The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-12-07
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democracy is being put upon its final
test The old world is just now suf-
fering from a wanton rejection of the
principle of democracy and a substitu-
ton of the principle of autocracy as
asserted IN the name but without the
authority and sanction OF the multi.
tudes. This is the time of all others
when democracy should prove it's pur-s
ity and its spiritual power to prevail.
1t is surely the manifest destiny of the
United States to lead in the attempt
TO make his spirit prevail
United States Must Show Example.
There are two ways in which the
United States can assist TO accomplish
this. great object: First, by offering
the example within her own borders
of the will and power of democracy
to make and enforce laws which are
unquestionably Just and which are
equal in their Observation-Disclosures
which secure its full right to labor
integrity of property and particularly
of that property which is devoted to
the development of industry and the
increase of the necessary wealth of.
the world. Second, by standing for
right and justice as toward individual
nations. The law of democracy is for
the protection of the weak and the
influence of every democracy in the
world should be for the protection Of
the weak nation, the nation which is
struggling towards its right and to-
wards its proper recognition and privi-
lege in the family of nations. The
United States cannot refuse this role
of champion without putting the
stigma of rejection upon the great and
devoted men who brought its govern.
ment into existence and established it
in the face of almost universal oppo-
sition and intrigue. even in the face
of wanton force, as, for example,
against the orders in council. of Great
Britain and the arbitrary Napoleonic
DEGREES which involved US in what we
know as the war of 1912. I urge YOU
to consider that the display of an i'm
mediate disposition on the part Of con-
gress to remedy any injustices or evils
that may have shown themselves in
our own national life will afford the
most effectual offset to the forces of
chaos and tyranny which are playing
so disastrous a part in the fortunes of
the free peoples of more than one part
of the world. The United States is of
necessity the sample democracy of the
world and the triumph of democracy
depends upon its success s. &
Recovery from the disturbing and
sometimes disastrous effects of the
late war has been exceedingly slow on
the other side of the water and has
given promise, I venture TO say, of
early completion only in our own for
tunate country, but even with us the
recovery halts and is impeded at times
and there are immediate serviceable
acts of legislation which it seems to
me we ought to attempt, to assist that
recovery and prove the indestruetible
recuperative power of great govern
ment of the people, One of these is
to prove that a great democracy can
keep house as successfully and in as
INtr tho foc 9TH craX
eminent. 1t seems that to me the first
step toward proving this is to supply
ourselves with a systematic method of
handling our estimates and expendi-
lures and to bringing them to the
point where they will not be an I'M
necessary strain upon our income, or
necessitate unreasonable taxation. in
other words, a workable budget ssys-
tenn, and I respectfully suggest that
two elements are essential to such a
system namely, not only that the pro-
posal of appropriations should be in
the hands of a single body such as a
single appropriations committed in
each house of the congress. but that
this body should be brought into such
cooperation with the departments of
the government and with the treasury
of the United States as would enable
it to act upon a complete conspectus
of the needs of the government and
its income. I reluctantly vetoed the
budget bill passed by the last session
of the congress because of a conStitu-
tional objection. The house of repre-
|sentatives subsequently modified the
bill in order to meet this objection. In
the revised form I believe that the
bill coupled with action already taken
by the congress to revise its rules and
procedure, furnishes the foundations
for an effective national budget sys-
tenn, I earnestly hope therefore, that
one of the first steps taken by the
present session of the congress will be
to pass the budget bill.
Finances Show Improvement.
The nations finances have shown
marked improvement during the past
year. The total ordinary receipts of
S6,694, 100000 for the fiscal year 1920
exceeded those for 1919 by 1,542. 000,-
600 while the total net ordinary ex-
penditures decreased from $1S,514,-
100000 to $6,403, 100000.
The gross public>debt, which reach
ed it's highest point on August 81,
1919, when it was $26.596. 100000.
had dropped on November 80, 1920,
to $24, 100000. There has also
been marked decrease in holdings of
government war securities by the
banking institutions of the country as
well as in the amount of bills held by
the federal reserve banks secured by
government war obligations. This for
tunate result has relieved the banks
and left them freer to finance the
needs of agriculture industry and COM
merce. 1t has been due in large part
to the reduction of the public debt,
| especially of the floating debt, but
more particularly to the improved
| distribution of government securities
| among permanent investors. The
| cessation of the governments borrow
1 ings except thru short term certificates
| of indebtedness has been a matter of
| great consequence to the people of
the county at large, as well as to the
holders of liberty bonds and victory
notes, and has had an important bear
| ing on the matter of effective credit
control. The year has been character
| lied by the progressive withdrawal OF
| the treasury from domestic credit
market and from a position of domi-
nant influence in that market. The
L =