The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1917-08-13
Unlimited Debate on Revenue
Bill to Be Interesting.
CHANGES BY Committee
After Hearing Everybody Interested In
the Measure and Arriving at No Final
Decision, Members Decided 10 Let the
Entire Senate Wrestle With the Diff
cult Problems.
BY ARTHUR w. DUNN.

DJ Nh fbOh W. 1SANf.
Washington. Aug. 10. Especial -
The ak about taxation IL about the
only thing we will rear In the senate
for the next " or three weeks. Aft
or being held In committee for nearly
three months the revenue bill, with
it's numerous changes. is now In the
forum Of unlimited debate.
After hearing nearly everybody in
terested on one side or the other Of this
revenue question the members OF the
committee made up their minds that
the only thing TO do was to bring out
the bill with Its enormous tax burden
and see what the senate could do with
II. The senator's who nave been han
ding the war revenue measure have
come TO the conclusion that the people
must pay for this war, and this bill Is
nm indication Of what the wal actually
means In dollars and cents. And, even
SO, II provides in taxation only two bill
lions OF the seventeen billions that are
to be expended the first year.
Destroying State Lines.
It has been frequently asserted hat
state lines are being eliminated. At
no time. however, has the slogan or
state rights been used more vOcifer0us-
ly thar In regard to the proposed
amendment 10 the constitution proyid
ing for prohibition. IF that amend
ment is adopted" IL has often been
said. "it will go a long way toward
wiping out state lines" Perhaps this
Is true, but In the very nature OF things
il has been necessary for the federal
government TO 60 further and further
In the direction Of centralizing power
heretofore exercised by the states.
A few years ago when the woman
suffrage amendment was under consid-
GRAFTON one Of the most learned consti-
tutional lawyers OF the senate, al
though halling from a woman's suf-
frage state and most earnestly adyo
eating woman suffrage, refused TO vote
for the amendment because IL ended
to wipe u state lines I'm matters per
tanning TO elections. This same sena-
tor supported the prohibition amend
ment. although IL goes further In the
direction OF federal control than the
other.
"Shreds" Of the Constitution.
A great many senators think there
il nothing left but shreds Of the con
stitution. Many things have been done
TO take away the powers of the states.
such as Incorporating the national
guard into a federal force. In nearly
all of the legislation that has been
passed for the war there Is something
that has torn a hole or made a dent In
the constitution. If prohibition finally
passes and is followed by "A wom
suffrage amendment, then we will hear
more about tearing the constitution to
shreds."
Pork 10 Food.
There was a large attendance In the
house OF representatives the day the
two food control bills came up for
votes Oh the reports OF the conference
committee. Some surprise WAS ex-
pressed to find that the river and har-
Dor bill conference report vas put
: ahead Of the two important food bills.
! That's all right" remarked one of
the humorists of the house. 1T has
+ been charged over and over again that
( the river and harbor bin is packed full
OF pork. Now, IL that Is true this riv-
er and harbor bill ought to 20 ahead.
For isn't pork foodf'
And those who listened seemed to
think that this might make a valid
explanation.
/, Expedieney In Legislation.
The unusual amendment which was
attached to the joint resolution by the
t senate providing that national prohi-
4 bition should be effective only In case
I the proposed amendment were ratified
within six years was adopted Ms d
matter of eXpediency. The prohibit
tionists had some doubt whether there
was a two-thirds majority for the
amendment, but they were sure of Sc
curing the two-thirds in case the Hard
ing six year amendment were made d
t part of the resolution.
: All contested legislation is a compro
] mise, aud the constitution itself In full
0 of compromises, as every constitution
i al lawyer relates when discussing the
subject at great length. Therefore
] there is no reason why this prohibition
! amendment should not be a coInpro
t mise.
[ The First For 1920.
The first boomlet for president II
1920 came. as might be expected. from
Y Ohio. r.. w. Moore, member OF the
Democratic national committee for tina
state, while In Washington a shor
time ago proposed Governor James II
. Cox of Ohio for president In 1920. A
Ohio, for 81 many years a rock Tbbet
Republican state, elected the Demo