The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-08-07
COX SAYS TREATY
IS BIG ISSUE Of
COMING CAMPAIGN
.iContlnued from page u

CONTINUED from paGe ~
company with Germany. Russia. Tur-
key and Mexico. 1t would entail, In
the ultimate more rral injury than
the war itself.
Advocates Ratification,
The first duty Of the new admins
tration clearly will be the ratification
OF the treaty The matter should he
approached without thought Of the bit
ternesS Of thu past. The public YER
dict viii have been rendered, and !
am confident that the friends of world
peace as 1t Will be promoted by the
league. will have IN numbers the con
stitutional requisite to favorable sena
torial action. The captious may say
that our platform reference TO reserva-
meaning, In brief. is that we shall
state our Interpretation Of the cove
naut As matter Of good faith to our
associates and as precaution against
any misunderstanding in the future.
The point is, that after the people shall
have spoken. the league viii be in the
hands of it4 friends In the senate, and
a safe index as to what they viii do
Is supplied by what reservations they
have proposed in the past
We hear it said that interpretations
are unnecessary, That may be true,
but they will at least be reassuring TO
many OF our citizens. who feel that
in signing the treaty there should
be no mental reservations that are
not expressed In plain words.
II was the desire to get things started,
that prompted some members OF the
senate to vote for the Lodge reserva
tons Those who Consclentiously voted
for them in the final roll calls realized
however that they acted under duress.
In that politically higoted minority
was the arbitrary mower OF
its position to enforce drastic condi
tons Happily the voters OF the re|
public, under our system OF govern
ment, can remedy that situation, and
have faith that they will, at the cleo
ton this fan Then organized govern
ment win be enabled to combine I'M
pulse and facility In the making OF
better world conditions. The agencies
Of exchange will automatically adjust
themselves to the opportunities Of com
mercial freedom New life and re-
newed hope will take hold Of every ma
ton. Mankind will press a reSolute
shoulder to the task Of reimbursement,
and Il new era will have dawned upon
the earth.
Domestic Problems Pressing.
We have domestic problems TO be
settled. They are most pressing, Many
conditions growing out Of the war VIII
not and should not continue.
One Of the first things to be done IL
the repeal OF war taxes To have
paid by current taxes more than one
third Of the expense OF the greatest war
In the history of mankind, Is reflection
on the high sense OF national duty with
which we of America view the obliga-
lions of this generation. Immediately
following the armistce measures to
modify generous and annoying taxation
should have been taken and the Re-
publican congress In which all tax
l.snr sf.rtF to nd yKh
almost two years has exclusively held
the power 10 ameliorate this condition,
has not made a single effort or passed
single law TO lift from the American
people a load OF war taxation that
cannot be tolerated in time OF peace,
Federal taxation must be heavily re
duced and il will be done at once, II
a Democratic administration is chosen
in November Without hampering cs-
sential national administrative depart
ments, by the elimination of all others
and strict economy everywhere, national
taxes can be reduced in excess OF Two
billion dollars yearly, ANNOYING con-
sumption taxes once willingly borne,
now unjustified, should be repealed,
form OF taxation than the So
called excess profits tax may be
found and | suggest a small tax prob
ably one to one and one-half per cent
on the total business OF every going
the term business" as used does not
include income received by wage earn
ers, salaried men, agricuturists and
the small business man who should be
exempt from this tax. The profitecr
and some Of the highly capitalized units
have used the excess profits tax as
favorite excuse for loading on the con
sumner by means OF highly inflated sell
ing prices many times the amount ac-
tually paid the government
lsV H.hka
capital is drawing out Of industry and
finding investment in nontaNable Sc
curities, This will cease II the changes
suggested are made.
We are a busy people, preoCcupied
In too large degree with purely com
mercial considerations, and we have not
recognized as we should that the fail
ure OF government to prevent inCQual
sties has made ii possible for mlschicv-
ious spirits to develop prejudice against
the institutions Of government, rather
than against administrative policy.
There is a very important difference
here. This difference bears directly
on prOfiteering, which is today the
most sinister influence In American
life. II is not a new thing in Amer
lea. The tribe Of profitocrs has simply
multiplied under the favoriug crcuW-
stances az war, For years large con
trihuuons have been made 60 the Re
publican campaign fund for uu pur-
pose except TO tAN governmental tN-
derhold. and to make Illegal profits as
the result Of preference. Such iHrg-
csses are today greater menace 10 our
contentmeut and rur Institutions than
the countless temporary pruftrrrs who
are making muCkrry Of honest bust
ness. but who can hive and fattsn only
in time OF disturbed prices n am
called to service as president means
will be found. II they do not already
exist, for compelling these exceptions
TO the great mass ~ square dealing
same yardsttCk ot honesty that governs
most Of us in our dealings with our f,l.
low men. or IN language that they may
understand. 10 suffer ~. penalty OF
criminal law
Fabulous Contributions.
There is another reason far the fab
ulous contributions TO the present Re
publican campaign fund Much muu,,
of course. has been subscribed n proper
partisan zeal, hut the bulk has been
given with the definite itrA az CANINE
service in return. Many captains ut Dr..
dustry guided by moss d4uL,rru-
industrial philosophy hrN,v. iltt IH
controversy between employer and ,u
ploye their win should be- ru.nr.,d
even at the point Of the hayor.f
speak knowingly I have passed Through
many serious industrial tr0GHlr- Jus.
putes between labor and capital a'u .u
evtlable The DISPOSITION tu gam ~,
best bargain possible characterize, nh.
whole field - exchange, whether ~
be product t0T product. or labor fu,
money II strikes ar, prolonged "4Nlu
opinion always settles tt,w IulU
opinion is Tine most lut,r sting .Nua,-
terIstio Of "A democracy and o. 5s III