The Benson signal., 1918-06-01

Cn6 winning OF the war. we are uOI
only in the midst of the 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, thousand after thou
sand, to join them until the enemy
shall be beaten and brought to a
reckoning with mankind
There can be no pause or intermis-
sion. The great enterprise must on
the contrary be pushed with greater
and greater energy. The volume O.
our might must steadily and rapidly
be augmented until there can be no
question of resisting it. 1t 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 pro-
gram OK our program for making mil
lions of men ready. These others are
not programs, indeed, but mere plans
upon paper, unless there is to be an
unquestionable supply of money.
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 consequence Politics is ad-
journed.
'"Tne elections will go to those who
Nf To rhO n
the constituencies without explanation
or excuses, with plain record OF duty
faithfully and disinterestedly per-
formed.
81, for one, am always confident
that the people of this country will
give 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.
eff lobbyists hurry 10 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 ev-
cry sort. The profiteering that cannot
be got at by the restraints OF con-
science and love of country can be
got at by taxation. There is such
profiteering now, and the information
with regard to it is available and In
disputable.
Il am advising you to act upon this
matter of taxation now, gentlemen,
not because / do not know that you
can see and interpret the facts and
the duty they impose just as well and
with as clear perception of the OBJ
legations involved as l can, but be-
cause there is a certain solemn salts
faction in sharing with you the re-
sponsibilities of such a time. The
world never stood in such case before.
Men never before had so clear or SO
moving a vision of duty. I know that
you will begrudge the work to be done
here by us no more than the men be-
grudge us theirs who lie in the
trenches and sally forth to their
death. There is stimulating COM
radeship knitting us all together.
"And this task to which l invite
your immediate consideration will be
performed under favorable influences
if we will look to what the country is
thinking and expecting and care moth
ing at all for what is being said and
believed in the lobbies Of Washington
hotels, where the atmosphere seems to
make it possible to believe what is be-
lieved nowhere else.
People Ready to Bear Burden BraveIy.
"Have you not felt the spirit OF the
nation rise and it's thought become a
single and common thought since
these eventful days came in which we
have been sending our boys to the
other side? l think you must read
that thought, as I do, to mean this,
that the people of this country are
not only united in the resolute pur-
pose 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.
eve 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 II
CuC UuIU0u 10 justly OAoIAAOueNN "AAN
the sacrifice made common sacrl-
flee from which none escape who can
bear it at all, they will carry it cheer
fully and with sort of solemn pride.
I have always been proud to be an
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
is that she may share the freedom
she enjoys; when great compelling
sympathy wells up in their hearts for
men everywhere who suffer and are
oppressed, and when they see at last
the high uses for which their wealth
has been piled up and their mighty
power accumulated and, counting
neither blood nor treasure, now that
the final day of opportunity has come,
rejoice to spend and to be spent