The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-09-24
CANDIDATES SEEING
 HARD TIMES AHEAD
Plethora of Applicants For
 Sheriff Has Its Signifi- canoe to Republicans

Washington, September 2s Especial Like flocksA of robins flying south swarms of candidates for sheriff through. out the land have convinced the repub- lican congressional committee that cold hard winter is at hand As a plague brings business to the undertaken, SC says the committee. hard times brings fat fees to the sheriff, and the repub- lieans are the merriest mourners at the funeral services of prosperity.
 Those who have looked into the sub ject say there is the largest crop of can didates for sheriff the country ever has known," announces the publicity depart ment of the republican committed; "at least. the biggest crop since the demo- cratic hard times of 20 years ago. In many counties, there are from to i2 candidates where, ordinarily, there have been only two to four"
 From which the republicans draw this deduction and spread it broadcast for the edification of the unen1igntenec:
 There is money in being sheriff, pro- vided there are hard times ahead. When things go badly for the people they go well for the sheriff. for then there are lawsuits. executions for the sale of prop erty, receiverships and all those other steps incident to the disposition of prop erty through courts of law-steps so widely known and so generaiiy de- spised.'
 So, with this prospect of poverty ahead, the republicans virtuously will undertake the task of saving Uncle Sam from the poorhouse and will oppose in the Senate and the House bill for the raising of q moderate war tax to pre- elude stringency in the treasury which possibility might involve the country in financial embarrassments. Casting tho pearl of consistency before swine, they ignore the fact that they passed simi- lar measure 16 years ago, when the need was in nowise greater than it Is at the present moment
 In a personal address to Congress on September 4, President Wilson thus ex- plained the situation;
 ",rhe treasury itself could get along for a considerable period, no doubt. with out immediate resort to new sources of taxation. But at what cost to the business of the community?"
 Withdrawal by the government of its money from national banks he explained. might tide the country over for time, but would not prove sufficient to meet the ex- agencies evoked by prolongation of the war in Europe
 It would be very dangerous, said the President, ''in the present circumstances to create a moments doubt as to the strength and suffcency of the treasury of the United States, it's ability to assist, to steady and sustain the financial oper- ations of the country's business. If the treasury were known, or even thought, to be weak, where will be our peace of mind?'
 To which Representative Mann. tue re- publican floor leader replies: There is no need to put new taxes on the people at this time" The treasury and the coun- try at large. he says, are in first-class condition to withstand the curtailment of the national revenue through the war in Europe; the dark cloud which rains death on the nations abroad has a lining of gold eagles and pieces of eight in America.
 Apparently, the views of MT. Mann and the republican congressional committee are somewhat at variance. c. E. s.