William Gibbs McAdoo

“ We are by nature a peaceful people, but we are a fighting people where the rights of America and of humanity are concerned. It is unfortunate for the German military despot who precipitated this war, that he did not realize beforehand that America has fighting spirit and national unity. He had been made to believe that we were a disorganized, disloyal and heterogenous people -- that America would not fight -- that her rights could be transgressed with impunity, and that she would cravenly submit. ”

“ Do we want to promote or prevent human slaughter in the future? Do we want to increase or reduce taxation? If we want to promote human slaughter and increase taxation, we should defeat the League of Nations. Our war preparation will then necessitate increasing present income taxes at least fifty percent per annum to say nothing of a general increase in every form of federal taxation. ”

“ Disaster upon the farms of America, disaster to the manufactories of America, disaster to the mining interests of America, disaster to the labor interests of America. To every productive activity of the American people there would have come irreparable injury. ”

“ It would be difficult to exaggerate the seriousness of the great conflict in which we are engaged -- a conflict in which the fate of civilization is at stake -- a conflict of which God has called us as a champion of freedom and democracy. ”

“ If we must abandon the glorious ideas of peace for which this nation has always stood, we must do so with full knowledge of the fact that the alternative is wholesale preparation for war and the enthronement of armed force as the arbiter of America's destiny, and of the world's future faith. ”

“ No self-respecting nation could permit any alien despot to order it to surrender rights that are vital to the national integrity and security. If we had not courage enough to defend our rights on that ground, then our material interests were so involved, that it was absolutely essential to America's continued life and prosperity that the Kaiser's order should be defied. ”

“ Between the high cost of living and the high load of taxation, the masses are carrying a heavy burden these days, and they have a right to demand that the Republican majority in Congress carry out its promises to give relief. ”

“ The responsibility for neglecting to relieve the people of some of these great war burdens rests upon the Republican majority. The President can only recommend. The Republican Congress must legislate to give relief. ”

“ It means the greatest standing army we have ever had. And it means possibly forcing universal military training on a million young men every year. This will add at least two billion dollars per annum to our present tax burden. ”