The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1916-01-04


Senator Penrose, of Pennsylvania
This deficit is blamed on the war in
Europe, and the necessity for this
so-called tax bill is argued on account
of the war in Europe. l say without
hesitation, and it will be fully shown
when this general subject comes up
for discussion, that the large amount
of imported goods coming into the
country now and ever since the war
in Europe, did they carry proper
duty collected at the customhouse,
would be largely sufficient to defray
expenses of the federal government.
But they are coming in free, the large
part of them, comparable in amount,
although perhaps differing i'll detail,
with the importatiOns before the war,
but bringing no return to the treasury
Of the United States. These condi-
lions which are blamed on the war in
Europe, would In my opinion, be
thousand times worse if it were not
for the war in Europe. The war in
Europe has been the only cause which
has saved the fiscal policy of the par
ty now in power from the most gigant
ic collapse ever witnessed in a civil
lied country. / believe if we had not
had the war in Europe we would have
had the blacklist times in the history
of the American republic, compared
to which the depression under Cleve
lands second administration and un-
ba NJilcnn lou
have been insignificant. We would
have witnessed poverty and starvation
all over the country, bread riots, the
army of the United States out to pre-
serve order and universal distress
and misery. Instead of the war in
Europe being the cause of such a con-
dition, it has been the cause of the
alienation of condition too dread
full for any lover of his country to de-
sire to contemplate.
Congressman Fordney, OF Michigan.
The gentleman from North Carolina
(Mr. Kitchin) said tnat they, the
democrats, were now moved to do
the unpopular but patriotic thing in
passing this law. They are forced to
pass this law in order to save the
treasury of the United States from
bankruptcy. 1t is not due to the war
in Europe, that the condition of the
treasury of the United States today
is chaotic. 1t is due to your tariff
law. If you were to have extended
the republican tariff laws upon the
statute books when you came into
power, you would collect more money
than the treasury of the United States
under judiciOus management would
have used during this administration.
/ say, my friends, that notwithSand-
ing the fact that we have had war in
Europe all these months since the
3rd day of August, 1914, the revenues
of this government, based upon the
ad yalorem rates in the Payne tariff
law, would have yielded to this coun-
try sufficient revenues to pay the run
ming expenses of this government.
Congressman Mann, of Illinois,
The democrats are in a majority in
the house and the senate, and have
the presidency. They believe in rails
ing revenue by applying internal taxes
against the people rather than in i'm
posing additional duties on imports
from abroad, which additional duties
might in some way give protection to
American industries. They have the
right to their belief. They have power
to enact it into law. They passed
the present law, which expired on
the 31st of December, somewhat in
haste, obtaining votes on the demo-
cratic side of the house by the plea
thatsit was only for a short time, and
that while it might contain inconsis-
tencies, while it might contain OPP
pressive features, they would not last
long; and having obtained votes on
that side of the house by that method,
what is now proposed? Well, there is
more than one way of skinning a cat
Instead of coming into the house and
proposing to extend even this bad law
until it could be revised, they propose
to extend it over the next presidential
election, and then, if they should by
accident be successful, they would
make it permanent. If we should win
they would be glad to leave a deficit
in the treasury.