The Washington times., 1934-04-04

1gai st
Wa hinEt0n Lewis Haney
and the Declaration of Inde-
pendence and Constitution. You
would have opposed Jeffers0n's
Louisiana purchase. In Lin.
coins time you would have
argued It q waste of money to
preserve the Union.
"YOu claim to put in 80 hours
. week. I really work 35-40
hours. You don't know what
hard work really is. I can tell
you how to get out Of paying
that awful income tax. Get
Q job and work for q living
for . year. You would be glad
to get back to paying income
tax.
"Of course, the NRA cannot
make . heaven on earth. The
real trouble with the world is
stupidity and low mentality Of
the masses" u. T. 81
"P. s. 1t was F. D. ROOse-
welt the people chose for
President"
It Is one Of my privileges to
get responses from all sorts OF
people, and this letter represents
one interesting group.
They begin by saying that
the masses are stupid, and
that the average man has .
Glow mentality" Then they
proceed to argue that such
dumb people can choose the
perfect leader.
It is hard to see how anyone
can be sure of such good results
from such o source.
But it is still harder to see
what a leader is going to do
with such a following. How can
stupid and dumb" people ex-
pect to be given large incomes
and an abundant life? How
can the passing of certain laws
and the adoption Of certain
forms Of regimentation bring
much change, if the individual
remains stupid and ignorant2
Then they say that the present
problems are like those Of Wash
ington, Lincoln, etc., and that
anyone who criticizeS is q Tory
or q Copperhead.
But, whether right or wrong,
one sure thing is that our recent
course in not like that taken by
the great Presidents of the past.
They were all fighting to preserve
the existing institutions, includ-
ing individualism. None Of them
stood for government control
over individual business.
Without exception, they stood
for general principles and estab-
lished rules, leaning heavily upon
experience. They were not oppor-
tunistS nor mere experimenters.
Would they have erpudiated the
Government promises to pay in
gold2
Jefferson and Lincoln, at least,
had great faith in the common
people. But the Brain Trust idea
is fundamentally undemocratic.
It implies that some individuals
are so much superior to others
that they know just what is best
for all.
Az . matter Of fact, / think
Che Louisiana Purchase was .
good buy" and that LinCOln'S
preservation Of the Union was
wise. But it does not follow
that the nation thus built up
should proceed to spend our
money for unprOductive public
works." or in ways which
weaken the local government
and individual initiative which
the Fathers fought for.
AS to taxes on earned income, I
fully grant that I could escape
my income tax by earning less
income. I admit that I would
prefer to have enough income to
require a large tax than to have
one so small that would pay no
tax. But what has that to do with
justice?
Should anyone who by mental
labor can earn an income larger
than others, have his incentive so
to earn taxed away? Where would
taxes come from then?
I say that before we go that
far, we should count the cost, and
carefully figure the income. Taxes
as high as medium sized earned
incomes" now pay, put a heavy
burden Of proof on the Govern
ment Spender.