Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-05-20
REVISE TARIFF; REPEAL TAX.

The grave situation which threatens
to bring this country into the European
struggle, has temporarily over.
Swallowed the great economic problem
of how to revive business and restore
prosperity to the United States. The
crisis with Germany, however, will
doubtless work out I'll right and then
once more the home conditions will be-
come the big issue before the people.
In this connection an editorial appear
ing in the Cincinnati Enquirer of
which John R. Mclean, one of the
democratic leaders of the country, is
editor, is interesting. The editorial fol-
lows:
There Is no doubt as to the improve
ment-the great and widespread i'm
provement-of business in the United
States during the past four months.
This has been brought about by the
labor of our agriculturists, by favor
able climatic conditions in 1914 and by
the immense yields of food products
In that year.
It has been aided greatly through the
advantages of the facilities provided
for business men by the Federal re-
serve banking system.
are In control of the monetary supplies
of the republic to an extent heretofore
denied them, and, being now endowed
BY legislation with such control, they
will never reGquish it.
The improvement has been also pro-
NOTED by the unexampled demand of
foreign countries for the products of
our lands, for the output Of our mines,
nh@ 20 NJ rin
These purchases were most well
come, but they were forced by the
wants and needs Of those foreign coun-
tries, not made in order to produce
good times here.
There are two means of making still
better times in the United States; two
ways of promoting the interests of
business men and also of the great
majority of our population.
There are two legislative acts that
the administration should hasten and
which the president should call the
congress together to pass.
The war tax levy should be repealed
nc once.
The revenues of the government
should be increased by an immediate
revision of the tariff.
Justice to the people of the United
States demands that both be done.
The interests of the Democratic
party, which has always opposed d.
rect taxation and always stood for
a tariff for revenue, are now and IN
these instances peculiarly in line with
the interests of the great majority of
the people of the country.
The dislocations of the unexpected
European war reduced the revenues
and induced the administration to IA
yor an odious war tax.
The situation is clearly defined.
The administration should free the
country from the tax and the party
and itself from the odium of that meas
ure.
This can be done by Democratic
congress framing tariff law to pro
duce the revenues the country needs
Business men will rejoice and ap-
prove these two measures.
Democratic leaders and Democratic
voters and the Democratic party Will
be strengthened by such action.
Their political opponents will be
forced to cry "amen" to these two
nropositions, even If they pull wry
faces when doing so.
It Is duty the administration owes
to the people of the country first, the
business Of the country second, and
to the party third, to revise the tariff
to produce revenue and to destroy the
war tax.