The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1918-05-27

The president called upon congress
to eliminate politics from the consd-
Grafton. Politics, he said, is "ad-
journed." The principal increases in
taxation, the president said, should be
on incomes, war profits and luxuries.
Warmed Against Lobbying.
1t would be manifestly unfair the
president said. to wait until 1919 be-
fore determining what the new taxes
would be. The presidents address was
comparatively brief taking less than
fifteen minutes for delivery.
In specific terms the president gave
a distinct warning against lobbying in
connection with the new bill.
There is indisputable evidence of
profiteering at present, the president
said, and he declared 1t must be
reached by the new legislation.
"Profiteering that cannot be got at
by restraints of conscience" said the
president, "can be got at by taxation"
There need be no hesitancy in taxing
the country, the president tcld con-
gress, if it were taxed justly. He ap-
peaed to congress to approach the
great task without setishness or fear
of political consequences.
"An intense and pitiless light beats
upon every man and every action In
the tragic plot of war that is now upon
the stage" said the president.
Do Work Ungrudsu gIy.
The president concluded with an ap-
peal to congress to do its work un-
grudgingly, and said he could nat !
guarantee a proper administration of
the treasury unless the question were |
settled at once.
When he had concluded his address /
the president Unexpectedly made a |
brief extemporaneous statement, in !
which he said that just as he was leav- !
ing the White House for the capitol he
had heard that the new German drive
apparently had just begun and that IT
added to the solemnity of his concep-
ton Of the country's duty.
Majority Leader kitchin, as chair
man of the house ways and means
committee, will Immediately tegin
plans for the revenue legislation, and
Chairman Simons, of the senate
finance committee. held conference
Immediately after the presidents
speech.
Text Of Address.
The presidents address in full fol-
ows:
Gentlemen of the congress: 1t
is with unaffected reluctance that
| come to ask you to prolong your
session long enough to provide
more adequate 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 protracted.
You have passed a long series of
measures which required the de-
bate of many doubtful questions
of judgment and many exceedingly
difficult questions of principle. as
well as of practice. The summer
is upon us, in which labor and
counsel are twice afduous and are
constantly apt to be impaired by
lassitude and fatigue. The cleo
tions are at hand and we ought as
soon as possible TO go and render
an intimate account of our trus-
teeship to the people who dele
weghty and anxious matters 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 IL is there.
Excuses are unavailing. We have
either done our duty or we have
not. The fact will he as gross and
plain as the duty itself. In such
case lassitude and fatigue seem
negligible enough. The facts are
tonic and suffice TO freshen the
labor.
Pertinent Facts.
And the facts are these: Addi-
tional revenues must manifestly
be provided for. II would be
most unsound policy to raise too
large a proportion Of them by loan.
and /, is evident that the four bill
lions now provided for hy taxation
will not Of themselves sustain the