Jasper County Democrat, Volume 23, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 May 1920 — TAX LAW [ARTICLE]

TAX LAW

Here is the plank of the Repub* lican platform on the tax law: We commend the last general assembly for its action in revising the tax law of Indiana. The virtues of this law commend themselves, the defects have been made apparent through its enforcement. We pledge ourselves to immediately correct these defects through proper legislation. We believe that the control of tax levies and bond issues should be restored to local taxing units in order that the right of self-go verm ment by the various counties, townships and municipalities of the state may at all times be preserved. A more insincere and dishonest piece of writing is hardly imaginable. First, the tax law is commended. How can the revising of u law be praised without carrying with it praise for the revision? Second, it is said that defects have appeared in the enforcement of the law. That is untrue. The defects are inherent in the law. It needed no trial to prove that the taking away of the right of local taxing units to fix their tax levies was an abridgement of the right of selfgovernment. The defects of the tax law are radical in character and not minor as the platform would lead the reader to assume. They were as apparent when the law was passed as they are today. The tax law was the crowning achievement of the Republican legislature. It was a blunder, a crime on the people. A party that was so stupid that it could not see the collossal defects of the tax law until pointed out to

them by an enraged people, has little warrant to ask the people to give it another chance to undo its own blunders. If the tax law is a sample of Re-t publican efficiency, of the party’s ability to conduct the government of the state nothing can be expected for the future but more blunders, more outrageous legislation. — Evansville Courier.