The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-05-27
PRESIDENT WILSON'S SPEECH
BEFORE CONGRESS TODAY

the certificates if they do not certain
ly know where the money is to come
from which is to take them up and
how are investors to approach the
purchase of bonds with any sort OF
confidence or contributing of their
own affairs if they do not know what
taxes they are to pay and what econ
omies and adjustments of their bust
ness they must effct- cannot as
sure the country of a successful ad-
ministration of the treasury in 1918
if the question of further taxation is
to be left undecided until 1919
The consideration that dominates
other seem trivial, and negligible, is
the winning of the war. We are not
only in the midst of war; we are at
the very peak and crisis of it. Hun
dreds of thousands of our men, carry
ing our hearts with them and our for
tunes, are in the field and ships are
crowding faster and faster to the
ports of France and England, with
regiment after regiment, thousands
after thousands to join them, until the
enemy shall be beaten and brought
to reckoning with mankind. There
can be no pause or intermission. The
great enterprise must, on the con-
trary, be pushed with greater and
TSreater energy. The volume of our
might must steadily and rapidly be
question of resisting it. If that is to
be accomplished, gentlemen. money
must sustain it to the utmost. Our
financial program must no more be
left in doubt or suffered to lag than
our ordnance program or our ship
program or our munitions program
or our program for making millions
OF men ready. These others are not
programs, indeed, but mere plans
upon paper, unless there is to be an
unquestionable supply of money.
1t Is Duty Alone.
- That is the situation and it is the
situation which creates the duty thru
no choice or preference of ours
There Is only one way to meet that
duty We must meet it without sell
f1shness or fear of consequence. Poll
tics is adjourned. The elections will
go to those who think least of it
To those who go to the constituencies
without explanation or excuses, with
] a plain record of duty faithfully and
dlsinterestedly performed. I, for one
| am always confident that the people
! of this country will give a just YER
/ dict 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
1 beats upon every man and every ac-
] ton in this tragic plot of war that is
I 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 ad-
vantage, 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 profiteering that cannot be got
at by the restraints of conscience and
love of country can be got at by tax
/ alton. There is~such profiteering now
and the information with regard to it
| is available and indisputable. I am
! advising you to act upon this matter
! of taxation now, gentlemen, not be-
/ cause I don't know that you can see
and interpret the facts and the duty
they impose just as well and with as
clear perception of the obligations
involved as I can, but because there
| is certain solemn satisfaction in
| sharing with you the responsibility of
| such a time
The world never stood in such a
| case before Men never before had so
clear or SO moving a vision of duty.
1 know that you will begrudge the
| work to be done here by US no more
I than the men begrudge US theirs, who
| lie in the trenches and rally forth to
| their death. There is a stimulating
comradeship knitting US all together.
And this task to which 1 invite your
| immediate consideration will be per-
! formed under favorable influences il
| we will look to what the country is
thinking ana expecting ana care nOth-
ing at all 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
believed nowhere else.
Have you not felt the spirit of the
nation rise and its thought become a
single and common thought since
these eventful days came in which we
have been sending our boys to the
other side? 1 think you must read tina,
~ ~ r n 70 - -,
people of this country are not only
united in the resolute purpose to win
this war, but are ready. and willing to
bear any burden and undergo any
! sacrifice that it may be necessary for
them to bear in order to win it. We
| need not be afraid to tax them if we
lay taxes justly They know that the
war must be paid for and that it is
they who must pay for it and if the
burden is justly distributed and the
I sacrifice made common sacrifice
from which none escapes who car
bear it at all, they will carry it cheer
fully and with a sort of solemn pride.
1 have always been proud to be ar
American and was never more proud
than now. when all that we have said
and all that we have foreseen about
our people is coming true.
The great days have come when the
only thing that they ask for or admire
is duty, greatly and adequately done
when the only wish for America i:
that she may share the freedom she
enjoys; when a great, compelling sym.
pathy wells up in their hearts for mer
everywhere who suffer and are op.
pressed and when they are at last the
high uses for hich their wealth ha.
been piled and their mighty power &C
cumulated and counting neither BLOOD
nor treasure now that the final day o,
opportunity has come, rejoice to spend
and to be spent thru a long night OF
suffering and terror in order that they
and men everywhere may see tbs
dawn of a day of righteousness ant
justice and peace. Shall we grow
weary when they bid US Net?