Evening star., 1951-11-22
The Political Mill
Excessive Taxes Called
Source Of Corruption
Women's Group Would Limit
Governments Use of Levies
By Gould Lincoln

Excessive national taxation-through
the Federal income tax-is proving an
ever growing source of governmental
corruption. First, by placing billions Of
dollars in the hands of an administra-
ton, it enables that administration to
perpetuate itself The use of money
scattered among millions of persons, for
Government salaries, Government sub
sides and Government relief-on
huge scale is just another way of
buying an election. Second, as the IN
ternal Revenue Bureau scandals reveal.
this huge taxation is corrupting the tax
collectors themselves, and in many cases
the taxpayers.
Pro-America, an organization of wom-
en-, is already taking definite stand
in favor of limiting Federal taxation. 1t
has espoused the plan for 25 per cent
limit on the amount of income tax which
may be taken by the Government. 1t
is being urged to go a step further
to repeal the Sixteenth Amendment to
the Constitution, the income tax amend
ment.
Mrs. George Marshall - the former
Miss Corinne Griffith-is a strong
advocate of repeal and is carrying her
campaign to groups of women through
out the country. While she favors the
Is per cent limitation, her argument is
that major operation is required to
remove the cancer. Her belief is that
the women of America, If aroused, can
do the job at the ballot box by support
ing only those members of Congress, and
candidates for Congress, willing to vote
tepeal.
Drains States of Resources"
Mrs. Marshall's contention is that "the
Sixteenth Amendment enables Congress
to take money in quantities far beyond
the actual needs Of an economically run
central government" In the case of the
present Congress, that body has placed
some restraint on a President intent on
raising the income taxes to point high
er than ever before in history, even in
war times. But there is no doubt that
should Mr.. Truman be reelected he may
find Congress more subServient and the
taxing orgy would roll on.
Mrs. Marshall further points out that
the Sixteenth Amendment "has given the
Federal Government the power to drain
States of their resources, herd them un-
der control of bureaucrats, reduce them
to the status of beggars, with hat in
hand, pleading for any crumb of Federal
funds instead of remaining the sover-
eign, self-supporting entities they origi-
nally were
This womens crusade against exces-
slve taxation could be effective There
are At million eligible women voters, if
they care to use the ballot. Whether it
can be effective against an entrenched
administration, with some $50 billion to
spend year, with tremendous favors to
extend to all kinds of businesses, and
with cash to put in the pockets of
millions of voters and their sisters and
their cousins and their aunts' in the
guise of relief of all kinds, farm sub
sides and other subsidies, salaries, etc.,
remains question.
People Now Tax Conscious.
One great factor is in the crusade's
favor. The American people are more tax
conscious today than ever before The
tax revenue of the Federal Government
is expected to reach the huge total Of
$50 billion when the present tax laws
have been operating full year. The old
soak the rich" slogan no longer has
any real meaning. The soaking" today
reaches the men and women in the low
income brackets.
To still further inflame popular
opinion against excessive taxation, the
tax bureau scandals, reaching across the
country and striking administration pets
and office holders, have rudely shaken
the confidence of the people in the Fed
eral tax collecting establishment. They
are wondering why the administration
waited so long before undertaking to
clean up the mess, and why it could
have happened in the first place. They
are becoming more aware of the cor
rupting dangers which exist when bill
lions of dollars are placed in the hands
of any administration.
Too much money means too much
power, and too much power can mean
the end of liberty for the American
people.