The journal. (Caldwell, Ohio) 1934-1961, 1960-07-14
THE JOURNAL
MAIL BAG
Columbus, Ohio
July 9, 1860

| July 9, 1860
Gentlemen:
On July 7 you carried an edi-
torial entitled Are We Wolves
or Men," and an article entitled
"Sneaky Socialized Medicine" by
John T. Flynn in the column
"The American Way" feel that
1 have a duty to comment on
both these articles that are just
two of many that consistently fill
your editorial page with one side
of the views on national prob
lens, though your newspaper
seldom carries any factual news
coverage of national significance.
In your editorial you warned
the voters to beware of campaign
promises, but you used the theme
of the wolves from speech by
Mr.. Sigh, Jr. of the National
| Association of Manufacturers, an
| organization whose interests are
in no way to be confused with
the interests of the business men
of Noble county. For as a result
of the past and present policies
of the leaders within the NAM,
thousands of small businesses go
out of existence in this country
every year.
&C. Today" you quote from
Mr.. Sigh, Jr., 'the Minnesota
farmer is taxed to subsidize the
electric bills of a plumber in
Knoxville. The Knoxville plumb
er is taxed to subsidize the Min
nesota farmer. We are all being
taxed to subsidize each other . .
trying, through the federal pro-
cess, to nourish ourselves with
our own blood" Substitute Phila-
delphia for Knoxville and Noble
county for Minnesota, and you'll
see my point. The point is that
Mt. Sigh, Jr., by virtue of his
position, is concerned neither
with plumbers, farmers, Knox
vile nor Minnesota, he is con-
cerned only insofar as benefits
to individuals in these far-off
places affect the taxation of the
corporations and individuals he
represents. Indeed, in a demo-
cracy we do subsidize each other;
this is as it should be in a politi-
cal system that purports to be
government of and by and for
the people. How else de we nour-
ish our own bodies but with our
own blood? In order to have
blood we need food and drink
from outside our bodies. Mr..
Sligh's concern is that as far as
he is concerned too much of this
food and drink" in the form
of taxation is coming from the
profits of the organizations he
represents! Does he include in
his speech the benefits which
corporations receive from gov
ernment? | doubt it. He is paid
to give one side of the story. He
| gives it we'll, and unfortunately
too many people don't inquire
into the other sides.
| Has it ever occurred to you
that the money spent on spread
ing the gospel" of men like
Mr.. Sligh, Jr. comes under
"operational expenses and is
therefore tax-deductable? Mr..
Sigh and l are political equals
in that each of us has only one
vote in an election. Where he
enjoys superiority is in his
ability to spread the word" of
his interests through advertising,
campaign contributions, travel
ing, and all the other forms of
propaganda dissemination which
money can buy. He is superior
in his ability to influence voting
for the party andior politicians
he helps to control SO that his
interests and the interests ne
| represents can be protected. He
cries for spending reforms-Who
doesn't? 1t is for each voter to
decide which party and which
candidate spells out the neces-
Sary reforms so as to benefit the
most people and infringe upon
the least people and not just
benefit the few, in this case the
National Association Of Manu-
facturerS.
AS for Mr.. Flynn's article on
socialized medicine: The only
argument that spokesmen against
socialized medicine repeat and
repeat is the argument that the
| American people would suffer
from poor medical care if the
medical doctors were paid stand.
ard fees for their services from
the government. In effect, this
argument is a slap in the face
of our doctors what kind Of
men do we have as doctors il
they were suddenly to become
bad doctors when their fee:
would come from the govern
ment and not directly from the
patient? If this would be true
then what can we say about al
our teachers, librarians, state