Evening star., 1924-06-25

like period in our history is more
! crowded with great events or has
! presented problems more profound.
! 1t is signalized by the enactment of
! more legislation for the common good
/ than is recorded in our annals for any
| other equal number of years. The
exigencies arising from the sudden
| outbreak of the war in 1914 and the
collapse of the worlds system of ex-
| change were met in a fashion that
| defied criticism.
Record in War.
When the nation eventually be-
came involved in the sanguinary con-
| fiIct its resources in men and ma
/ terial were marshaled in a way that
| astonished our allies and brought
| CONSERVATION to the ranks of our
enemies. The financing of the great
enterprise reflected the highest credit
upon the party that undertook its
direction. True, the towering genius.
the rival in intellect of jefferson, who
held the helm in that period of stress
and storm, is no more. The stricken
statesman rests secure in the rever-
entlai regard of his countrymen. But
his high ideals, his lofty purposes. his
trust in the judgment of the plain
people remain our heritage. Though
he saw plainly and pointed unerringly
10 the evils in the body polite, it is
IN no sense derogatory to his fame
the situation which gave luster to
TINS administration was the work of
other more practiced and perhaps
practical, If less brilliant, minds. The
mutations in their ranks have in
nowise operated to impair their eff
cheney as a body or make them less
responsive to the heart throbs of the
plain people. Witness the revenue
law of the last session before re-
ferred to. Had it suited the purpose
yU IN
and expense to secure a popular YER
dict in favor of the Mellon plan to
invite an expression on it as against
the plan embodied in the law, the
former would have been condemned
as emphatically by the test as it was
by both houses of Congress.
Two Tax Plans.
The two schemes Of tax reduction
afford an Illuminating answer to the
| intimation often carried in the in
quiry as to the difference between
the Republican and the Democratic
party. Each accomplished substan-
tialIy the same reduction. Each re-
leased for investment in productive
enterprises approximately the same
amount of capital. But the plan of
the President and his secretary gave
the greatest relief relatively to the
rev rev overr1ch, the Democratic plan to
~
means. And this in strict accord
with the principle of the income tax
that those should pay most who have
the most with which to pay.
In the process of the sums as we
recede from the war period further
reduction in taxation is to be expect
ed. 1t is an idle boast that five
years after the cessation of hostil-
tiles substantial reduction in our
annual budget is noticeable.
L know how eager the managers
of the campaign for the reelection
the issues from honest government,
the repeal of the new tariff of abom-
nations, relief for agriculture and
related reforms, to the league Of
nations It is not SO necessary that
we Immediately join the league as
tagonism to any world movement,
however commendable in itself, mere
1y because it is in some way asso-
ciated with the league. We may con-
fdently rely upon general support
of a policy of active participation
may be made through the league or
any other channel to bring about a
restoration Of normal Industrial ac-
t1vity in Europe and to establish
state of actual peace in every case
in which it is reasonably safe to do
the quarrelS OF its constituent ma
tions or involving us in schemes Of
national aggrandizement or oontro-
versies distinctly political in char
acter.
THE honor of our country, the
prosperity of our people demand that
we return to the ideals OF Woodrow
he won for us-the moral leadership
Of the world"