Evening star., 1939-09-24

much of the freedom and progress we
have lately lost, and still suffer worse
and worse from parasites and plunderers
Indeed, 1t Is notorious that as people
| in the mass grow rich and comfortable
and feel safe, they shut their eyes to
the evils of corruption in and out OF
| politics. The well-fed, well-housed man
is often complacent fathead. Why
bother over thugs as long as we have
plenty of money? Study American his
tory carefully; it will show you many
a year in which men enjoyed much free
dom and made much money, yet en-
| dured with indifference the plundering
of public lands, railway rights of way
| oil fields, mines and what not.
Look first at the attacks from with
out. These fall into two large classes
One attack is launched legally, chiefly
through governmental agents. Laws are
passed enabling racketeers to prey on
taxpayers. The other attack Is strictly
illegal: It defies the courts and the
police, and it takes chance on being
downed in an open street fight To list
both kinds of rackets here would fill
this page.
Timidity Inspired.
What is the great muddle class doing
about these great racketeering combina-
tions of underworld and politics? Prac-
tically nothing. We all know this ma
tional scandal Hundreds of editors have
thundered against it-with little sue
cess. Businessmen are too timid to strike
at their looters. Often they even re-
fuse to testify. It may hurt trade. O,
maybe a gangster will beat them up
some dark night.
So the task has fallen to the F. B. /.
to Dewey, to Amen, to a handful of
bold prosecutors and Governors here and
there. The muddle class sits behind
closed doors and softly applauds. Then
back to bridge and golf.
Did the citizens bring AL Capone to
book? Or Dutch Schultz? Or Boss
Pendergast of Kansas City? Or any
other underworld leader? No indeed.
They left the jobs to the Federal income
tax investigators and to G-men.
Score 100 per cent flop for the mud
! die class
But when it comes to guarding its
money when tax collectors come around,
the muddle class shows slightly better
record. For several years local rebels
have been arising and taking pot shots
at the tax targets. This is safe, you see.
And fairly easy, too. All you need is
arithmetic and little persistence to
save yourself cash. To put it a little
more fairly, it's just plain good business
The first conspicuous success in this
field was Walter Pierpont's venture in
Omaha. He began quietly to bring to-
gether business acquaintance who
agreed to work hard for efficient and
honest taxation. They made it a first
rule to keep out of politics. They studied
the city spending, followed appropria-
tions straight through from start to fin
ish; made practical recommendation to
city officials, and they enormously bet
tered all taxpayers within five years.
Another Nebraska Pioneer.
In the same period Frank G. Arnold. a
Well-to-do Nebraska farmer, attacked the
tax problem in his own county, then in
others of his State. and finally in several
other States from Ohio to Colorado.
Arnold developed thorough system of
auditing county books, comparing costs
| OF common staple articles in various
counties, detecting gross differences in
| prices paid and then running down the
causes of such discrepancies
| Arnold has been called all sorts of
names by politicians whose bailiwicks he
has invaded. But he goes on quietly
with his Federation of Nebraska County
| Taxpayers Leagues and his Colorado
| Governmental Research Association. He
says he can prove that his efforts have
saved taxpayers thus far more than
$14O,OOO,OO0. When you read his item
lied reports on sums spent for lead PEN
ellis, cuspidors, ledgers, ballot boxes curb
ing, tractors, flea powder, drainpipes,
manholes and thousand other details,
you can we'll believe him.
A sign of the times appears in the swift
rise OF an organization with an odd name.
1t is Lets Do something About It, Inc"
The organization is much better than
its name. 1t has grown directly out of
vision and energy of one man, Merle
Potter of Oak Park Ill. He set out to put
his home town in order. Beginning with
taxes, he and his friends swiftly worked
over into obscurer problems of efficient
and honest government. AS they pro-
gressed, they perceived the need of q
comprehensive program and broad or
ganization suited to attack all sorts of
evils everywhere. Hence the present
setup.
A Blow for Democracy.
I'VE plan to stress that part of our
program which curbs isms detrimental
to American democracy" So declares the
advisory director of Lets Do Something
About 1t, Inc.," William r. Wilson of
Pittsburgh. THE domestic isms are
political bossism-stubborn capitalism
radical laborism. The foreign isms are
Communism - Nazism - Fascism We
shall start in local units and work with
and on minor political officials in pre-
cincts, districts and wards"
Mark we'll the three domestic isms.
They reflect a common sentiment among
the middle class. Stubborn capitalism is
distrusted quite as profoundly as is radi-
cal laborism.
This lively organization is now operat-
ing in II States. It now recognizes openly
that the tax problem is merely one hot
focus and must not be rated unduly high
in the long-range program. This, am