Oxford Democrat., 1918-08-27
Congress Will Need Brains.

Editorial from indianapolis Star, July a.
1918. Reprinted by premission OF Indianapolis
Starr
The Democrats are trying hard to
create the impression that the war Is the
issue in the approaching elections and
that in some unexplained way 1t would
be an act of disloyalty to vote against
the Presidents party candidates. The
war is not in any sense an issue, and
never has been from the moment the
United States entered the conflict. The
President, to be sure, went back into
power on "he-kept us. out-of.war"
argument, but even that has been for
gotten since We became belligerent.
No selErespecting Democrat would
undertake to tell an audience of intel
ligent voters that the winning Of the
war is In any wise involved In the result
of the November contests. he and they
know that Democrats and Republicans
are united in tnee effort at bringing early
and complete success to the allied cause.
The Republicans In Congress and ont
have worked Loyalty TO support the ad.
ministration in It's war program. The
war will be won regardless OF which
party is In control.
The issue in the campaign is not the
winning of the war-that is q point on
which there is no difference OF opinion
but the rehabilitation Of the nation
after the war. At present the United
States is involved In the greatest money.
spending orgy In the history of the
world. The situation 10 accepted as In.
evitable, under existing conditions, but
It cannot continue indefinitely. There
must be an end to borrowing and the
spreading of treasure broadcast. The
nation must get back to normal, and
that return era will be one of the most
trying in the history OF the country.
The present prospect 10 that, even
with an early termination OF the war,
We shall come out of the struggle with
public debt In excess of go, ,000, ,000,-
600. That will mean an annual interest
charge of d, ,000, ,000, 900 or more, besides
money that must be provided for the
amortization Of the debt. The total Of
congressional appropriations. for 1915,
the year before the wsr, was only
$678, gu, $3.50, and that was 81 higher
than the aversge'in ton years previous.
| The normal after-war appropriations,
exclusive Of interest and debt items, will
be, OF necessity, much higher than In
other years to take care OF developments
resnlting from the war.
The people of tho country must ex-
pect, under most favorable conditions,
TO pay to the support Of the Government
after the ewar ct least three and more
like four or Eve times % much - they
were formerly assessed. That money
must be raised, not for war emergency,
and BY selling bonds, but - . regular
thing and - O. business proposition.
Tho nation has to get back from spend.
Ing 10 an earning and dossving basic. And
all that Will involve far-reaching
economic reorganization and readjust-
ment.
The Democratic party 10 notorionsly .
money waiter, whether In control OF
national, state or municipal affairs. 1t
has been lamentably weak on construo-
tive business policy. The people know
that. They have watched Democracy
perform In New York City, In Washing
ton and In SCORES OF other places where
u has gained temporary power only 70
bs ouited became Of IL OWE ! sxresssu
and Incompetence. 8.e.
.RveS in the excit6psnt Of the var the
public has not forgotten that four years
ago there was widespread unemploy-
ment In the United 6tates; that industry
wassioWing down; that We wsre IN the
throes Of . buy.arbsle movement % save
tha Southern cotton pl1ntet from ruin
that the Underwood tarih law waa
| - >QS.~<lvs falNno IN Al chat khn Damn.