The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-08-07

who feel that in signing the treaty,
there should be no mental reservations
that are not expressed in plain words,
as a matter of good faith to our asso-
ciates. Such interpretations possess
the further virtue of supplying a base
upon which agreement, without injury
to the covenant, is now of pressing
Importance. 1t was the desire to get
things started, that prompted some
member of the senate to vote for the
Lodge reservations. Those who con-
scientiously voted for them in the final
roll calls realized however that they
acted under duress, in that political
lily bigoted minority was exercising
the arbitrary power of it's position to
enforce drastic conditions. Happily
the voters of the republic, under our
system of government, can remedy
that situation, and l have the faith
that they will, at the election this fall
Then organized government win be
enabled to combine impulse and ia
cility in the making of better world
conditions. The agencies of exchange
will automatically adjust themselves
to the opportunities of commercial
freedom. New life and renewed hope
will take hold Of every nation. Man
kind will press a resolute shoulder to
the task of readjustment, and new
era will have dawned upon the earth.
Domestic Problems.
We have domestic problems to be
settled. They are most pressing.
Many conditions growing out of the
war will not and should not continue.
The work of REIMBURSEMENT will call
for our best energy, ingenuity, unset
lfishness and devotion to the idea that
1T is the general welfare we must pro-
mote. One Of the first things to be
done is the repeal Of war taxes. The
entry of America into the world war
projected our people into an I'M
paralleled financial emergency, which
was faced with a determination to
make every sacrifice necessary to
victory Billions in liberty loans sub
scribed by patriots regardless of
their financial condition were instant
lily placed at the disposal of the gov
lernment. and other billions were glad
lily paid into the treasury through
many forms of taxation. 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 ma
Itional duty with which we Of Amer,
lea view the obligations Of this gener'
iatfon. Immediately following the
armistice, measures to modify oner-
Gus and annoying taxation should
have been taken and the republican
congress in which all tax laws mus
originate. and which for almost two
wears has exclusively held the power
to 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
! taxati ton must be heavily reduced
and it will be done at once, If a
democratic administration is chosen
in November Without hamperln2
Essential national administrative de
;partments, by the elimination of al
others and strict economy every
where. national taxes can be reduced
In excess of two billion dollars yearly
ANNOYING consumption taxes, once
Willingly borne, now unjustlfied
should be repealed. The incomes
from war-made fortunes, those of non
producers and those derived from IN
dustries that exist by unfair priv
ileee may be able to carry their
present load, but taxes on the earn
ines of the wage-earner, of the sala
ried and professional man, or the
horticultural producer and of the small
tradesman should be Sharply modl
fed. I believe that better form OF
taxation than the so-called excess
profits tax may be found and SUE
gest a small tax, probably one to one
and one-half percent on the tota
business Of every going concern. II
lis to be understood that the term
business as used does not include
income received by wage-eaTners
saIaried men, agriculturists and the
small business man who should DC
exempt from this tax. The prontee1
and some of the highly capitallzeo
units have used the excess profits
tax as a favorite excuse for hoad1na
on the consumer by means of highly
inflated selling prices many times inc
amount actually paid the government
A necessary condition to the natloEa
contentment and sound business Is
inst proportion between fair profits
TO business and fair prices to Inc
consumer. 1t is unquestioned thal
the enormous expansion Of public an0
private credit made necessary as
mart of war financing, the diversion
of the products of many industries
from their usual channels, as well as
the disturbance to general business
caused by the withdrawal of millions
I of men from producing fields, all con
itributed to the rise in prices. ReVer
sion of these various agencies to
more stable condition will tend 10
ward a recession in the enormously
inflated present prices of many com
modities and property values anc
there are now evidences that sane
adjustment is not far distant. Deer
patriotic sentiment enthralled oul
neople during the war and slight at
tention was given to the enormou;
economic changes that were then II
nrogress and when observed these
changes were generally accepted a:
one of the trials necessary to be en-
dured and they were submerged II
the thought and purpose for victory
While millions Of free men, regard
less of wealth or condition, were Civ
TO ~ their blood and substance