The Tupelo journal., 1918-04-26
In nay speech at FULTON at the opening Of

OF our entrance into it was a dead issue over
winch the man whom they would elect to Con-
gress would have no control whatever, that |
III favor Of waging this campaign on live
ISSUES and not on dead ones, on matters relat-
ing to winning the war and not on the cause of
1t. | said that | thought that Mr.. Bryan had
assumed the proper attitude when he said the
only way out of the conflict was through it.
one OF my opponents, who spoke after | did,
my position. He even accused me of
lodging this dead issue. But this same oppo-
nent has recently sent out an announcement
in which he stands squarely on my
platform on this proposition. / am glad that
he has seen the light. I thought he would see
it as soon as he took the time to sit down quiet
~ and calmly and apply his better judgment
to the facts and conditions as they are.
Some Of my opponents are still Juggling
this dead issue into this campaign solely, l
think, for political purposes. They all know
that if, they should be elected to Congress, this
matter could not come before them in any form.
| believe that the people of the district will and
issue as an attempt to appeal to their emotions
and political prejudices in this critical period
in our national history when the everyday
citizen is earnestly endeavoring to follow only
the safe, sane and sober guide of his intelli-
gence.
A few friends of one my opponents are
recommending him very highly on account OF
his ability to stand by the administration. They
speak Of this as if it required extraordinary
skill and intelligence. But, in fact, this is the
easiest duty which your Congressman will have
to perform. Anybody can do that; and | am
confident that any of the candidates in the
field will do it if elected. They all say they
will. If you elect me your Congressman l will
do everything in my power to render to you
that high quality of service which you so justly
deserve; and | will make at least sufficient sue
cess at this that my friends will recommend me
thereafter for my active efforts, and not solely
for the passive service of standing by.
am in favor of taxing excess war profits,
swollen fortunes and surplus incomes sufficient
" to pay as much as half of the expense OF the
war. Congress is now raising only about 20
per cent of the cost of the war by taxation.
The boys from Fl to 81 years of age have been
drafted because they are most able to do the
fighting. But, if that is just and fair and right,
then it is surely just and fair and right to draft
money of those who are accommodating large
fortunes out of the war. We are now taking
about 81 per cent of excess war profits. Eng
and took 80 per cent of excess war profits last
year and is taking SO per cent this year.
While our boys are fighting in France we are
borrowing about II per cent OF the money
which we are using to carry on the war, thus
accLmulating an enormous debt for these boys
to pay when they return. We are allowing
large business concerns which were earning a
profit of Sc. 000, 600 in 1918 to make a profit of
oOsOOO,OOO III 1O1t , diiAA VIZ S1S CcthA14S OAAiS
about 81 per cent of the S24, 600, 900 for 1917
made directly out Of the war. If | am elected
your Congressman, | shall do everything | pos
sibly can to remedy this condition. If the boys
most able TO do the fighting are required to do
it, why should not as much be required of those
most able to pay for carrying on the war?
[ am in favor of peace just as soon as we
can secure a permanent peace on honorable
terms, a peace commensurate with the honor
and dignity of this republic. If | am elected
your Congressman, | shall insist on a vigorous
prosecution of the war to a successful conclu-
sion at the earliest possible moment.
IF | had been your Congressman last year,
realizing that mistakes would necessarily be
made in our hasty preparation for war, | would
have made it my business to see that Congress
was in possession Of the information necessary
to enable that body to assist in preventing and
correcting the mistakes. 1t would have been
an easy matter to have secured the passage of
a resolution through Congress requiring the
War Department to furnish that body with a
statement Of all supplies and equipment on
land and available. With this information, it
would have been easy to prevent the calling of
more men to the training camps than could be
clothed and cared for during a
severe winter. This would have saved the boys
some hardships and exposure and would per-
haps have saved the lives of some Of them;
and it would surely nave relieved to a great
extent the suffering and heart-ache of a very
great many of the mothers and sisters and
wives of the men in camp.
AS | have watched the women of this
country since we entered the war, / have real
lied as never before that this relief to them is a
Acct c0-npERATTVE come to this sect