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The Commoner.
MAY'2, 1913 . '-' '
on the consumer what neither the government,
is able to collect as taxes, nor the manufac
turer to appropriate as profits. They lesson
tlio productive power of human labor, as if God
had cursed it with ungenial climate or sterile
soil." And in a speech at Chatham, Columbia
county, in September of the same year:
"These taxes carry with them other incidents,
which greatly Increase their burden. They fall
moBt heavily upon men of small incomes', the
proceeds of whose labor and industry are con
sumed to support themselves and their fami
lies. Every man who has attained a situation
of comfort and prosperity can in somo way
stand them. But take the poor man take the
man ndt poor, whose annual income is consumed
in his annual support and be pays a most dis
proportionate amount from his earnings or in
come for the taxes levied upon the country. It
is not for myself that I speak today to you, yeo
manry and citizens of Columbia; it is for you,
and because I have cherished from my child
hood, and still cherish, the thought that America
is to be the home of its people, and not a state
in which the wealthy are prosperous at the ex
pense of toiling millions." In his annual mes
sage for 1876, I And this: "The consequence
is that the pecuniary sacrifices of tho people are
not to be measured by tho receipts into the
treasury. They are vastly greater. A tax that
starts in its career by disturbing the natural
courses of private industry and impairing tho
productive power of labor, and then comes to
the consumer distended by profits of successive
intermediaries and by insuranco against the
risks . of a fickle or uncertain governmental
policy and of a fluctuating governmental stand
ard of value, blights human well being at every
step. When it reaches the hapless child
of toil who buys his bread by the singlo loaf and
"his fuel by the basket, it devours his earnings
and inflicts starvation. "Another evil of such
a system of excessive taxation is that it creates
and nourishes a governmental class with ten
dencies to lessen services and to enlarge com
pensation, to multiply retainers, to invent jobs
and. foster all forms of expenditure, tendencies
unrestrained by the watchful eye and firm hand
of personal interest, which alone enable private
business to be carried on successfully."
The New Peace Proposition
CALIFORNIA, JAPAN AND THE
ADMINISTRATION
(Continued from Page 5.)
"This expresses the views of the president.
Ho desires me to say that if such a law is
passed he will recognize his duty as president
to do all in his power to minimize the ill-feeling
that might be aroused. At the same time he
believes it his duty as president to urge, earnest
consideration of such advice, which is given
here with no desire to interfere with what you
may regard as necessary. And further, he,
urges tb.at if you proceed at once you consider
the advisability -of using language that can not
be justly criticised, as offending these nations
with whom we are friendly."
The, afternoon, session of the conference be
ginning at 4 and lasting until 7 o'clock brought;
a climax to the, day's proceedings. Question
after question was hurled at Secretary Bryan
who admitted his inability to answer many of
them. Towards the close of the meeting he
arose and said:
"I have said all that I came to say. I bave
answered all the questions that I have been
asked and my mission here is ended whenever
you may feel that you have conferred as much
as you like with the representative of the presi
dent. I came with no program, simlpy to con
fer. I have-presented the president's views as
I understand them. I have communicated to
him this afternoon several propositions after
listening to wliat you have had to say. Tonight
I shall submit to him the further questions you
have asked me, calling attention to the statutes
of Washington and Arizona and I shall be pre
pared tomorrowI hope, to givo you his answer."
Senator Boynton called attention to the word
ing of the Arizona law, asking Secretary Bryan
what would be the effect upon the national gov
ernment if California placed a similar restric
tion upon her land.
"I am -not. prepared to answer that question,"
replied Secretary Bryan, "but will have to ask
for instructions from Washington."
Governor Johnson made a brief but intense
speech in defense of the position taken by the
majority party in California. He told Secre
tary Bryan that the right of California to fol
'low the lead of other states was unquestioned,
and declared that such a course now seems
assured.
The address was brief, but it indicated plain-
On another page will be found reference to
the peace proposition which tho secretary f
state, by direction of tho president, submitted
on Thursday last to the representatives of tho
foreign nations residing at Washington.
The plan contemplates an agreement, to .bo
entered into between this country and all of the
other countries severally, providing for the in
vestigation of all questions in dispute before
waT is declared or hostilities begun. The United
States government announces its willingness to
make such an agreement with every other
country, whether .that country bo great or small.
A permanent commission is proposed, the com
position of it to be agreed upon between the
contracting countries, and It is to be the duty
of this commission to investigate such dispute,
when diplomatic efforts fail, and the investiga
tion is to be made as a matter of course, with
out the formality of a request by either party.
This provision is intended to save either nation
from being compelled to ask for an investigation
at a time when excitement might make both
parties hesitate to ask for investigation, lest the
request might bo considered a sign of weak
ness. According to the peace plan proposed, tho re
port is to bo mado within a time to be fixed in
tho agrooment and tho parties reservo tho right
to act independently after the investigation, is
concluded. It will be seen that it is INVESTI
GATION, not arbitration, that the plan pro
vides for. All the arbitration treaties except
from their oporation certain disputes tho most
important ones that can arise, in fact and
these disputes arc tho ones which usually lead
to war. Tho plan propoaod by tho president
supplements tho arbitration troatics now In exis
tence and thoso that may hereafter bo mado, and
makes war remote by compelling a delay during
which fooling can subsldo and questions of fact
be separated from questions of honor. It is
not likely that War will ever bo declared if tho
declaration can bo postponed for a year or oven
for a -few months. The time required for in
vestigation will be used for the formation of a
public opinion which will coorco the nations Into
a settlement upon somo equitable basis.
Tho plan was very favorably received by. tho
foreign representatives and is bolng favorably
commented on abroad. If, as now seems prob
able, such an agreement can bo entered into be
tween this country and tho other nations, it
will be a long step in the direction of universal
peace and our nation will have set an examplo
of great value to tho world.
ly that the opinion of tho administration re
mained unchanged by the arguments put for
ward by Mr. Bryan When Goyornor Johnson
took his seat there was a general feeling that,
the alien situation had been settled regardless
of what may be forthcoming from Washington.
A FAMILY CUSTOM
The following Associated Press dispatch is
self-explanatory: Washington, April 24. Com
ment upon tho substitution of unferraonted
grape juice for the wine usually served on such
occasions at the dinner given by Secretary and
Mrs. Bryan Monday evening In honor of Am
bassador Bryce caused the secretary to issue a
statement today explaining the incident. In it
for the first time Mr. Bryan mado public that tho
question of how the fact that It was contrary to
the customs of the Bryan household to serve
wines, would be received in official society, was
discussed with President Wilson before he ac-
cepted the portfolio of state.'
The statement follows:
"We did not intend to magnify by mentioning
it, the importance of the non-use of wine at the
dinner given to Ambassador Bryce Monday
night; but as the papers have made some In
accurate references to the matter the facts
might as well be known.
"This was the first dinner which wo have
given to members of the diplomatic corps and
therefore the first time when we came into con
flict with the social custom of serving wine at
dinner. The seven other ambassadors then In
tho city and their ladles were Invited to meet
Ambassador and Mrs. Bryce, and as all the
gentlemen guests were from foreign countries I
thought it proper to explain to them the reason
for our failure to conform to what seems to have
been customary in this matter. Believing that
the issue should be met frankly in the beginning,
I told them when we sat down to tho table that
Mrs. Bryan and I had been teetotalers from our
youth, as were our parents before us, and had
never served liquor at our table; that when the
president Tvas kind enough to tender me tho
portfolio of state I asked him whether our fail-r
ure to servo wine would be any embarrassment
to -the administration and that ho generously
left the matter to our discretion. I suggested
that I thought it unfair to assume that those
coming to us from abroad would judge us
harshly or would be unwilling to tolerate the
maintenance of a traditional custom and ex
pressed the hope that our friendship would be
made so apparent to them and our hospitality
so cordial that they would overlook this weak
ness in us; if they regard it as a weakness. My
remarks were applauded by the company and
we never spent a more enjoyable evening.
"That is all there is to the matter and we
can consider the incident closed and tho cus
tom established so far as we are concerned."'
CHINA'S REMARKABLE APPEAL
The department of statu has received from
the legation at Peking a telegram to tho. effect
that on Friday, April 18, tho following message
was adopted by the Chinese cabinet and sont by
tho Chinese government to tho provincial
authorities and the loaders of Christian churches
in China:
"Prayer is requested for tho national assembly
now in session; for tho new government; for
the president who' is to bo elected; for tho con
stitution of the republic; that the government
may bo recbgnized by the powers; that peaco
.may reign within our country; that strong and
virtuous men may be elected to office; and that
tho government may be established upon a
strong foundation. Upon receipt of this tele
gram you are requested to notify all churches
in your province that April 27 has been set
aside as a day of prayor for the nation. Lot all
take part."
China's appeal is a remarkable document; it is
probably tho highest compliment over paid to
Christianity by a non-Christian nation. But a
small percentage of the people of China are
adherents of Christianity and yet a now govern
ment, popular In character, and representing the
China of today, appeals to all the Christian
churches of the land to observe April 27th as &
day of prayer! And behold tho objects of
prayer. Prayer Is requested for tho national
assembly, now in session; for the new govern,
ment, just assuming responsibility; for the
president yet to be elected; for the constitution
upon which tho frame-work of government is
to rest surely these things are worthy of
prayerful consideration. But prayer is to be
offered up that the government may be recog
nized by the powers what power can withhold
recognition long in the face of such an appeal?
Prayer is to be offered in behalf of peace and
that "strong and virtuous'' men may bo elected
to office," and all these things are summed up
in tho final object of their prayers, namely, that
the government may be established upon &
strong foundation. Surely the missionaries have
done their work well if, entering into the great
empire of the Orient, they have in a compara
tively short time so deeply Impressed the people
of that country with the truths of the Christian
religion as to bring forth such an appoal as the
above. Tho Christian churches of China will,
of course, respond promptly to the summons and
many a heart outside of the Celestial empire
will be lifted on that day to tho throne of tho
Almighty in behalf of tho government of China'.
That tho prayer may be answered, every plea,
must be the earnest wish of Christians outside
of China as well as inside, and of non-Christians
as well.
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