The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-05-28
PRESIDENT TAKES CHARGE
OF WAR TAX TANGLE

WASHINGTON, May 27.-President
Wilson personally took charge of the
war tax legislation tangle today and
appearing Unexpectedly before joint
session of congress, declared it was
necessary to proceed Immediately with
new war tax laws.
Plans, which might have delayed the
work, but which involved a working
agreement between both parties hav-
ing fallen through. the president told
the legislators there was no way TO
meet the problem of financing the war
but to have congress remain in session
and go ahead at once.
1.-The consideration that dominates
every other now,'' said Mr.. Wilson,
land makes every other seem trivial
and negligible, is the winning of the
war. We are not only in the midst OF
the war, we are at the very peak and
crisis of it. Hundreds of thousands of
our men. carrying our hearts with them
and our fortunes, are in the field and
ships are crowding faster and faster
to the ports of France and England with
regiment after regiment, thousand after
thousand. to join them until the enemy
shall be beaten and brought to a reck-
oning with mankind. There can be no
pause or intermission. The great en-
terprise must, on the contrary, be
pushed with greater and greater en-
ergy. The volume of our might must
steadily and rapidly be augmented I'M
til there can be no question of resisting
it. If that is to be accomplished, gen
tlemen, 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.
Politics is Adjourned.
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 consequences. Politics is adj
journed. The elections will go to those
who think least of it; to those who go
to the constituencies without explana-
tions or excuses, with a plain record
Of duty faithfully and disinterestedly
performed. /. for one, am always con-
fident that the people Of the country
viii give a just verdict upon the SER
vice of the men who act for them when
the facts are such that no man can dis
guise or conceal them. There is noI
danger OF deceit now. An intense and
pitiless light beats upon every man
and every action in this tragic plot oil
war that is now upon the stage. ri
lobbyists hurry to Washington to at-t
tempt to turn what you do in the natl
ter of taxation to their protection or
advantage, the light viii 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 profitecring that cannot be got att
by the restraints of conscience and Lowell
OF country can be got at by taxation |
There is such profiteering now and thef
information with regard to it is avail
able and undisputable.
II am advising you 20 act upon this |
matter of taxatio2 now. gentlemen. not Il
because I do not know that you can
see and interpret the facts and the duty
they impose just as we'll and with as |
clear a perception of the obligations
involved as I can. but because there is |
a certain solemn satisfaction in shar-I
ing with you the responsibilities of
such a time. The world never stood in
such cases before. Men never befor.