 | University of Virginia record October 1, 1915 |  |
Increases Tariff and Customs Taxes.
Pass this bill and customs taxes can never be reduced. All pretense
of economy will be abandoned when a majority of this House
says by its vote that they mean to commit the General Government
to the policy of building highways, conducting a freight express
business, and, ultimately, the ownership and operation of railways.
It makes one skeptical as to the sincerity of those gentlemen who
say they want a simpler and cheaper Government, but invariably
vote for extravagances that compel higher and higher taxes.
I also oppose this measure because it is not needed to secure good
roads. Where the people have the intelligence to understand their
advantages and the energy to do something for themselves they are
getting them.
Vast sums are now being spent for highway development. There
is an enthusiastic and general movement in that direction which is
most encouraging to every advocate of the policy of better highways.
and proud to beg the Federal Government to do what she
can do better for herself, and ought to do for herself, has, I understand,
just finished the expenditure of $50,000,000 on her public
roads and is about to undertake the further investment of fifty millions
more in the extension of her highway system. Pennsylvania
and other States have spent or are now spending proportionately
large sums. It is, I am afraid, those States that are laggards in the
discharge of their plain duty that are behind this measure. They
seem to prefer mendicancy to independence.
I further oppose this bill because, in my opinion, it means increasing
appropriations in the future by you, or by more complacent
Members who will follow you here, and, finally, Federal jurisdiction
over State roads. The tendency to concentrate power in the Federal
Government is now almost resistless. Certainly we can not expect
that the Federal power will not follow large Federal appropriations.
Jefferson, who sought to magnify the importance of the States and
to preserve local self-government, had the best of Hamilton in theory,
but in practice, when associated with the temptation of large appropriations,
it begins to appear that the latter will win. We are bartering
away the dignity of the States and exchanging a great constitutional
birthright for a Federal mess of pottage.
To me it appears perfectly plain that the States can not retain
dignity and importance while they avoid all the responsibility of
that position.
| University of Virginia record October 1, 1915 | |