River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1915-12-09

of revenue which can jusus ue sv.,eu
to without hampering the industries of
the country or putting any too great
charge upon individual expenditure. A
one per cent tax per gallon on gasoline
and naptha would yield at the present
estimated production, $4,000, 900; a tax of
go cents per horsepower on automobiles
and internal explosion engines, S150O0,OO0;
a stamp tax on bank checks, probably
SIS, COO 600; tax of Is cents per ton ON
pig iron, S10,000,000; tax of so cents per
ton on fabricated iron and steel, proba-
bly, 100000. In q country of great in
dustries like this it 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 is
clear is, that the industry of this gener-
alton should pay the bills of this genera
ton.
The Danger Within.
I have spoken to you today, gentlemen,
upon a 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 it. 1 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
ences of attitude and policy have been
and may yet turn out TO be. I am sorry
to say that the gravest threats against
our national peace and safety have been
uttered within our own borders. There are
off Of he tod Toto Inch IN
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 it 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 it is great enough to have brought
deep disgrace upon us and to have made
it 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
it possible that men sworn into it's own
citizenship, men drawn out of great free
stocks such as supplied some of the best
and strongest elements of that little, but
how heroic, nation that in high day of old
stalIed its very life to free itself from
every ENHANCEMENT that had darHened
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 a hotbed of European passion A
little while ago such a thing would have
seemed incredible. Because it was IN
credible we made no preparation for It.
We would have been almost ashamed 20
prepare for it, as if 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
it. I 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.