Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-04-16
Professional Mischief Makers.

The following from the Iron Trade
Review should furnish food for thought
in America. False doctrines and ir-
responsible declarations misiead the
public until the average citizen knows
not which way to turn. One Moses
hobs up with d cure-an for civic Ills,
and Immediately another just as well
known shouts liar" or 'misleader.
or --demag oGue," or, perhaps, "reac-
tionary." Facts and history are
thrown 10 the winds by agitators and
claimants for public attention, and the
virus Of unrest is injected into com
munities one OF tae modern curses OF
civilization is the professional mis-
chief maker. Read the following from
our exchange:
The great war is bringing England. as
well as Russia and other countries, 10 a
realization OF the eTlorTnity OF the curse
Of drunkenness. The present outlook Is
that prohibition viii be adopted III Eng
land. al leas, for the period of the war,
ard IL its success is Established. II Is not
at all probable that there viii ever De
return to the lawful sale OF intoxicating
liquors. The result Will be that England
will be tremendously strengthened indus
tfiOuEly and other nations, including the
United states. in order TO compete, may
be compelled to adopt the same policy.
81 The problem presented By excessive IN
duigence in intoxicating liquors - not.
however, the only one connected with
the wCrkingmen which confronts Eng
land today Drunkenness is making it
self SO prominent and so disgusting that
public sentiment is thoroughly aroused
against it. But what shall We say of the
more insidious trouble due TO the pro-
doctrines: II is indeed humiliating pic.
ture which is painted by The Iron and
Coal Trades Review, of London. when IL
tells OF the plan Of Lloyd George, chan
selior OF the e4cneauer. 10 take over con-
troll OF great industries and, in order to
satisfy the workingmen, TO impose a linn
itation OF profits, and of how the spirit OF
discomfort fomentsd during years OF agi-
with the kingdom facing one OF the mosi
SERIOUS crises in its history, when en-
ployrnent is abundant, when wages are
higher than usual, when prices of food
nave advanced only moderately. large
bodies of men refuse to work overtime
deliberately curtaii output and actuaMy
strike when engaged in the production OF
munitions OF war imperatively needed or
This unpatriotic attitude of many
workingmen is not due primarily to lack
Of love Of country. but to the fact thai
they have been misled For many
years" says The Iron and Coal Trades
review. socialists have preached tina,
capitalism is robbery and that in a co.
operative commonwealth. with ali the in.
stluments owned and managed by the
state, the robbery would be stopped and
labor conditions vastly improved" The
REVIEW. continuing. shows how, by dis.
tortng facts and figures, false impres.
SONS have been created. Even chancei.
iors OF the excheqUer have helped to feed
the hames Of discomfort No wonder
men; that workingmen have become dis
loyal and that Lloyd George is driven Il
the extreme measure of taking charge OF
industries and limiting profits
is there not in all this a lesson for ,he
United states? We have had on this side
OF the Atlantic a great deal Of the Same
Eind OF agitation that has brought Great
Enlain INTO its present sad plight. II i
niEh nme Tor the American people to re-
siSt more vigorously the demagogue fr
WHO oy making false statements and al
sorts OF vicious declarations n1islear
, ,ho;n OF workingmen and plant ir
not, indeed, hatred for their counrry