The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1918-06-21

they must effect? l cannot assure
the country of successful admins
tration of the treasury in 1918 if thu
question of further taxation is to bs
left undecided until 1919.
AT Crisis of the War.
The consideration that dominates
every other now, and makes every
other seem trivial and negligible, il
the winning Of the war. We are not
only in the midst of the war, we arr
at the very peak and crisis of it
Hundreds of thousands Of our men
carrying our hearts with them ant
our fortunes, are in the field, anC
ships are crowding faster and faster
to the ports of France and England
with regiment after regiment, thou.
sand after thousand, to join them un.
til the enemy shall be beaten ane
brought to a reckoning with mankind
There can be no pause or intermis.
sion. The great enterprise must, or
the contrary, be pushed with greater
and greater energy. The volume OF
our might must steadily and rapidly
be augmented until there can be nc
question of resisting it. If that is
be accomplished, gentlemen, money
must sustain to the utmost. Our
financial program must no more be
left in doubt or suffered to lag than
our ordnance program or our ship pro-
gram or our munitions program or our
program Of making millions of men
ready. These others are not pro-
grams, indeed, but mere plans upon
paper, unless there is to be an unques-
tionable supply of money.
Politics Is Adjourned.
That is the situation, and it is the
situation which creates the duty, no
choice or preference of ours. There is
only one way to meet that duty. We
must meet it without selfishness or
fear of consequences. Politics is ad-
journed. The elections will go to
those who think least of it; to those
who go to the constituencies without
explanations or excuses, with plain
record of duty faithfully and disin-
terestedly performed. l, for one, am
always confident that the people of
this country will give a just verdict
upon the service of the men who act
for them when the facts are such that
no man can disguise or conceal them.
There is no danger of deceit now. An
intense and pitiless light beats upon
every man and every action in this
tragic plot of war that is now upon
the stage. If lobbyists hurry to
Washington to attempt to turn what
you do in the matter of taxation to
their protection or advantage, the
light will beat also upon them. There
is abundant fuel for the light in the
records of the treasury with regard
to profits Of every sort. The profit
eering that cannot be got at by the
restraints of conscience and love of
country can be got at by taxation.
There is such protiteering now and
the information in regard to it is
avail and indisputable.
l am advising you to act upon this
matter of taxation now, gentlemen
not because l do not know that you
can see and interpret the facts and
the duty they impose just as well and
with as clear a perception Of the OBJ
legations involved as / can, but be,
cause there is a certain solemn salts.
faction in sharing with you the re
sponsibilities of such a time. Tn,
world never stood in such case be
fore. Men never before had so clear
or so maving vision of duty. know
that you will begrudge the work K
be done here by US no more than the
men begrudge US theirs who lie ir
the trenches and sally forth to theil
death. There is a stimulating com
radeship knitting US all together. AnC
this task to which l invite your imme,
date consideration will be performed
under favorable influences if we viii
look to what the country is thinking
and expecting and care nothing at al
for what is being said and believed
in the Hobbies of Washington hotels
where the atmosphere seems to make
it possible to believe what is be
lieved nowhere else.
People Ready to Bear Burdens.
Have you not felt the spirit of tn,
nation rise and it's thought become 1
single and common thought sine,
these eventful days came in which W,
have been sending our boys to tn
other side? / think you must reat
that thought, as / do, to mean this
that the people of this country ar,
not only united in the resolute pur
pose to win this war, but are read.
and willing to bear any burden ant
undergo any sacrifice that it may b,
necessary for them to bear in order t.
win it. We need not be afraid to ia,
them, if we lay taxes justly. w
know that the war must be paid TO
and that it is they who must pay TO
it, and if the burden is justly distribut
ed and the sacrifice made common
sacrifice from which meme escapes VIII,
can bear it at all, they will carry
cheerfully and with sort of solemn
pride. l have always been proud +
be an American, and was never NOR
proud than now, when all that we hav
said and all that we have foreseel
about our people is coming true. Tn
great days have come when the onl
thing that they ask for or admire !
duty greatly and adequately done
when their only wish for America j
that she may share the freedom sh
enjoys; when great, compellin
sympathy wells up in their hearts TO
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