Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-02-07
"Straiaht Talk From a Texan"

Representative Martin Dies Of
Texas has told the truth with force
and clarity to bis colleagues in the
House more than once. A Texan and
q Democrat the party livery fits him
loosely on occasion. Never did he
utter soundcr sense than in the de-
bate on the agricultural appropriation
bill. reported in the Record Of ,Janu-
airy 81. OF one form of aid for
farmers he said:
Mr.. Chairman. when members talk
about loaning money to the farmers Of
this country. and talk about Democrats
and Republicans, il makes an honest
non-partisan man laugh. me best
thing you can do for the farmers OF j.
country is to let them alone ana qrit
spending their money and taxing III!
eternal life out OF them.
With this as a text Mr.. Dies dis
closed certain old fashioned but emf
nently sound opinions on government
in general:
Il wish the farmers o. this country
and the taxpayers Of our land. might
have return OF the Old Democratic
and Republican theory that government;
vs. not created to support the people.
but that it is creature to be supported
Dv the people.
4ne Great mistake We are !nakln=.
my friends, here now is that we &c
practising hypocrisy upon the peop.e.
We are leading them to believe that the
Government can support them and l fl
them by their boot straps out of their
financial difficulties when as honest mea
We should say to them that all that the
Government can do is to protect their
life and their liberty and tax them t.
support the Government
Il have been here l" years and ! am
COinr nnW-'
"a ME:1EEH: And voluntarily too.
Mr. DIES: Yes: and l will tell you
what you have done. and l hope ,ou
will take it in good part:
You have taken the fairest and best
Government ever known among Men
and you are making it into the most
dcSpicaDie Socialism.
You took the American people At =
time when they believed they could
support themselves and their Govern
ment. and you are teaching them hour
by hour and dav by day to expect that
their Government shall support them.
Instead of telling our magnificent
army. when the boys are coming back
from France and are being tlemobiiiZea,
to go back TO their Jobs and engage in
their former industries, YOU are LEADING,
them to believe that the Government
shall take it upon itself as duty to
support them.
rs it," asked MIR. Dies Of his COL
people, He answered his own qucs-
ton th.s:
NO You will not help the people UNI
less You tell them that the Government,
has but one duty 20 the citizen, and
that is to protect his life and property
and give him an equal and fair race il
this world. ApplA use)
And rou are teaching him that the
/ t" of the Government is to help him.
'My beloved country. do not know !:
we are losing the greatest republic the
world has ever seen.
Talk about international democra-
cies! 1t is being swamped amid nebu-
lous phrases and unintelligible jargon.
Would to God the President of the Unit
ed states would get on the Tennessee
and come home and preserve this repub-
lie tappausc) rather than NEEDLE
We are casting the lot of the people
OF America. the peace ard destinies of
our country into what? Into the hotch--
notch of the quarrels and poverty and
woe and destruction of Europe.
You know. when this is all over. my
friends. l will be out home farming. and
gu who are left here will read Wash
ington's Farewell address with more
respect than you have ever read 1T be-
fore. (Applause.C'
the conceptions of government and
American duty adherence to which
made the United States a mighty and
independent Power. Those concep-
tions still receive the support of far
sighted and intelligent Americans, and
their discussion can never be more
appropriate or more enliShteninS
than in the perilous days through
which the nation is passing.-Ncw
York Sun