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Show Another j Public Enemy j Hy RAYMOND P1TCAIRN National Chairman .Sentinels oj the Republic L The "Public Enemy No. 1" of our criminal records is growing short-lived. The stern hand of justice, backed by an aroused Indignation, makes both brief and inglorious his flash across the front page. As with all transgressors, his wav is hard. But there is another Public Enemy, enjoying a softer, more pampered hie It is Public Debt national, state and local. Fed and pampered by politicians, it has expanded in girth as the rest of the country pulled in its belt. In discussing it one must tali big money. Today, for example, the Public Debt of the United States government exceeds ex-ceeds $29,000,000,000. Count in the gross debt of all divisions of government in the country, and the total mounts to many billions more. Among the enemies ol the American people it probably ranks No. 1. Why? Because the public debt, along with its twin current expenses of government govern-ment constitutes a claim on the earnings earn-ings and the property of every American citizen. Both must be paid. How? Bvi whom? The answer is simple. By taxes whether hidden or open clipped from the earnings of every man or woman who labors, of every family that contributes con-tributes its strength, its courage and its spirit to the building and preservation preserva-tion of a free, productive America. This public enemy is an insidious one. He leaves his calling card the tax bill with comparatively few of his victims. Prom the great majority of workers he pilfers unsuspected by increasing the cost of the bread they eat, of the rent bill they pay. of the insurance premium they meet, of the tools and equipment they buy, and of virtually every other necessity in normal, active American life. For protection against the public 3nemy who robs us with a gun, we can turn to the police. For relief against the enemy who uses the tax levy, we must turn to the polls, and there elect public servants pledged to the same reasonable economy that the farmer, the business man -or the housewife exercise. America needs the G-man type in public office, as well as in crime I prevention. |