The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-05-27
STRICTLY
BUSINESS
MES2iSE
President Wilso, dresses
Congress Toda Needs
of War Tax BnThis
Summer.
WILL PRoLoNG SESSION
Urges War Measure as Necessary on
the Day the Germans Be-
gin Their Newest
Offensive.
WILL PRoLoNG SESSION

| limited Press Leased Wire Service.]
| WASHINGTON, May 27.-Lnking
| his appeal with the resumption OF the
German drive on the west front. Pres
| ident Wilson today demanded that the
congress cast off political thought
and turn Immediately to the work OF
enacting a tax measure this session.
! Turning from his manuscript In
concluding forceful address to con-
! gress in joint session, the president
spoke extemporaneously:
Just as was leaving the white
house." he said, Il was brought the
news that Germany had apparently
resumed her. long expected drive on
the west front Surely you can real
| ize how that solemnized my feeling as
I / came to you and strengthens the
purpose that l have tried to express
in these lines"
The presidents address follows:
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 of the treas
ury for the conduct of the war.
have reason to appreciate as fully as
you do how arduous the session has
been. Your labors have been severe
and protracted You have passed a
long series of measures which re-
quired the debate of many doubtful
questions of judgment, the many ex-
ceedingly difficult questions OF prin-
ciple as well as of practice.
The summer is upon us in which
labor and counsel are twice arduous
and are constantly apt to be i'm
paired by lassitude and fatigue.
~ ~ \ nd yt-n
ought as soon as possible to- go and
trusteeship to the people who dele
gated us to act for them in the
weighty and arduous matters that
crowd upon us in these days of crit,
ical choice and action. But we dare
not go to the elections 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 I'M
availing. We have either done our
duty or we have not. The fact will
be as gross and plain as the duty it.
self In such a case, lassitude and
fatigue seem negligible enough. The
facts are tonics and suffice to freshen
the labor.
The facts are these:
Additional revenues must manifest
ly be provided for. 1t would be a
most unsound policy to raise too
large a proportion of them by loan
and it is evident that the four bill
lions now provided for by taxation
will not of themselves sustain the
greatly enlarged budget to which we
must Immediately look forward We
cannot in fairness await until the
end OF the fiscal year is at hand to
apprise our people of the taxes they
must pay on their earnings of the
present calendar year, whose ac-
countings and expenditures will then
be closed. We cannot get increased
taxes unless the country knows what
they are to be and practices the nee
essary economy to make them avail
able.
Definiteness. early definiteness, as
to what its tasks are to be is abSo-
lutely necessary for the successful
administration of the treasury; it
cannot frame fair and workable reg
uIations in haste; and it must frame
its recomm endations in haste if it is
not to do its exact task until the
very eve of its performance. The
present tax laws are marred. more
over by inequities which ought to be
remedied Indisputable facts, every
one; and we cannot alter Or blink
them To state them is argument
enough.
And yet, perhaps you will permit
me to dwell for moment upon stu
ations they disclose. Enormous
loans freely spent in the stimulation
OF industry of almost every sort pro
duce inf1ations and eEtravagances
which presently make the whole
economic structure questionable and