Evening star., 1934-02-04


Much of this doubtless looks futile
and uneconomical to the average per-
son, especially to the average tax
payer. who has to pay for it. 1t does
not look the same to those who are
on the receiving side as to those who
are on the paying side of the pay roll.
The farmers who get paid for not
working their land and for destroying
part of their crops are not likely to
allow their sense of logic to cloud
their judgment as to where the profit
lies. AS a rule. those into whose
pockets this Government money goes
are not likely to vote overwhelmingly
against the administration which
hands 1t out.
In some instances. all that an ad-
ministration needs to do in order to
cement and perpetuate its power is tc
put enough voters on its pay roll to
hold the balance of power, turn the
scale in its favor and carry elections
This is sound principle of demagog-
ism which was we'll known to Machia-
velli, the most profound of all stu
dents OF practical politics. and has
been practiced by Tammany Hall, the
closest follower of the teachings of
Machiavelli If we ever get a perma-
nent dictatorship in this country it
will probably come this way
Those who are past middle age will
remember the part played by Civil
War pensions during the last third of
the nineteenth century. When pen
sioners were numerous enough to poll
considerable vote they were courted
as guilefully by professional vote-get-
ters as ever coy maiden was courted
by bold. bad villain in the melo-
dramas of that period.
Ex-soldiers and Office holders are
probably a little above the average of
the population, but they are human.
There is no reason to expect that
those who are now being added to
the Government pay rolls will actively
demand bigger and better pay rolls.
But it is expecting too much of them
to turn against candidate who
promises more and more places on
the pay rolls of the Government. Dur
ing the era of pension politics a new
pension bill, enlarging or increasing
the pension list. became one of the
established means of political grace.
Pension Politics Amateurish.
All the pension politics of the last
century look rather amateurish now.
Due to the length and severity Of
the depression, the tremendous increase
in unemployment, and the necessity
of getting millions of people back to
work again, we have had a large in
crease in the regular Government
service. Large numbers of farmers
are being paid for not producing, and
multitudes of others have been taken
off of unemployment rolls and given
jobs by the C. w. A.. the P. w. A., and
other disbursers of the taxpayers
money. Besides. there are the bonus
and pension problems hanging over
us Is it likely that any administra-
ton could long survive on program
of retrenchment?
It is always pleasant to spend other
peoples money-pleasant for the
spender as well as for the
spendee. This is one thing which
tempts popular rulers to assume the
role of magnif1cence. To spend money
lavishly in spectacular ways is pleas
ing to those who receive the money
It is also pleasant to the multitude
which does not, or thinks that it does
not. pay taxes. These two groups may
easily outnumber the taxpayers who
know that they are taxpayers, espe-
cially if those who receive the money
become numerous enough.
Solomon the magnificent, it will be
remembered, rode high. wide and
handsome. He had a good time. and
in addition, gained reputation for
great wisdom, q rare achievement.
But Solomon did not have to pay the
bills: that unpleasant task was left to
his successors. They not only had
hard time trying to meet his obliga-
tions. but they lost their popularity
in addition. Louis XIV won the title
of the Grand Monarch by the same
process. His successors did not fare
so well.
Would Disfranchise Workers.
The dangers which accompany a
large increase in the number of voters
on the Government pay roll have i'm
pressed even some moderate State
Socialists. One prominent British
labor leader, also a moderate Social
ist, has been quoted as saying that if
he had his way, every one on the
Government pay roll, either as salar-
led employe or receiver Of dole.
should be disfranchised. That can
not be done, but the danger is no less
real on that account. It may be worth
mentioning that some universities do
not permit any employe Of the insti-
tuition. not even its president, to vote
for membership of the governing
board. This is a recognition of the
danger to which this article is calling
attention.
Students of government have long
| recognized the problem of the nom
| taXpaying voter. Economical govern
ment. even good government, is diff
cult or impossible when large body
of voters feel that government does
not cost them anything. The indif-
| erence of this body of voters has been
the despair of good government asso-
Citations and other reforming organ
izations
We have generally thought of two
classes of voters-those who pay the
bills of the Government in the form
of taxes and those who do not, or
think that they do not.
1t is time that we realized that
there is a third group of voters,
namely. those who draw their incomes
from the Government in the form of
salaries. wages or thinly disguised
doles If it is difficult to arouse the
non-taxpaying voters to an interest in
good government, it may be even
harder to arouse this third group. The
most that the non-taxpaying voters
are guilty of is more than Laodicean
lukewarmness to governmental econ
omy. The growing group Of tax-eat-
ers are not lukewarm, but interested
The trouble is that they are interested
on the wrong side.
An Advantage.
From the Springfield Union.
Scientific note: Mars has two moons,
both If which the Martians are able