March 24, 1944

In the popular imagination, World War II was a time of national unity, the era of the “Greatest Generation,” when the nation put aside its differences to defeat a common enemy. Everyone loved President Roosevelt and no one complained about paying their taxes.

Then we turn to the old newspapers, which present a far different picture of the same partisan divisions and bitter political fighting that we have today. As for the myth that nobody complained about their patriotic duty of paying taxes – this story shows it just ain’t so.

From the St. Petersburg Times.