Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1914-07-17

come the pitiful spectacle of delude'
age that increases its armaments a
the expense of two billion dollars
year for the purpose of making thos
armaments useless-an average whel
nations are willing to confess tina
they are bankrupting themselves t.
keep from fighting.
A few months ago the German EN-
peror celebrated the twentieth ami
versary of his coronation. In th'
midst of the ceremonies incident tt
that interesting event he made ;
speech, in which he said, if there wal
one thing for which above all others
he thanked Almighty God, it was tina
during all those twenty-five years hi
had been able to maintain inviolat'
the peace of Europe. And yet, at thu
moment that Emperor William SPOKE
these hieh-sounding and commendablt
words, he had an army Of 650,00O o1
the most scientifically trained soldiers
in the world, with a round million
more in the first and second reserve
the most stupendous fighting machine
the world has ever known, ready al
his beck and nod to take the fielC
against any foe on a days notice
an army for which Germany is spend
ing this year forty-fve per cent OF
her income-an army costing the Ger
man people over $3.50, 100000 for this
single twelve month.
The statesmen of the world stand
aghast. They dare not drop behind in
the mad race of equipment They
are tormented by the old-time philos-
ophy of the survival of the strongest
On either side lies peril. They ap-
preciate the value of the things that
should be done, but cannot be done
for lack of public ways and means.
They recognize the calamity Of an
enormous ruinous taxation, crushing
the people into helpless penury, gen
dering insenate discomfort, threatening
the very foundations of law and order.
They know that the masses of the
people, the bone and sinew of the ma
tion S welfare, are not afraid of foes
abroad. They are afraid of want and
penury, the burden of the struggle
of life at home, every year becoming
more burdensome and more exhaust
ing. They know that on the same
common people they must depend
alike for money with which to equip
and the men with which to fight. And
they know that they are rapidly ap-
preaching the point where both are
going to be denied.
1t is always the masses of men who
furnish the means that support the
government and the lives that de-
fend it. That has always been true
and is true now-everywhere. The
economic masters of men have always
to evade responsibility along
both lines. Let us not imagine that
we have an American monopoly of
that familiar bit of hocus .pocus by
which the predatory wealth and pro-
tected interests have been able to en-
trench themselves behind the organic
structure that we call government,
and there with nimble fingers to man.
Ipulate the strings that control legis-
ation and its applications so as to be
able to complacently shrug from their
shoulders the burden of obligation
hat rightly belongs to them over un-
% the bent and straining backs of
he masses of common men, who have
always borne the burden and the heat
If the day. Taxation is a tragedy
he world around, and tax lodging
'anks with polo as the recreation of
he few.
And it is the masses of men who
10 the fighting. The masters of men
eldom peril their precious lives. Let
Is hang our heads with shame for hui
nanity as we confess that time and
gain these masters of men have not |
esitated to involve nations in the
lash of bloody war, that out of it
here might come aggrandizement for
heir selfish interests or increase of
heir already swollen fortunes.
If we could take the wars of the
asst century and get behind the pomp
nd ceremony of waving plumes and
lanng bands and find the real sourc-
5 from which they sprang, it would
e surprising how little there would
e found that by the farthest flight
f Imagination might be attributed to
hat highest impulse of the soul that
'e call patriotism.
Selfishness in all its sordid ugliness
oes not hesitate at means to accom-
lish its ends. But the world around.
'day the masses of men are beginning
, know their worth. The masses of
zen are beginning to feel their power.
he masses of men are beginning to
salize that through the centuries they
ave been eomplacent eat 's-paws that
ave raked the chestnuts Of advantage
zen out of the red flames Of war for
'me one : selfish advantage. And u