that you can not tell from which
part of it you will hear of the
next revolution" Let us hope
that in this country we will be
able to clean house in time! No
one with any knowledge of the
situation will deny that in many
respects we are in a bad fix, but
he will hold his hand over his
mouth when he admits it. Why
would it not be better and more
patriotic if we would frankly
and openly admit the facts and
seek to use our honest influence
to correct the evils. Those who
can think straight ought to con-
tinually use their influence in a
positive and not a negative sense.
1t would be better if We all
could know the facts as far as
we can take them in. We would
come nearer standing for what
ever is necessary to put our
house in order. On the other
hand it is impossible to keep
from the people a knowledge
that much is being withheld. by
those who are in charge, not
only in nation and state. but also
in local matters. This breeds
suspicion and q lack of confid-
ence and is nowhere calculated