The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1918-06-07
NOT PUT
OFF REVENUE BILL
President Calls on Congress to
Provide SineWs of War.
LAWMAKERS WILL YIELD
At Crisis Of War; No Pause Possible
Greatest OF All Bond Is
sues Coming In August,
He Says.

He Says.
Washington his appea
with the resumption of the German
drive on the west front, Presiden
Wilson demanded that Congress cas-
of political thought and turn imme
diately to the work of enacting a tai
measure this season.
Turning from his manuscript il
concluding a forceful address to Con
gress in joint session, the Presiden
spoke extemporaneously:
Just as l was leaving the White
House." be said, 81 was brought thu
news that Germany had APPARENT!
resumed her long-expected drive OF
the western front. Surely you cal
recognize how that l solemnized m!
feeling as came to you and strength
ems the purpose that have tried t.
express in these lines"
The Presidents Address.
Gentlemen of the Congress: 1t
is with unaffected reluctance that
/ come to ask you to prolong your
session long enough to provide
more adequate resources for the
Treasury for the conduct Of the
war. / have reason to appreciate
as fully as you do how arduous
the session has been. Your Ia
bors have been severe and pro-
tracted. You have passed long
series of measures which required
the debate of many doubtful ques-
lions of judgment and many exceed
ingly difficult questions Of principle
as well as of practice. The sum-
mer is upon us, in which labor
and counsel are twice arduous
and are constantly apt to be i'm
paired by lassitude and fatigue.
The elections are at hand, and we
ought as soon as possible to go
and render an intimate account of
our trusteeship to the people who
delegated US to act for them in
the weighty and anxious matters
that crowd upon us in these days
of critical choice and action.
But we dare not go to the cleo
lions until we have done our duty
to the full. These are days when
duty stands stark and naked, and
even with closed eyes we know it
IS there Excuses are unavailing.
We have either done our duty or
we have not. The fact will be as
gross and plain as the duty itself.
In such case lassitude and
fatigue seem negligible enough.
The facts are tonic and suffice to
freshen the labor.
And the facts are these:
Additional revenues must mani
testify be provided for. 1t would
be most unsound policy to raise
too large proportion OF them by
loan, and it is evident that the
$4,000, 000,0 900 now provided for by
taxation will not of themselves sus-
tain the greatly enlarged budget
to which we must Immediately
look forward. We cannot in fair
ness wait until the fiscal year is
at hand to apprise our people of
the taxes they must pay upon their
earnings of the present calendar
year. whose accountings and eX-
penditures will then be closed.
We cannot get increased taxes
unless the country knows what
they are to be and practices the
necessary economy to make them
available. Definiteness, early def
niteness as to what its tasks are
to be, is absolutely necessary for
the successful administration of
che Treasury. 1t cannot frame
fair and workable regulations in
haste; and it must frame its regu-
Iations in haste If 1t is not to know
its exact task until the very eve
Of its performance.
The present tax laws are married,
moreover, by inequities which
ought to be remedied. Indisput-
able facts, every one; and we cam
not alter or blink them. To state
them is argument enough.
And yet, perhaps, you will per-
init me to dwell for moment
upon the situation they disclose.
Enormous loans freely spent in
the stimulation Of industry Of al
most every sort produce mutations
and extravagencies which present
ly make the whole economic struc-
fure questionable and insecure
and the very basis of credit is cut
away. Only by fair, eQuitably dis
tributed taxation, Of the widest in
cidence and drawing chiefly from
the sources which would be likely
to demoralize credit by their very
abundance, can we prevent inf1a-
ton and keep our industrial sys-
tenn free of speculation and waste.
n W. shall ~ furo1Iv turn fhoraf0rp