| Show ELECTIONS S AND TAXES TAKES the problem of taxes which are increasing in an ala alarming degree is now recognized to be a local 0 one ne i the burdens which have been added to the taxpayer in recent years have been adder by local governments that are directly and solely responsible to the very people who are raising the greatest protest over high taxes high taxes are operating to arouse the people to a realization that they have been neglecting their duty as citizens it is emphasizing the very essential esse fact that under our form of popular government people get just what they deserve if what they get is not to their liking they alone are to blame the remedy is in their own hands if they fail to apply it sell self government is to that a failure official election returns furnish striking proof of tho the indifference of the people to their government the largest vote cast in a presidential election was cast in 1920 yet only 47 per cent of the legal voters in he be united states exercised the right of citizenship in that election it is an claiming tact fact disclosed by official election returns that very seldom do more than 30 per cent of the total voting population take part in elections which determine who shall be their representatives in federal and state offices in some states within the last two years less than 20 per cent of the total voting population participated in the election of united states senators in many cases only ten to twelve per cent of the citizens t took ook part in their local elections those who complain about the manner in which their local governments are run should conduct a searching self examination to ascertain whether or not they have done their duties as citizens there is another phase of this public indifference to the exercise of the rights and duties of citizenship may it not be likely that some I 1 of this indifference la Is due to the growth of government paternalism during the last few years the doctrine has found favor that not only public troubles but business troubles and in some measure personal troubles should be handled by some government agency citizens have acquired the habit of running to washington or to their state capitol with their troubles instead of first attempting something in the way of self help communities have expected state or federal governments to do things for them which they should do tor for themselves state or federal agencies have been expected by the individual to compel him and his hf neighbor to observe laws and regulations which he and his neighbors should observe of their own free will state and federal agencies chave been expected to assume in a large mp ure the duties and responsibilities of parents ants various activities and enterprises have taken kindly to the paternalistic theory that the government owes them a guaranteed profit or a guaranteed price that it should save them from the evil of their own mismanagement and lack of initiative extended to the individual this paternalistic doctrine braces a system of pensions and insurance which destroys all incentive to individual industry and economy it places the shiftless and indolent on exactly the same basis with the thrifty and industrious this doctrine of letting george do it merever the conduct of public affairs is concerned is largely responsible tor for tho the Ine increased reace 1 I ta taxes x e s which afflict every community largely responsible for the lax methods which prevail in governmental affairs for the multiplication of needless commissions and bureau and official jobs in short for a very large percentage of the economic and political troubles which exist today i people cannot reelect their duties as an citizens and escape the evil con sp sr quence in a representative form of government the government mu must st really represent and this is obviously impossible where a ridiculously small mall s percentage of citizens participate in elections if the irritation of 0 f growing taxes serves to bring the american people back to a realization of their duties as elti citizens zeng and stirs them to greater activity a and n 1 I participation in public affairs the cause of popular government will h have ave been well served and in the process the problem of taxes will mill I 1 have a been solved |
