Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1915-12-09

| 30 cents per horsepower on automobiles
/ and internal explosion engines, SI5, 000, 900:
| a stamp tax on bank checks. probably
| SIS 900, coo: q tax Of Is cents per ton on
| pig iron, SO. 600 coo; tax OF so cents per
/ ton on fabricated iron and steel, proba-
| bly, $40. 600. In q 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 IL
| clear In, that the industry of this gener-
| alton should pay the bills OF this genera
| ton.
| The Danger Within.
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
ences of attitude and policy have been
ana may yet TURN OUT 10 De. dI1 SOEIy
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, | blush to
admit, born under other ficgs but welcomed
under our generous naturalization laws
to the full freedom and opportunity of
America, who have poured the poison OF
disloyaity into the very arteries OF our
national life: who have sought to bring
the authority and good name Of our gov
ernment into contempt, to destroy our In
dustries wherever they thought 1t effec-
tive for their rindictive purposes to strike
| at them. and to debase our politics to the
uses OF foreign intrigue. Their number
Ia not great as compared with the whole
number OF those sturdy howts by which
our nation has been enrichec in recent
generations out of vtrile foreiaa stocks:
but II Ii great enough to have brought
deep disgrace upon US and to have made
Ii 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. Ii never dreamed
II possible that men sworn into its 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
staked it's very life to free itself from
every ENHANCEMENT that had darkened
the fortunes OF the older nations and set
UP a new standard here--that men If such
origins and such free choices of allegi-
ance would ever turn in maiign 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.
little white ago such a thing would have
seemed incredible. Because il was in
era tsA ia M fa 4
We would have been almost ashamed to
prepare for II, as Ir we were suspicious
of ourselves. our own comrades and
neighhorsl But the ugly and incredible
has actually come about and we are with
cut adequate federal laws to deal with
Ii. I urge you to enact such laws at
the earliest possible moment and feel that
In 80 doing l 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
ngnant. and the hand OF our power should
close over them at once. They have
formed plots to destroy property. they
have entered into eonspiraciss against the
neutrality of the government. they have
sought to pry into every confidential
transaction OF the government in order
to serve interests alien to our own. 1t Is
possible to deal with these things very
effectualiy. I need not suggest the terms
In which they may be dealt with.
I wish that II could be said that only a
few men. nisled by mistaken sentiments
Of allegiance to the governments under
which they were born. had been guilty of
disturbing the self possession and misrep-
resenttng the temper and principles of
the country during these days of terrible
war. when II would seem that every man
who was truly an American would In
sttnctiveiy make II his duty and his pride
to keep the scales Of Judgment even and
prove himself a partisan OF no nation but
his own. But Ii 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
er side In the great European conflict
above their regard for the peace and dig
nifty OF tha United States. They also
preach and practice disloyaIty, No laws,
I suppose. can reach corruptions of the
mind and heart: but I should not speak
of others without also speaking Of these
and expressing the even deeper humilia-
ton and scorn which every self posss..sd
and thoughtfuliy patriotic Ameriean must
feel when he thinks OF them and OF the
aiscreiit they are daily bringing upon us.
Many conditions about which we have
repeatedly legislatsd are being al.ared
from decade to decade. IL is evident. UNI
der our very ayes. and are likely 20 change
even more rapidly and more radically In
the days Immediately ahead OF us. when
peace has returned to the world and ma.
tiens of Europe once mere take up their
/ tasks of commerce. and industry with the
energy OF those who must hesffr them
selves to build anew, Just what these
| changes will be no one can certainly fore
see or confidently predict. There are no
catculahle. because no stable elements in
| tae problem. The most we can do is to
make certain that we have the necessary
| Observation-Disclosures Of information constant
| iy at our service so that we may be sure
| that we know exactly what we ara deal
ing with when we come TO act, liz ii
i should be necessary TO act at all We
| must tsrst certainly know what 1t In thar
| we are seeking to adapt ourselves to. I
/ may ask the privilege OF addressing you
| more at length on this important matter
| little later In your session.
| Transportation Problem.
i The transportation problem la an ex~
l esedingiy serious and pressing one Tn this
/ country. There has from time to time
/ Of late been reason to fear that our rail-
/ roads would NOT much longer be able to
| cope with II successfully as at present
/ equipped and eo~ersitnated T suggest
1 that IL would be WISE tn nrr,v$xia ss,r q.