The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1915-12-10

80 cents per horsepower on automobiles
and internal explosion engines, $l6OOO.OOO;
a stamp tax on bank checks, probably
$1S 100000: a tax OF Is cents per ton on
pig iron, $l00O0,OO0; a tax of so cents per
ton on fabricated iron and steel, proba-
bly, $l0,0O0,0O0 In a country of great In
dustries like this 1t 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.
l have spoken to you today. gentlemen
upon a single theme, the thorough prep
aratlon 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 provdentially
assigned to It. 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
amcable relations. grave as some diner
ences of attitude and policy have been
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, blush to
admit, born under other flcgs 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
dustres 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 virlle foreign stocks
but II is 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. 1t 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
how heroic, nation that In a high day of old
staked its very life to free itself from
every ENHANCEMENT that haG darkened
the fortunes of the older nations and set
up new standard heTe-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 hotbcd of European passion.
little while ago such a thing would have
seemed incredible. Because 1t was In
credible we made no preparation for ii
We would have been almost ashamed to
| prepare for Il, 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
| H. ! 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
| lgnant. and the hand OF our power should
close over them at once, They have
| formed plots to destroy property, they
| 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 alien to our own. 1t is
possible to deal with these things very
| effectually. ! need not suggest the terms
in which they may be dealt with.
wish that It could be said that only q
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'
resentng the temper and principles Of
| the country during these days of terrible
war when 1t would seem that every mar
who was truly an American would In
stinctively make 1t his duty and his pride
to keep the scales of judgment even anC
| prove himself partisan of no nation bu
| 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 anC
| their honor as citizens as to put thei
| passionate sympathy with one or the 9th
er side in the great European confiic
above their regard for the peace and dig
nifty Of the United States. They alst
| preach and practice dsloyalty. No laws
suppose. can reach corr options of thu
mind and heart: but | should not speal
OF others without also speaking of thest
| and expressing the even deeper humilia
ton and scorn which every self-possse0s'
and thoughtfully patriotic American mus
feel when he thinks of them and of tn
discredit they are daily bringing upon us
Many conditions about which we hav
repeatedly legislated are being altered
from decade to decade, 1t is evident, un