Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1949-06-23
Equal Poverty for All?


: tory-ancient and modern-no
nation, no people, have ever solved
the problem of equal distribution
of wealth, although many attempts
have been made.
AS nation, we have come near
er to finding that solution than
others. To each of us has been CIV
en- equal opportunity to accumulate.
Practically all have had a chance.
The vast majority have improved
that chance to greater or lesser
degree. Our efforts may have been
rewarded by the possession of
home. farm, a business, an es-
tablished professional practice, by
bank accounts or insurance policies
or, by investments in the large in
dustrial or transportation institu-
tons. The vast majority of the
American people have something
that represents wealth. We are OPP
posed to distribution of what we
have with those who, through a
lack of effort or thrift, have moth
ing.
The spending spree of congress,
and the demands of the President,
the expense of which, must be paid
for by that vast majority who
"have," is but another effort to
distribute the wealth equally, TAX
ing from the HAYES" in the form
of taxes to give to the have-nots in
the form Of handouts.
As taxes, a spending congress
would take from Mike one, of
his two goats, and give It to
Pat. Separated, the two goats
fail to produce more of their
kind, and there are no more
goats to divide. It works the
same way with jobs and pro-
duction Of commodities. Tax in
dustry to death, and there are
no jobs, no wealth to divide.
There is nothing left but un.
productive poverty, Of which
each automatically will have an
equal share.
The wealth Of America is owned
today not by the few, but by the
vast majority of all. It is managed,
in large part, by the selected repre-
sentatives Of the millions Of owners,
by those with the chronological
know-how to make the accumulated
dollars work in the production Of
additional tools, Of additional jobs
and additional products. All Of
which means more wealth, with an
ever-increasing number among
whom the more wealth is divided.
That. in a paragraph, is the
American economic system the
Socialists, the Communists, the
Facists, the foreign '.isms" gen.
orally. would break and establish
instead an equal distribution Of
poverty. Which would make men,
dicants of all, with none to fill our
outstretched hands. 1t is a system
the so-called "do-gooders' are
whiting at Such "do-gooders" in
the American government can, if
they continue their reckless spend
ing ard its attendant increased tax
ing, stop that month-by-month,
year-by-year increase in our ma
tional wealth; they can divide
Mikes goats. but when they do
there will be no additional goats TO
divide. They can do it by radical
government spending and by the
taxes that must be levied to pay
for such spending.
Every day congress feeds
more and more millions, or bill
lions, into that povcrty-grinding
mill. In time, and all too short
time, It will destroy the wealth
Of the nation, of the many mil
lions who today share that
wealth. II will destroy the
plants, the tools, the jobs, the
products Of industry.
No action on the part Of govern
ment can distribute evenly the
wealth of the nation, but it can dis
sipate that wealth, and leave us
nation Of poverty-stricken mendi-
cants, each Of US looking for
hand-out, but with none to provide
the desired gratuities.
When that time comes. and II is
on its way, there will be nothing
left to provide for the present pro-
viders. Poverty will be evenly-dis-
tributed without action on the part
Of government.
The formula Of the late Harry
Hopkins to tax, and tax, and tax.
and spend, and spend, and SPEND
in an effort ITO elect. and elect, and
elect" is a dangerous poison for
the well-being Of America.
Any political party that attempts
to be all things 10 all men," that
sacrifices principles that its candi-
dates may win, that so expresses its
policies that they may be inter
preted to fit each occasion or each
class. that attempts to appeal to
self-seeking minorities, cannot, for
long, be major influence for the
best Interests Of the nation.
%
Matthew Quay, when senator
from Pennsylvania, said that for
every job he bestowed he made 90
enemies and one migrate. Quay
never overlooked an opportunity TO