McNairy County independent. (Selmer, McNairy County, Tenn.) 1902-1969, 1915-12-10

and internal explosion engines. SIS 100000
stamp tax on bank checks, probably
$18 coo. 900; tax of rs cents per ton on
pig iron. $l00OO.000: tax of so cents per
ton on fabricated iron and steel, proba-
bly, sl0000,00o In country OF great In
dustries like this II ought to be easy to
distribute the burdens OF taxation with
out making them anywhere bear too
heavily or too exclusively upon any one
set of persons or undertakings. What Ia
clear Is. that the industry of this gener-
alton should pay the bills Of this genera
tion.
The Danger Within.
I have spoken to you today, gentlemen.
upon single theme. the thorough prep
aration of the nation to care for its
own security and to make sure OF entire
freedom to play the impartial role In this
hemisphere and In the world which we
all believe to have been providentially
assigned to 1t. have had In mind no
thought OF any immediate or particular
danger arising out of our relations with
other nations. We are at peace with all
the nations Of the world. and there Is
reason to hope that no question In con-
troversy between this and other govern
ments will lead to any serious breach OF
amicable relations, grave as some differ
and may yet turn out to be. / am sorry
to say that the gravest threats against
our national peace and safety have been
uttered within our own borders. There are
citizens of the United States, l blush to
admit born under other flags but welcomed
under our generous naturalization laws
to the full freedom and opportunity OF
America, who have poured the poison OF
disloyalty into the very arteries of our
national life; who have sought to bring
the authority and good name of our gov
eminent into contempt, to destroy our in
dustries wherever they thought 1t effec-
tive for their vindictive purposes to strike
at them, and to debase our politics to the
uses of foreign intrigue Their number
is not great as compared with the whole
number OF those sturdy hosts by which
our nation has been enriched In recent
generations out of virile foreign stocks;
but II is great enough to have brought
deep disgrace upon us and to have made
1t necessary that we should promptly
make use of processes of law by which
we may be purged Of their corrupt dis
tempers. America never witnessed any
thing like this before. 1t never dreamed
II possible that men sworn into its own
citizenship, men drawn out 81 great free
stocks such as supplied some of the best
how heroic. nation that In a high day of old
staked its very life to free itself from
every ENHANCEMENT that had darkened
the fortunes of the older nations and set
up new standard here-that men of such
origins and such free choices of allegi-
ance would ever turn in malign reaction
against the government and people who
had welcomed and nurtured them and
seek to make this proud country once
more hotbed OF European passion. A
little while ago such q thing would have
seemed incredible. Because 1t was in
credible we made no preparation for t.
We would have been almost ashamed to
prepare for 1t. as II we were suspicious
OF ourselves, our own comrades and
neighbors! But the ugly and incredible
has actually come about and we are with
out adequate federal laws to deal with
1t. / urge you to enact such laws at
the earliest possible moment and feel that
in so doing am urging you to do moth
ing less than save the honor and self
respect of the nation.
Must Be Crushed Out.
Such creatures of passion, disloyalty
and anarchy must be crushed out. They
are not many. but they are infinitely ma
lignant. and the hand of our power should
close over them at once. They have
have entered into conspiraces against the
neutrality of the government they have
sought to pry into every confidential
transaction of the government in order
to serve interests allen to our own. 1t Is
possible to deal with these things very
effectually. I need not suggest the terms
in which they may be dealt with.
I wish that 1t could be said that only a
few men. misled by mistaken sentiments
of allegiance to the governments under
which they were born. had been guilty of
disturbing the self-possession and misrep-
resenting the temper and principles of
the country during these days of terrible
war, when 1t would seem that every man
who was truly an American would in
stinctively make 1t his duty and his pride
to keep the scales of judgment even and
prove himself q partisan Of no nation but
his own. But 1t cannot. There are some
men among US. and many resident abroad
who, though born and bred in the Unit
ed States and calling themselves Amer
leans. have SO forgotten themselves and
their honor as citizens as to put their
passionate sympathy with one or the 9TH
err side In the great European conflict
above their regard for the peace and dig
nifty Of the United States. They also
preach and practice disloyalty. No laws,
I suppose, can reach corruptions of the
mind and heart; but / should not speak
OF others without also speaking OF these
and expressing the even deeper humilia-
| ton and scorn which every self -possessed
and thoughtfully patriotic American must
feel when he thinks Of them and of the
discredit they are daily bringing upon us
| Many conditions about which we have
| repeatedly legisiated are being altered
| from decade to decade. II Il evident, ur-
| der our very eyes. and are likely to change
even more rapidly and more radically In
| the days Immediately ahead of US. wher
peace has returned to the world and ma
| tons of Europe once more take up theiI
| tasks of commerce and industry with the
| energy OF those who must bestir them.
| selves to build anew. Just what these
| changes will be no one can certainly fore.
| see or confidently predict. There are nc
| calculable, because no stable elements ir
| the problem. The most we can do is tc
| make certain that we have the necessary
| instrumentalities of information constant
| ly at our service SO that we may be sure
| that we know exactly what we are deal
| ing with when we come to act, IL 4
should be necessary to act at ALL WI
/ must first certainly know what 1t is thai
we are seeking to adapt ourselves to-
may ask the privilege of addressing yot
more at length on this important matter
a little later in your session.
Transportation Problem.
The transportation problem is an ex
ceedingly serious and pressing one In thi.
| country. There has from time to tim,
| of late been reason to fear that our rail
roads would not much longer be able Il
cope with 1t successfully as at presen
equipped and co-ordinated 1 sugges
that 1t would be wise to provide fer
| commission of inquiry to ascertain by
| thorough canvass of the whole question
whether our laws as at present framed
| and administered are as serviceable a.
! they might be in the solution of the prob
lem. 1t is obviously problem that lie
at the very foundation of our efficienc,
as people. Such an inquiry ought I,
draw out every circumstance and opinion
worth considering and we need to know
all sides of the matter IL we mean I,
do anything In the field of federal legisla
1