Sec. 6. The "Socialism" of Taxation--But there is another form of State
interference which is more direct and significant than any of these. One
of the largest State works is that of public education. Now the cost of
this is in large measure defrayed by rate and tax, the bulk of which, in
this case, is paid by those who do not get for themselves or for their
children any direct return. The State-assisted education is said to tax
A for the benefit of B. Nor is this a solitary instance; it belongs to
the very essence of the modern socialistic movement. There is a strong
movement, independent too of political partisanship, to cast, or to
appear to cast, the burden of taxation more heavily upon the wealthier
classes in order to relieve the poor. It is enough to allude to the
income tax and the Poor Law. These are socialistic measures of the
purest kind, and are directly open to that objection which is commonly
raised against theoretic socialism, that it designs "to take from the
rich in order to give to the poor." The growing public opinion in favour
of graduated income tax, and the higher duty upon legacies and rich
man's luxuries, are based on a direct approval of this simple policy of
taking from the rich and giving to the poor.
The advocates of these measures urge this claim on grounds of public
expediency, and those whose money is taken for the benefit of their
poorer brethren, though they grumble, do not seriously impugn the right
of the State to levy taxes in what way seems best.
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