Connecticut western news., 1914-09-10
PRESIDENT ASKS
 FOR A WAR TAX
Wilson Urges Legislation to
 Raise S10O, GOO, OOO.
WE SHOULD NOT BORROW

President Says That to Sell Bonds
 Would Be to Make Most Untimely
 and UnjustifiabIe Demand on Money
 Market-Bond Issue Now Declared
 lnexpedient. -
 President Wilson appeared before both houses of congress and delivered an address in which he advocated ad ditional federal taxation in order to rep!enish the national revenues depict ed by the falling off of customs col lections. due to the European war.
 The Presidents Address.
 The presidents address in part fol lows:
 Gentlemen of the Congress:
 come to you today to discharge a duty which I wish with all my heart might have been spared. but 1t Is a duty which Is very clear. and therefore 1 perform it without hesitation or apology. I come to ask very earnestly that additional revenue be provided for the government"
 During the month of August there was. as compared with the corresponding month of last year. a failing otr of $10.629e3S in the revenues collected from customs. A continuation of this decrease In the same proportion throughout the current fiscal year would probably mean loss of GUS toms revenues Of from, sso. 900 oo0 to si00.- ooo 0oo.S need not tell you to what this falling of Is due. IL Is da3 in chief nart not 10 .fe .-7a-ctions recently made In the e,--i ,. & ... :. lrt. t.,, .- . ..E e.t iec.s:.A in in; -3- .at!c~r, I'd tha. E .,,:.c to Inc cx- traordinary extent of the .:a.s.istrhd --ea affected by the present war In Europe. 1t would be very unwise to postpone dealing with then. Delay In such a mat. ter and in the particular circumstances In which we now find ourselves as a na ton might involve consequences of thg riost embarrerrlng and deplornhle snit Tor which !: tor one would not care to be re. 6ponelble. Il would be very dangerous in tho present circumstances to cr-sat~ no nncnt's doubt as 10 the Strength and suf- feieney or the treasury. ot tN~ United States. It's abIntg 10 assist. to steady and sustain the financial operations of the eUhntrS's busfnees IT the treasury Is known or eSsN thought to be weak where &ta be UAS peace of mlnd7 The whole mdHstrfHl Activity of the country would oN eAilled and demoralized., '.ss
 TNe treasury Itself could get along for considerable period. no doubt without immediate resort to new sources of taxa.
 
 the community = .
 And we ought not to borrow. We ought to resort to taxation. however we may re- gret the necessity of putting additional temporary burdens on our people To sell bonds would be 10 make most untimely and unjustifable demand on the none. market-untimely because this Is mani festly not the time to withdraw working capital from other uses to pay the gov ernment's bills: unfustifiable because un- necessary. The country Is able to pay any just and. reasonable taxes without distress. And to every other form of bor- rowing. whether for long periods or for short. there Is the same objection. These are not the circumstances. this is at this particular moment and in this particular exigency not the market, to borrow large sums of money. What we are seeking is to ease and assist every financial trans action, not to add a single additional em- barrassment to the situation. The people of this country are both intelligent and profoundly patriotic. They are ready to meet the present conditions In the right way and to support the government with generous self denial They know and un- derstand and will be intolerant only of those who dodge responsibility or are not frank with them. -