The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1925-12-09
he Presidents
Message

IT. lN our country the people are sovereign
Il and independent and must accept the
hsuItiaag responsibilities. 1t is their duty to
|ipporf themselves and support the Govern
ent.
That is offered by President Coolidge as
he keynote of his address to Congress- Glow
w with the expressed sentiment, he proceeds
Sapply it pretty literally to the farmers.
ssIt has appeared from all the investiga-
Ions that have been able to make, " he says
gthat the farmers as whole are determined to
kaintain the independence of their business
hey do not wish to have meddling on the part
IN government or to be placed under the
kble restrictions involved in any system
INFECT or indirect price-fxing, which would
rrli ii 5se Government to operate in the agri-
1lltural markets"
50 much for the farmers, who in many Sec
Hons Of the country are having a hard time
Ieeping their heads above water and in some
Rctions are going bankrupt too rapidly to be
bunted
Butthe water power interests He insists
hut Muscle Shoals be sold to the highest bid
.er. The highest bidder is not Of course, ex-
4ected to pay the full value of that great Gov
Tnment project. The wide difference between
bst and selling price will be subsidy to the
lower interests
8. 1And the merchant marine. He reiterates
Iis belief that the Governments ships should
Il Sold The price obtainable is so far short of
that it costs to build ships that the private
7lipping interests which buy will receive
hereby substantial subsidy.
- tariff. He is silent on the subject this
NJ 4S $he tariff is pretty satisfactory to the
~ 8turing interests benefting under it
3 Che President does not propose to lower
He protective wall. 1t may be the duty of the
manufacturers, as well as the farmers "to
Import themselves and support the Govern
Aent, but the Government will continue help
q Sheam to take their support out of the peck
IS Of the consumers. as in the past.
Finally, taxes. He praises the tax bill
qhich has been worked out by Secretary Mel
IN and the House Ways and Means Commit
$e The reduction of the present surfaces
bid by. the very wealthy as well as the reduc-
bn of Inheritance taxes, paid by the same re-
kive particular praise. There is going to be
4 lot Of lstump-speaking about this tax meas
If it gets by the Senate or if it does not
it the rich mans bill or the poor man 81
zoolidge seems to anticipate the suspicion that
8r. Mellon was thinking chiefly Of his own
lass when he prepared his schedules, for
beaking of the tax bill, he says:
All these economic results are being
ought not to benefit the rich, but to benefit the
9ople. They are for the purpose of encour-
Bing industry in order that employment may
y plentiful They seek to make business good
\ order that wages may be good"
Which brings us to the real Coolidge
philosophy Of life and Government, one from
1hich he does. not depart, no matter how care
you examine this speech or his record as
pic official This philosophy is part of his
and he adheres to it. He has uttered it
{ paragraph just quoted, but not SO clearly
lie well remembered speech made to the
81 ,husetts Senate, JAN z, 1914. This is it:
800 AS the little red schoolhouse is builded
y the college it may be that the fostering and
Infection of large aggregations of wealth are
81 only foundation on which to build the pros
witty of the whole people"
RG'haps this newspaper seems, to some
rs, unduly inclined to criticise the pres
lid occupant Of the White House. But, actual
\, there is no purpose to withhold from him
3edit for any accomplishments that serve the
bople. With his fundamental theory which
3rects most Of his policies, on the other hand,
& is impossible to agree. We simply cannot
$cept the idea that they only way to provide
#osperity for all the people is to make linn
I'd number very rich and then trust to luck
Sld their good nature to see that some Of their
ches seep down to the rest.