The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-05-14
Ownership of "Gored Bull" Becomes Essential Cues tion When Standing by
 the President
NEVER BEFORE HAVE CONGRESSMEN BEEN
 IN SUCH HOT WATER
Automobile, Patent Medicine, Soft Drink, Musical Instrument Deal CTS and Newspaper Owners
 Protest Passage of Pro-
 posed Revenue Bill
By HUGH W. ROBERTS

By HUGH W. ROBERTS Washington, May 13.--tSpeciaID--In
 painful contrast with the lofty strain which came from the state only a few
 days ago. there now emanates from
 Alabama a sinaularIy harsh and pro-
 Ionged note of protest.
 Then the cry was: "stand by the President in all matters Now 1t is: , bill at all costs.'' On the surface it would appear that while the people of
 Alabama and other states are will ing to raise army of young men by conscriptfon in order that Germany
 might be crushed they are aggressive Iy unwilling to contribute their share
 toward the payment of the bill. It would appear that the heart of
 the nation is it's pocixetbook. At any rate. it is apparently case involving the ownership of the Eored bull. FLOOD OF TELEGRAMS @'SN VI pVlVtc nave IcpTtSellldllNeS DeGu inundated by suchsa flood of protesting, tefegrams. The new revenue bill, for which it's author, MT. Ilitchin of North Carolina, will vote only with his nose in the grasp of his fingers, touches the
 pocket of practically every business man in the United States. All of them are making the atmosphere discerdant with their cries. If Congress acts according to their suggestions, the new bill in it's every paragraph, will be rejected. The most violent protests from Alabama are entered by dealers in automobiles, patent medicines, soft drinks, billboards and musical instruments, and by owners of newspapers The latter are insistent that those features of the revenue bill which increase postal rates and put in the treasury of the government a certain beaten.
 Automobile dealers declare that the at- tack on them will put to an end the
 good road movement in Alabama. Soft drink agencies represent that their business is essential to the continued ex- istence of prohibition laws.
 1 Those most interested have concluded that the government should not handicap D traffic in musical instruments because in time of war, such instruments, in their | uplifting attributes. are not luxuries. but virtual necessities.
 The very nature of the revenue bill in- dicates the great exigency by which the nation is confronted. In order that sur- fcient money may be raised, democrats are seen departing from the beaten path of tariff for revenue only'
 | OLD DOCTRINE ABANDONED Import duties of the Underwood tariff
 bin are increased 10 per cent. and a 10
 per cent duty is imposed on those neces- saries which the Underwood bill would admit free of duty On account Of the
 need of money and the attitude of the
 administration, it is freely predicted that the bill, in its essentials, will be enacted Senator Bankhead this afternoon, hav- ing in mind the flood of protesting tele- grams from Alabama, and without com
 hitting himself to any course of pro cedure, expressed the concrete thought that it would be well for all cis:zens to forego the idea of making money dur ing the period of the war.
 Few people,, said Senator Bankhead, , realize the serious nature of the situa- ticn. If Russia sidetracks the issue, the war will continue in all probability for several years The United States will be burGened by an expenditure of s20.OcO 00O.-
 0M. The government will be compelled to extract by taxation the surplus which the rich possess, and all but the living wage of the poor.
 FOLLOW THE FLAG 'The revenue bill ts the most drastic 1 ever presented to Congress It Is writ ten to raise greater revenue than any other bill ever introduced before the Con-
 gross of any nation. It admittedly con- tains discriminatory features. These, we hope. will be corrected. However, the fact remains that in time of war,
 everybody must shoulder the burden and
 bea. it as patiently as possible Patriot
 ism consists of more than mere declara- ! ton of principles. It carries with it for bearance, suffering and even self-immo- llation. We are In war. and must follow the flag"
 l In answering the innumerable telegrams protesting against features of the bill.
 the members are not committing them selves. They cannot say what they will i be in position to do. If the administra- E tion continues to insist on the passage
 of the bill as written, they will probably
 be able to do nothing