The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1918-05-28
President In Address to Congress
Demands War Tax Revenue
Legislation.
QUIT POLITICS IS PLEA
Consideration Dominating Every Other
Now is Winning of War Says
Executive-Profiteer Must
Be Crushed BY Taxation.

Washington, May 2S- President
Wilson personally took charge of the
war tax legislation tangle and appear
ing Unexpectedly before joint session
of congress, declared it was necessary
to proceed Immediately with new war
tax laws. He spoke as follows:
The Presidents Message.
Gentlemen of the congress-:
1t is with unaffected reluctance that
l come to ask you to prolong your ses-
sion long enough to provide more ade-
quate 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
labors have been severe and protract-
ed. You have passed long series of
measures which required the debate
OF many doubtful questions of judg-
ment and many exceedingly difficult
questions of principle as well as OF
practice. The summer is upon us in
which labor ald counsel are twice ar
duous and are constantly apt to be inn
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 mat
ters that crowd upon us in these days
of critical 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 unavail-
ing. We have either done our duty or
we have not. The fact will be as gross
and plain as duty itself. In such a
case lassitude and fatigue seem neg
ligible enough. The facts are tonic,
and suffice to freshen the labor
Additional Taxes Needed.
And the facts are these. Additional
revenues must manifestly be provided
for 1t would be most unsound policy
to raise too large proportion of them
by loan and it is evident that the four
billions 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 wait 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 cal
endar year, whLse accountings and ex
penditures WI then be closed. We
cannot get increased taxes unless the
country knows what they are to be
and practises the necessary economy
to make them available. Definiteness
early definiteness, as to what it's tasks
are to be Is absolutely necessary fol
the successful administration of the
treasury. 1t cannot frame fair ant
workable regulations in haste. And Il
must frame it's regulations in haste i
it is not to know its exact task unit
the very eve of it's performance.
The present tax laws are marred
morever, by inequities which ought tt
be remedied. Indisputable facts, ev
cry one; and we cannot alter or blinl
them To state them is argumen
enough.
Would Prevent Imitation.
And yet perhaps you will permit m'
to dwell for moment upon the situa
ton they disclose. Enormous loan
freely spent in the stimulation of In
dustry of almost every sort produce in
flations and extravagances w which pres
emily make the whole economic struc
ture questionable and insecure and tn
very basis of credit is cut away Onl
fair, equitably distributed taxation o
the widest incidence and drawing
chiefly from the sources which woul,
be likely to demoralize credit by thei
very abundance, can prevent imitation
and keep our industrial system fre
nd ctn O q
naturally turn, therefore, / suppose I
war profits and incomes and luxurie
for the additional taxes. But the wa
profits and incomes upon which tn
increased taxes will be levied wi
be the profits and incomes of the ca
endar year 1918. 1t would be man
festIy unfair to wait until the earl
months OF 1919 to say what they ar
to be.
tt might be difficult, I should ina,
ine, to run the mill with water tha
had already gone over the wheel
Politics Is Adjourner.
That Is the situation, and It Is tn
situation which creates the duty, n
choice or preference Of ours. There
only one way to meet that duty. w
must meet. 1t without selfishness {
fear of consequences. Politics Is a.
journed The elections will go
those who think least of IT, to thos
who go to the constituencies witho'
explanation or excuses, with a plai
record of duty faithfully and disinte
estedly performed for one, am q
ways confident that the people OF thl
country will give a Just verdict upo
the service of the men who act fc
them when the facts are such that n
man can disguise or. conceal then
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