The Washington times., 1935-11-30
Revolt
Against Tax
Tyranny
By James T. Williams, Jr.

One Of the heartening signs Of
the times Is the manifold evidence
North, East, South and West that
"the houshold Of the Nation" Is
at last becoming tax-conscious.
AS taxes, more taxes, and yet
more taxes are piled upon all
sorts and conditions of honest and
hard-working people by all sorts
and conditions Of political spend.
thrifts, it is not surprising that
public apprehension regarding the
future is on the increase.
AS the cost of living rises month
by month and the cost Of govern.
ment-Federal, State and local
continues to soar, it is not sur
prising that the wrath Of the peo.
pie begins to kindle against their
political bosses who are chiefly to
blame for this increasing menace.
Nor can the rising tide of pub
lie apprehension and public wrath
be held back by the huSh-darlings
OF political croonerS in public
office, or the clumsily concocted
alibis of politicians seeking re-
election.
CHIEFLY TO BLAME
Congress, of course, is chiefly
to blame for the chaotic condi.
ton into which the whole sys.
tenn OF taxation has been plunged
by the greed OF pork-3arrel poll
ticians and by the passion for
power of those Sappers against
American institutions who seek
to Europeanize the American sys.
tenn OF government "by attempt.
ing to undermine what cannot
be directly overthrown."
The time has come when every
Sef-respecting American family,
when every American home, when
every American youth with hon
orable aspirations for the future
all are threatened by the flood
OF taxation now sweeping over
the country.
Congress is chiefly to blame for
this alarming condition because
the power of example set by the
Congress has made it all the
easier for the State legislatures,
the County authorities and Mu-
nicipal officials to, initiate the
taxing passion of the National
legislature and make their rule of
taxation "all that the traffic will
bear"
The vital question of taxes of.
ferS challenge not to one
branch of government but to
every branch Of government. Not
one but both political parties are
guilty, in greater or less degree,
for so adding in the last decade
to the tax burden of the people
that at last a popular revolt
against this tyranny is organic.
ing. &
Spendthrift politicians in re-
cent years have fallen into tha
habit of ridiculing the writings
Of Adam Smith. But what he
said in his monumental work,
Wealth Of Nations is as ap-
plicaSle Throughout the Union
today as it was when the fol
lowing words first saw the light
Of print in that book:
4AC OuUJCSGO VI CNCIy oOdGC
ought to contribute for the sup
port Of the government, as
nearly as possible, in proportion
to their respective abilities.
/ every tax ought to be so con-
trived as both to take out and
keep out of the pockets Of the
people as little as possible over
and above what it brings into
the public treasury of the State"
PUBLIC SENTIMENT
One of the ways by which this
maxim is violated, as he pointed
out, is by the levying Of taxes
which may obStruct the industry
of the people, and discourage
them from applying themselves to
certain branches of business
which give maintenance to great
multitudeS.
When Calvin Coolidge in his
inaugural address as President
bade the American people LET
old economies Supplant new
taxes" he was only condensing
in a single sentence the wisdom
of experience. But this is the
last thing that the political spend
thrifts of Federal, State and local
governments have tried to do in
recent years. Their plans for
election have been made in many
instances upon the ground that
they could devise new ways Of
taxing the people instead o. in
; augurating old economies that
would decrease taxation.
public Sentiment is everything"
said Abraham Lincoln. with
Public Sentiment nothing can
fail: without 1t nothing can sue
ceed."
Only the power Of Public senti'
ment, aroused, informed and or
ganized, can turn back the tax
flood before it has swept away.
not only savings and homes and
business enterprises, but the hope
of American youth for the future
which American institutions were
set up to safeguard.
WV