Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-12-07
AN EXCELLENT MESSAGE

AN EXCELLENT MESSAGE
President Coolidge in his Arst
message to congress has given the
country a clear and digni6ed state
paper. 1t rs not only an excellent
Program which congress would do
we'll to follow, but it is a statement
Of the issues that are uppermost in
the minds of the people. and may we'll
serve as the Presidents platform on
which to stand as a candidate for the
presidency next year.
Il The message is not an argumenta-
I've document. The President does
not attempt to persuade congress to
act along the lines he has suggested.
Ne does give his reasons for his be-
lfefs, however, and there is every in
dication that he has carefully
thought out each problem. Having
reached his own conclusions, he has
she courage of his convictions and
Is ready to stand or fall on his opin-
IONS publicly expressed.
On what are perhaps the two
Greatest issues before congress, one
concerning the foreign policy of the
nation and the other the leading do
nestle issue, the President is par
ticularly sound. Calling attention to
the fact that this nation has always
stood for the peaceful settlement Of
all disputes. he urges that the United
States become a member of the
world court this being "the only
practical plan on which many ma
lions have ever agreed, though it
may not meet every desire" A
world court to be what its name i'm
plies must include all nations. This
the world court that has recently
been set up m nearer doing than
any similar institution that has ever
been established. For the United
states to hold aloof and insist that
ii alone is right and all the rest
are wrong is for this nation to play
the part of the soldier who, seeing
that he was not keeping time with
the others, said the whole company
was out of step but him.
The world court is the first step
toward the elimination of war; 1t is
something that civilization must
have = it is to survive. If the
United States waits for something
to be established that It considers
IDEAL it will never become a
part of this great forward move
ment, for, naturally, nothing can
eYer be planned that will be exactly
TO the liking of all.
On the matter of reducing taxes,
II lent Colidge gives his "unquali-
fed approval" of the Mellon plan,
aFor several years." the President
says, "the people have borne with
accomplishing courage the tremend-
Gus burden of national and local
taxation. These must both be re-
duced. The taxes of the nation must
be reduced now as much as prudence
Will permit, and expenditures must
be reduced accordingly. High taxes
reach everywhere and burden every
body. They bear most heavily upon
the poor. They diminish industry
and commerce. They make agri-
culture Improbable. They increase
4he rates Of transportation. They
ARE a charge on every necessity Of
ME. OF all services which congress
Fan render to the country. 1 have
no nesitation in declaring this one
TO be paramount. To neglect it
to postpone it, to obstruct It by un'
sound proposals. is to become un-
worthy OF public confidence and un'
true to public trust. The country
wants this measure to have the right
OF way over all others"
The tax situation could not be
more clearly stated than that. Il
Is q severe arraignment OF existing
conditions which it is within the
power of congress to remedy. The
President speaks truthfully when hi
declares that the country wants thu
measure to reduce taxes to have thu
preference over all other matters.
The Presidents accommodation
regarding the budget is linked VI
With the matter OF tax reduction, a
K Il largely due to the adoption of
budget hat the government is abb
Ia show sufficient savings to warran
a. reduction in taxes. No furthe
argument should be necessary t
show the desirability of the budget.
ION the matters Of railroads, ship
ming, tariff, national defense. immi
grafton, and the care of the veterans
the President states his position
clearly and concisely; Seldom hav
more topics been considered in 81
brief q message. The workings 0