The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1914-10-02

economy since they have been in of
fee. Their appropriations at this
session of congress bid well to exceed
the appropriations by any Republi
can congress by anywhere from $120,
100000 to $1S0,000,000, and, as a re-
suit, they are enacting a war tax at 6
time when this country is at peace
with the whole world In a court
room it is most difficult to procure
evidence that will overcome an admis'
sion against interest.
Mr.. Fitzgerald's Frankness.
81 wish to call attention to an adj
mission against interest by Congress-
man Fitzgerald "a Democrat and
chairman of the committee on ap-
propriations) in his speech on the
floor of the house when appropria-
ton bills were under consideration.
The following extract from his re-
marks can be found on page 1884 Of
the Congressional Record, this ses-
sion. Is it not some evidence the
Democrats have broken their econ
omy pledges? Mr.. Fitzgerald said:
I" In a few months | shall be call
ed upon, in the discharge of my Of
fetal duties, to review the record
which this Democratic house shall
have made in its authorization of ex-
penditures of public moneys. When
ever think of the horrible mess that
| shall be called upon to present to
the country on behalf of the Demo-
cratic party, | am tempted to quit
my place.
SIN that speech Mr. Fitzgerald re-
fers to his colleagues as band Of
looters. That is what "a Democrat
ic leader thinks Of his own party, and
their record of unparalleled extrava-
gance. We now find the Democratic
party entirely ignoring their pledges
of economy and re-enacting, in the
time Of peace, the Spanish war tax
they 50 bitterly condemned in 1900.
president Wilson, in his address
to congress on the question of reve-
nues, on September 4, 1914, stated in
part:
:" / come to you today to dis
charge duty which | wish with all
my heart | might have been spared,
but it is very clear duty and there
fore | perform it without hesitation
or apology. | wish to ask very earn
estly that additional revenues be pro-
vided for the government.
Revenue Comparison Not Fair.
Gle claimed the war in Europe
was almost wholly to blame and not
the tariff. and said: 'The occasion
is not our own making. We had no
part in making it. AS proof of this
he pointed to the fact that customs
receipts for the month of August had
fallen $10,600,000 below customs re-
ceipts for August, 1913, and contend
ed continuation of that loss would
cause the necessity of raising $780,
100000 additional revenue this year.
However, he failed to say he was
comparing month under the Repub-
lican tariff law with month under
the Democratic tariff law.
"Here are facts: Our customs
receipts in August, 1913, under pro-
tective tariff, amounted to over $780,
100000. Since the passage of the low
Democratic tariff measure there has
not been one month that our customs
receipts have reached $26,0OO,000
and but one month that receipts have
exceeded $24,OOO,O0O, and the aver
age customs receipts for the past
eight months have been in the neigh
borhood of $22,O00,00O. Yet the
President claimed the tariff was not
the cause Of the loss, and that the
Democrats were not to blame for the
necessity for additional revenues.
Considering Democratic unwar-
ranted and unparalleled extravaganza
and the effect of their tariff legisla-
ton, / contend they had everything
to do with making this proposed tax
a necessity. If they were absolutely
honest, they would not say the war
is the cause for the tax; they would
say it is the excuse for the tax.
Receipts Fell Off Last Winter.
sin February of this year customs
receipts were $10,OO0,OO0 below the
receipts for February, 1913, and
Democrats knew it. Why did the
President not see his clear duty then
to ask congress to raise additional
revenues? In February of this year
the customs receipts were actually
$2,000,000 less than in the month of
August just past, and the receipts in
August were so low, in the Presi-
dents estimation, it was the cause
for great alarm, and he Immediately |