The Mankato free press., 1920-09-24


are In dispute and 1t is claimed that
they are not correct either from an
astrological or strategic standpoint;
Lloyd George, Clemenceau and Pre-
sident Wilson, without accurate
knowledge Of local conditions; when
we realize that all Of eastern Europe
is in turmoil of discord and discon
tent, with Russia in the hands OF a
tyrannical~ dictatorship worse than
slavery, with the red army ravaging
eastern Europe, Italy in the throes Of
communisic revolution, ask you IL
you are prepared, without safeguard,
to jcin military alliance TO guar
antee the territorial integrity and
existing political Independence of
everyone of these nations In eastern
Europe? q.
in Europe that Article 10, ss an alb.
solute guaranty, is a faiiurS and will
either be eliminated or remain inef.
fective. Was 1t not wiser for the
American people to honestly state In
reservation that they did not obli
gate themselves to carry out these
'aranties and that the Congress- OF
the United States had the sole power
to declare war and authorize the en-
ployment and military and naval for
ces?
Voting Power Unequal.
One OF the most important re-
servations eQuali2ed the voting power
in the league. For some unaccount-
able reason the president provided
In the treaty that any nation having
should be entitled to cast one vote
for each of them. Under the provi-
sion, the British Empire became en-
titled to six votes, while the United
States had but one vote, despite the
fact that the United States has at
least twenty five million more Eng
lish speaking people that the entire
British Empire or any other nation
in the world Great Britain was will
ling to accept this reservation for
as one Of her statesman said. we
could not expect the United States,
with q greater English speaking po-
pulation, to have less number OF
votes than the British Empire" Who
is there who Is willing to stand be-
fore the peope OF the United States
and advocate that this country shall
have but one vote and three repre- :
sentatives In the League Of Nations,
while the British Empire has six
Loss Of Budget System. ~
/ desire to discuss on this occasion
the efforts by the republicans to re-
duce government expenditures by es-
tablishing scientific budget system
gree Of economy and efficiency. When
the democratic congress expired on
March fourth. 1919. 1t had frittered
away three months time. failed to
pass the annual appropriation bills,
the enactment Of which was neces-
sary before July /, 1919, although the
departments had submitted their es-
Inmates and recommendations to the
president. the president had submit
ted them to congress, and many of the
bills were pending before commit
tees and upon the calendars of the
house and senate. L.
The president therefore was COM
pelled to convene republican con-
gress In an extra session on the
nineteenth Of May. 1919, and before
the end of the fiscal year. July /, 1919.
the republicans had considered the
by reducing appropriations effected
an economy OF $939,69254197 This
economy represented reductions. in the
recommendations submitted by the
various departments, and In the next
ensuing year the executive depart
ments submitted their estimates and
recommendations. to the secretary OF
the treasury and the president trans
mitted them to the congress demand
ing $6,334,312,929.46, which the admin
istration deemed necessary to operate
the government during the fiscal
year beginning July l. 1920.
During the session which has just
closed the republicans examined and
bills with great diligence, reducing
the, amount of appropriations $1,-
474,422, ,602.16 from the amounts re-
quested by the president and the var
ious departments. The republican
congress during these two sessions
achieved total reduction of approx
mately two and half billion dollars.
! Pledge Of Economy.
Genuine economy and efficiency IN
the executive departments of the
government can only be obtained
through the CO. operation Of the pre-.
sident, his cabinet officers, the direc-
tors of the various bureaus and the
congress in an effort ITO reduce expen-
ditures With characteristic incon-
sistency ond dire ignorance OF the fn-
ancial condition Of the government,
the democratic platform condemns
the present congress for its failure to
reduce taxes. Taxes were not reduc-
ed during the last session Of congress
because the republican congress jn-
herited from the democrats a deficit
over ond above the bonded and funded
public debt Of approximately three
billion dollars. We recognize that
the only way to reduce taxes Is TO re-
duce expenses and 1t is impossible
Tor the government to continue to is
sue and sell bonds to cover the cur
rent operating expenses, In view of
imitation and the present bond mar
ket.
The repubncanebelief that the mon
ey derived from taxes this coming
coming year and the further reduction
In. appropriations will enable them to
wipe out large portion Of this deficit
and prepare for the revision Of
existing revenue laws reducing the
tax levies which bear 30 heavily upon
the American people, commerce and
industry 1t Is estimated that the pre-
sent year will show q surplus of ST.
LAG, ,604, 1908 over and above the reg
ular government expenditures.
II there Is any question at the pre-
sent time which demands the earnest
attention Of thoughtful men In this
country It is the establishment of a
budget system providing for the