Evening star., 1958-07-06
Spires OF THE SPIRIT
Plus Tax
BY DIR. FREDERICK BROWN HARRIS
Chaplain Of the United States Senate

counter price OF an article Tor
which our desire and pocket
book reaches. Il is so much
in dollars and cents - and
then In an undertone Is added
"Plus tax" That "Plus
tax" for would-be purchas4
ers often puts an interroga-
ton mark after the coveted
commodity and raises the
question, ITO buy, or not to
.buy?" The advertising bark
er often shouts the descrip-
ton and price Of the mer-
chandise offered and then
whispers, "Plus tax" But 1t
is there. As the old adage
has 1t, "The certain things
are death and taxes"
As once more the Repub-
lie has celebrated the July
beginning Of q Revolution Of.
and for. the people, vaster
In its implications than the
Russian Revolution based on
the spurious tenets Of Marx
ism. we are reminded that 1t
was the plus tax policy Of
George III which wrote upon
the banners Of the revolving
colonists Taxation without
representation is tyranny" It
was this attitude Of the
Mother Country regarding
undemocratic taxation which
led one Of Virginia's fiery
orators to declare that this
royal tyranny has cost one
King Of England his throne.
another his head. and may
cost q third his most -four
ishing colonies. The enbat-
tied New England farmers
also realized the truth of
Chief Justice Marshall's
verdict that "The power to
tax involves the power to de-
stroy." The mounting taxes
to keep going the expanding.
complex social machinery of
this inid-twentieth century.
In spite Of n1urmurings, gives
point to the late Senator VIII
liam H. Borah's remark
about taxes. '"The marvel Of
all history Is the patience
with which men and women
submit to burdens laid upon
them by their governments"
But. taxes are laid upon
life not simply by govern
ments but by nature. An in
dividual decides to pay what
ever Is demanded to satisfy
that which has become a rul-
ing passion. He reckons the
cost and then puts down on
the counter the price. But
one Of the most solemn facts
Of our mortality is that that
is not all there is to the
transaction. There is always
the item Of "Plus tax" In
some instances that obliga-
ton is to be met as long as
life lasts. Henry Luttrell
wrote:
oh that there might IN
England be
A tar on hypocrisy,
A tar on hvmbuO. and erctse
on solemn pi6Esibtlity.
Well, there Is q "Plus tax"
sign not only on hypocrisy
and humbug, and venal
plausibility. but on wasted
time and the neglect Of prep
aration to meet opportunities
which the tomorrows may
hold. It has been pertinently
said that hell is inadequacy
in the presence Of opportu-
nifty. Such q heartbreaking
handicap is the "Plus tax" for
yesterdays squandering Of
leisure hours. There is a tax,
too, on pandering 10 today's
appetite with no heed to d.
gestive protests. There is
also q tax on matrimonial
ventures based on consider
ations but skin deep. The
pianist, Arthur Rubinstein,
was recently quoted on the
vital subject Of how life
should be lived. He was ridi-
culing vitaminS. He blurts
out Eat four Holsters, eat a
pound of caviar, live. If you
are in love with a beautiful
blond with an empty face
and no brains at all-don't
be afraid, marry her, Hve!"
This effusion led one Of the
Nations greatest newspapers
to call attention to. the "Plus
tax" sign which the artist
Of the ivory keys had failed
to notice In his exhortation