Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-07-01
CONGRESSMAN'S LETTER TO
THE SECRETARY OF WAR
THAT Is WORTH READ.

House of Representatives Washing
ton, ID. c., June Is, 1916-Hon- New
ton d. Baker, Secretary of War, Wash
ington, ID. C.-My dear Mr.. Secretary:
Amid all the anxiety for adequate ma
tional defense and the great clarnor
for massive ornaments, as a member
of congress, | have been trying to view
all these questions from the stand
point Of the general masses OF our
people who must bear the burdens of
taxation and make up the complement
of manhood and men in the army and
navy. The mad clamor for universal
service so-caIled is alarming. 1t is
only a soft term which means "con-
scription" with all its direful results
OF militarism and despotism. The old
theory that would enable war coun-
Gil to compel the meek and lowly men
to march abreast in war to protect I'M
told millions of money they do not
own is brought from the pagantsm OF
past ages when kings assumed divine
right to control the life, person and
property of their subjects.
This republic is founded upon diff
ferent and distinct theory of govern
ment. Here all political power is in
herent in the people" themselves, and
"aIl just powers of government are de-
erned." All men have equal rights
and thereby incur equal liabilities in
government Man alone should not be
made the sole unit of offense and de-
tense in war. Money should be made
to fight for its country the same as
men. The man who owns million
dollars has vastly more at stake in
government than the man who owns
nothing. / am one of those who be-
lieve that in proportion as person S
wealth bears to the whole wealth of
the country he should be made to bear
the burdens that war and ornaments
impose. Public policy requires that
the weak and feeble, the aged. the in
firm, and the young and undeveloped,
shall not be made to fight even for
their own defense, hence a moderate
amount of money and capital should
be exempt as a minor is exempt Then
the swollen fortunes of the country
should be made TO bear their part of
all expense necessary for adequate
preparedness and efficient defense.
With that point in view l have intro
duced d measure in congress, the short
title of which is ITO Make Money
Fight for its Country the Same as
Men" 1 hand you a copy of the bill
and shall be glad to have your opin-
ion on the same.
The corporation as "an artificial
man" does the bust ness of our country
today individuals as such have lost
all identity and individuality in the
great business and commercial world,
and by measure makes the corpora
ton "a man in war" the same as "a
man in law" You will readily under
stand that the corporation in our jur-
isprudence is held to be "a citizen, "a
man." "a person." and in all matters
of business is so recognized. The bill
makes every corporation with more
than one million dollars capital and
surplus "a full grown man" subject
to military duty. Then divides all cap
ital in excess of one million into units
of one hundred thousand dollars and
makes each unit support a soldier
The following digest of the measure
will give you a fair idea of the ques-
ton involved:
The house judiciary committee of
the 63rd congress gave the following
statistics of corporations with over
one million dollars capital, therefore
subject to military duty under the pro-
visions of the bill.
-Four thousand, six hundred and
lightweight corporations had capital
of $1,000 900 and over and less than
50. coo 600
One thousand, three hundred and
ninety-nine corporations had capital of
$4,000 600 and over and less than
$3, 900 900.