The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1921-08-27
AGAINST ARMY AP-
PROPRIATION BILL
Congressman Percy E. Quin
Makes Strong Speech for
Reduction of Taxes.

Wy NOICA WuO ldFOIS IeuuCJlOu III
taxation. 1t is plain that Mr.. Quin
is sincerely representing his consti-
tuents. He says:-
did not vote for the naval pro-
gram of $396.000, 900, and l am not
going to vote for this Army appro-
lpriation bill.
l cannot see the necessity for this
large expenditure OF money under
the circumstances that exist, with
this Republic already burdened with
ksuch enormous debts. How could it
legitimately be expected of the tax
payers of this country to come a.
cross with all this money in taxes,
which can not be reduced unless the
Congress Of the United States starts
with the enactment of reductions in
such measures as these? All of the
howls that we heard against Secre-
tary Baker for not curtailing enlist
ments in the Army have subsided,
and instead Of having 10000, which
both sides Of this House voted for,
las the proper number of enlisted
men, you come here at this late hour
and ask for 10000 enlisted men,
and ask us to support it. You come
out with total appropriation of
three hundred and thirty-one million
seventy-two thousand and some odd
dollars and eighty cents. / do not
know what the 80 cents is for.
(Laughter.)
Where will we stop? BY this Ar
my program and this Navy program
you have over $400, ,O00, 900
The gentleman from New Jersey just
said that we needed to retain a lot
of buildings over here at some camp
in Iowa, because we might need them
If we soon have another war. In the
name of Heaven, are we to stand up
as in dread of war at all times? Are
we as a peaceful people to be pre-
pared on the high seas with the
greatest navy in the world and ask
the American people to pay $780,
100000 year to maintain 1t and
support it? Are we as progressive
people to ask for an Army costing
1891, 100000. together with $4,000
100000 of annual interest standing
out against us, which the American
people must pay in taxes, while in all
corners of the Republic comes the cry
to reduce taxation? How can we re-
duce taxation if we are going to
maintain such an extravagant Army
and Navy as this Congress is today
authorizing?
Only Is Of us voted against that
naval bill the other day, and from
the way it looks on this. Army ap-
preparation bill it would seem as if
there will not be bakers dozen vot-
ing against it. In this hour Of de-
preston Congressman speak OF hun
-dreds Of millions of dollars as though
it were light thing. But the peo-
pie who must raise the money to pay
the taxes want to know where this
money is going. Who is 1t that be-
lieves the American people demand
an Army here with all this drove of
officers that this bill contains today?
This bill properly carries an appro-
priation for the National Guard of
the United States. Our people are
satisfied with small Army and a
good, substantial guard in each state
of this nation to maintain peace and
order.
In my judgment 100000 men are
all that this Congress ought to au-
thorize, and all that we ought to ap-
propriate for, and for my part / shall
not vote for any bill that carries a
dollar for an army over that.
The American people know that it
is useless in peace times to talk a.
bout having this great burden placed
on their shoulders. The people are
familiar with the fact that we have
in the United States more than A.
100000 Of well trained young men
today. The people know that it is
not the business of the United States
Army to go out and do what we
call 'Americanizing" every foreigner
in this country by enlisting him in
the Army and giving him an educa-
tion. The people back home are get
ting tired of this taxation business,
and particularly of this vocational
educational business that you have
in this bill. They think it is not ap-
propriate. The Federal Government
should not bear any part Of that ex-
penditure. You already have your
high schools and your normal schools
and your agricultural schools and
your. agricultural and mechanical
colleges and universities in every
State Of this Union to carry on that
very same work, and here you are
proposing to extend throughout the
Army an extravagant system Of in
struction, with a horde Of teachers
and directors to do that sort Of work
in the Army.
Why do we need this huge Army7
Where Is the danger coming from7
Yonder across the sea the people are
hungry. over yonder in Germany
they have no army. no navy, and no
money. France is talking about In
vading German territory in order to
make them pay the money owed. We
had all supposed that their backs
were broken. Instead Of acting In
good faith and saying to the world
that we are not afraid to decrease
our ornaments, we are now told that
we should have the greatest Navy
floating in the ocean and large
standing Army. while the people Of
this Nation beg us to come forth with
program showing that we propose
in good faith to disarm.
Shall we be well armed with pis-
tolls Duckled around US and breech-
loading shotguns on our shoulders,
and at the same time tell the other
fellow not to have even Barlow
knife2 DO we propose to act In good
faith and let our own disarmament
proceed with that Of the other fell
low2 Instead Of having 100000
= 49,