The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1915-12-11
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE

THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
The Presidents message to Con-
gress this week has been the most
noticeable public event of the hour. 1t
was undoubtedly a strong message 50
far as the form is concerned. But
there will be differences of opinion as
to it's substance In the first place,
everybody will not agree with the
Presidents plea for larger army and
navy under the popular phrasing of
preparedness"
In the second place. everybody will
not agree as to the Presidents recon-
mendatlons for ways and means Of
securing the enormous additional rev.
enue with which to create a larger
army and navy. The President could
not and did not blink the fact that the
treasury faces an immense deficit as
things now are. To care for this de-
felt and at the same time secure an
additional income of vast proportions
is what Congress, says the President,
must face. He suggests extending the
scope of the income TAX; also tax OF
] cent per gallon on gasoline, a tax Of
so cents per horse power on automo-
biles and all motor driven engines, a
stamp tax on checks, and tax on
pig iron and fabricated steel. He in
sists that if the present generation
goes into large expenditures it should
pay for those expenditures itself and
rot shift them to the future by bond
issue.
LOOKING FORWARD TO 1916.
1t is perfectly natural that leaders
of the Republican party, of all shades
of opinion and from different sections
of the country, should look forward
with some confidence to reversal in
1916 of the popular verdict of 1912,
which put the National Government in
complete control of the Democrats.
The diplomatic mistakes of the Adj
ministration, the widespread indus
trial depression and the natural ten
dency toward a reaction from the wide
swing of the political pendulum in
1912 are all counted upon as factors
in the coming struggle, and these
points are all emphasized in the inter
esting symposium of leading Repub-
licans recently published in the Public
Ledger.
There were two or three qualifica-
tons to the general chorus of conf
dence which were significant, however;
and the points raised by Senator Bor-
ah for example, will be pondered
deeply by that increasing number of
Republicans who are such from con-
viction and not merely from custom.
The apparent contradiction between
the reports of unemployment and the
enormous increase of the national
prosperity as reflected in the predo-
minating exports are capable of eX-
PLANTATION as temporary results of the
war, and the tariff remains an issue
for Protectionists to conjure with. But
the Idaho Senator in his reply to the
Public Ledger's queries made pointed
references to the obligation resting
upon the Republican party to IDEAL in
practical fashion with the social prob
lens" which the people believe i'm
minent for consideration" And he
coupled a remark concerning the
meaning of the recent Chicago election
with an expression of confidence that
the Republican, party is to become
"again what it was in its best days, a
clean, liberal, constructive party"
Furthermore, Governor Hatfield, of
West Virginia, while believing that
the Republicans will elect any man
nominated next year, sounded the
warning note to the effect that at will
not be the best policy for continued
supremacy Of Republican principles
to nominate any man"
These pointed admissions that the
Republican party had departed from
Its traditions as "ciean, liberal. con-
structive party. and the intimation
that the strength of President Wilson
in the West is a factor to be taken into
consideration, cannot be too seriously
weighed by those to whom Republican
success next year is something more
than partisan matter but involves
the national honor and progress. I'm
less the leaders of the Republican
party frankly recognize the fact that
they have in the past filled a reaction
airy role, that they have been in large
measure out of sympathy with the
temper of the people on questions of
social legislation. and that the leader
ship of the past has been deeply dis.
trusted even in the Republican strong
holds, the path to victory in 1916 will
not be so smooth and easy as it now
seems to some of them. The Repub-
hrans have excellent campaign ammu-
milton, but they must give heed r.
their organization and personnel if
they eXncct to make the most effective
use of it.
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