The Taney County republican. (Forsyth, Mo.) 1895-1992, 1916-03-30

ing the continental army feature, was
desirous Of some sort OF machinery to
make the land forces available in time
Of war. He thinks this bill makes the
National Guard a sufficient force in
time Of peace to be available as a
fighting force in time Of war" Now
the masters rod" is to be used in
the House and every loyal Democrat
will vote for the bill or be barred from
the White House pie counter.
PREPAREDNESS AND POLITICS:
The inside OF the preparedness stu.
alton is politics, pure and simple.
Alter vigorously opposing, for nearly
three years, any increase Of the mill
tary establishment and telling Congress
and those who advocated il were "ner
vous and hysterical, Mr., Wilson sud-
denly decided that his policy was un
popular and as is his custom, without
asking the advice OF his party leaders
he declared he was for extensive pre-.
paredness and made a stumping tour
Of the country to advocate it. Demo
cratic politicians say Mr.. Wilson con
verted no Democrats to his views and
that those Republicans who applauded
him have always believed in it. They
realize that they must deal with their
constituents who are against prepared
ness Of the type advocated by the
President, so they will not vote for It.
Therefore, the administration has set
them the task OF passing measure
which will look enough like actual pre-
paredness to save the Presidents face,
while it actually provides for so little
preparedness that the most pacific
Democratic, or Republican, voter can
not object OF it, That the latter end
was accomplished is shown by the fact
that not single avowed pacifst on the
Military Committee voted against the
bill. The Presidents face can be
saved, Of course, only TO the extent that
the advocates Of preparednss can be
film -fammed, and depends entirely on
the intelligence Of the voters. As
Mr.. Wilson has so long and so success
fully film hammed so many voters with
regard to his conduct Of foreign rela'
tions, he does not place a high esti-
mate on the intelligence Of the voters
and he is assuring his Democratic
friends in Congress that it is mere
child's play to TOOL all Of the voters
all Of the time"
AN UNJUST TAX:-Taking up the
reiterated assertion Of the Democrats
that The tariff is a tax; it is added TO
the price Of the article; the consumer
pays Eit," Representative Humphrey
scored the Democrats for voting to re-
tain tax Of cent pound on sugar.
Why shoul1 the party that has always
posed as a particulat friend OF the poor,
the enemy OF the rich, levy a tax on
sugar." he inquired, Certainly sugar
is necessity. Sugar is life. II you
must levy a tax, why not levy it as
nearly as possible according to the
ability Of those to pay it7 You have
said ten thousand times that tariff on
sugar was robbery; that it was an un.
just tax which oppressed the poor and
permitted the rich to escape their share
Of the burden Now you propose to
make the poor man pay as much tax
as the rich man. II your statements
in the past have been true, the day
laborer, who gets 50 a day, will pay as
much tax as a bank president. Do
you gentlemen on that side believe
this2 Did you ever believe i,1 Why,
if the Democratic doctrine be true the
man who, amid the dust and smoke Of
mill, mine or factory, laboring ten
hours day, supporting himself and
his family by the sweat OF lis brow, will
pay more Of this tax than the useless
parasite who spends his unearned mil e
lions, who rides in his high powered
auto, feeble mindedly putting bis dop-
ed cigarette, with his childless wife
and her perlumed Pomeraniap.
Gentlemen, did you ever believe,
what for years you have preached, ex,
eept during political campaigns when
he fatal hunger for Office was puaw.