Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-09-02
Selected by Tavenner

Let me impress upon the member
ship of this house, republicans ana
democrats and upon the intelligence
and patriotism of this country, that
when this measure passes ana inc
president signs II this nation VIII De
in dollars and cents the greatest mil
itarv-navaI nation the world has ever
seen. Our appropriations for the army
and navy will be $100.000,00O more
than for the appropriation for the
army and navy Of any nation on earth
prior to the European war. Neither
Russia with her immense militarism.
nor Germany, with her vast mllltar-
ism and navalism, nor Great Britain
with her huge navalism. ever expend-
ed in any one year in all their history
on their armies and navies as much
by 500, 000, 900 as our army and navy
program hereafter annually demands.
And they say we are sane ana con-
servative and patriotic!
Gentlemen, another thing: The
amount of annual appropriation for
the next and following years for this
hysterical preparedness, array DILL
fertilization bill, naval bill, will be
larger by over $150,000,000 than the
fabulous appropriation for which we
have and are now legislating, and will
total amount of taxes ever collected
from all sources in the history OF this
| government The amount of appro-
priations for this current fiscal year
| in the army and fertilization acts and
| in the naval bill now pending, includ-
| ing the $29, 100000 for the army in
the recent appropriation act, totals in
round numbers $640, 900, 900.
In 1915 we collected only 1925, 000,-
| 900 from tariff, from income, from IL
quor, from tobacco, from all special
/ taxes, and from the emergency rev.
enue act of October, 1914, and yet
! these appropriations for this session
| for preparedness require $640,000,00O,
SIS 900 900 more than the total amount
of taxes we raised from every source
in 1915. But for the next and sue
ceeding years this preparedness pro-
gram will demand annually at least
SITE, 900 900, $50 100000 more than was
ever raised from all sources of taxa
ton in any year in the history of the
| government.
| In 1912 we collected from all sources
of taxation s632,OOO,000.
| In 1913 we collected from all sources
of taxation $663, 100000.
| In 1914 we collected from all sources
/ of taxation $672 100000.
| In 1915 we collected from all sources
| Of taxation S625, ass 900.
! In 1916 we collected from all sources
of taxation s724,00O,000.
! In the collection of 1915 we had the
help of the emergency act of October,
1914, to the amount of $52 100000, and
| in the collection of 1916 it helped to
the amount of $84,000,O0
! In the next fiscal year, beginning
July /, 1917, and the following years
/ our army and navy and fertilization
| bills will reach from $750,000,000 to
$500, 100000 if the courage of the next
congress or. the good sense and reso-
luton of the people do not force a
modification of the present program.
| But if the program, for which both
parties are responsible, is to be car
ried out, the big revenue bill now
pending before congress will not raise
half enough money to meet the annual
preparedness appropriations for 1918
and 1919 and the succeeding years;
and within two years another revenue
! bill twice as big as the pending one
will have to be enacted, whether con-
gress is democratic or republican.
l warn the taxpayers of the coun-
| try My time has expired. 1 regret
that l have not the time to discuss the
| big, over-reaching objection to this
program. l shall have to be content
with saying that, in my judgment,
when order is restored in Europe. this
| program we are entering upon will be
fresh menace to the peace and hui
manity of the world. 1t condemns our
pretentions to international arbitra-
! ton, and a world peace as hypocrisy
, and mockery. (Applause)
| The Speaker. The time of the gen.
tleman has expired