The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1936-02-14

spending pOncleS, SO Fancy tnat SUCH
an argument will be rarely advanced.
1t is entirely probable that there will
be no tax bill this year unless the
Presidents letter to
May Be No Speaker Byrns point
Tax Bill ing out the necessity
for raising revenue
causes an unheard of number of sena-
tors and representatives to do flip
flop. No imagination is required to
see that representative or senator is
in tough spot when he goes back
home asking the suffrage of his con-
stituents and must tell them at the
same time that he added to the tax
burden which they must pay.
Well, If that be true, how is "Henry"
going to get the money? 1t will have
to be borrowed and it will have to be
borrowed on government bonds which
add up into an increasing government
deficit. 1t means that instead of deficit
of around three billions in the next fis-
cal year, the treasury will be con-
fronted with a deficit of more than five
billions and the public debt, in the
meantime, will have been correspond
ingly increased. 1t means, in addition,
that the banks of the country will have
to pile more government bonds on top
of the government bonds they have
thus far absorbed in financing a policy
of spending our way out of the depres-
sion.
The tragedy of the situation in con-
gress that brought about Senator
Bankheads remark of ''it's up to Hen
ry" is that it indicates that congress
has been looking upon the treasury as
a source of revenue. 1t is not and it
never has been. Government is nom
productive. 1t can get funds only by
taxation, by taking them away from
the people-or by borrowing and if it
borrows it has to pay back. In either
event, new taxation must come and if
congress doesn't have the nerve to pass
tax legislation in this session, it must
lay taxes in the next session.
The newspapers throughout the coun-
try have been full of reports concern
ing the early start of
Campaign the political cam
Starts Early paign. The Al Smith
speech, coming from
the man who made it, brought about
a sudden expansion in the polit-
ical fire. It really opened up the fight
and henceforth we are due to be sur
feited with this claim or that, this
charge and that denial or counter
charge, as the various leaders marshal
their forces.
Thus far, in addition to President
Roosevelt's Jackson day speech to the
$5O-a-plate diners and Mr.. Smiths Lib
erty league dinner Outburst, we have
had active campaigning by former
President Hoover, by Governor Tai
madge of Georgia, by Senator Borah,
the Idaho Republican; by Governor
Landon, the Kansas Republican, and
by Senator Robinson of Arkansas, the
Democratic leader in the senate, who
spoke in reply to Mr.. Smith. Others
are in the offing for the Republican
and Democratic national committees
are engaging radio times in big way.
AS speeches and statements increase
in number, and as fanfare grows loud
er, l find myself getting a bit callous
to them all. I have been wondering
whether the American people have lost
their sense of humor completely, be-
cause the situation really has humor-
GUS side. Unless the peoples sense
of humor has been dreadfully scared,
it seems to me they ought to be highly
amused over ridiculous statements
now being made on one side of the
fence or on the other. Take, for in
stance, Mr.. Roosevelt's handwritten
bonus veto message. 1t presented
something bit unusual because in my
time in Washington it had happened
toed a bill with a handwritten mes
sage to congress. OF course, it was
intended to be dramatic-and it was.
But the point is this: A year ago
when congress passed the bonus the
President made personal appearance
in the halls of congress and read his
own veto message. He made his vigor-
Gus fight and he rallied his supporters
in line to sustain his veto. There has
been so much talk around Washington
since the handwritten message went
to congress that the President really
was not vigorously opposing passage
of the bill over his veto that am COM
ing to believe that was true. In other
words, he thought that immediate pay
ment of the bonus was wrong but he
had a weather eye out for the forth
coming campaign and the votes the
bonus might bring.
Then consider the activity of Sena.
tor Borah. l believe the Idaho sena-
tor is too smart to feel that he can
be the Republican nominee against Mr..
Roosevelt, but he is going through all
manner of gyrations just the same. He
has purposes and detectives in mind,
obviously, but they are not the Repub-
lican Presidential nomination as he