The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-10-31


boy and will represent all Of the county, north
and south If you believe in living at peace
with your neighbors, vote for him. If you in
sist on having fight, 60 ahead.
ARE THE PACIFISTS ASLEEP?
Half million persons took part in fire drills
last year. What is the matter with our paci-
fsts7 Are they asleepg Let them cry out
against this rank militarism, this invitation to
fire. If our susceptible school children and fac
tory employees are drilled to fight fire, they will
get the fire spirit. They will insist on having
fire to fight If there ism any conflagration
they will find pretext for starting one. We
all live in imminent danger Of having our
houses, factories, schools, burned over our
heads.
This is the logic of it. Every argument used
against preparedness may be urged against the
whole system of fire fighting. And if the advo
cacy Of preparedness against mere local acct
dents is justified how infinitely more vital is it
to prepare against the spread of world-fre
across our land and through our hearts.
Five competent men have been selected Dy
examination to serve the country's lumber In
terests as Investigators Of conditions in lumber
markets of Europe, North America, Egypt, Al!
giers and Asia Minor. Their duties are to
gather data as to forest destruction prices of
COAL needs of the building trades, transporta-
ton facilities, and all kindred facts bearing on
the possible expansion Of our lumber exports.
What the lumber men want particularly is
market for our low grade mill products that
are now largely wasted. By doubling the ex-
port of such material which increase is deemed
wholly possible, the price Of lumber in home
markets will be lessened or kept stable in the
e H..
profit accruing from what is now unstable.
This is good business enterprise.
The day of the one cent paper in small cities
certainly seems to have passed, the general
opinion in the trade being that great mistake
has been made in recent years in selling it so
cheap. With regard to the situation on ma
terial it appears to be the rule to buy and hus-
band as much stock as possible. Economy is
advised in the use of everything requisite to
the production. With few exceptions. publish
ers are seeking to carry on their business as
we'll as they can in these most exceptional
times, and they are entitled to better price
from their readers for the advertisers have al
ways been the big factor and cannot stand an
increase and make their appropriations pay.
Lncoln's famous retort, when told that his
most successful general drank too much, is
brought to mind by the revelation that o
Henry spent some years in penitentiary. Lin
coins remark was that he would like to send
a barrel or two Of whiskey to some of his other
generals By the same token some Of our liv-
ing short story writer's should be sent to the
penitentiary for life.
The experience of the Chicago lawyer whose
overcoat was almost stolen off his back in a
court room confirms the general impression
that courts are mighty good places for every
body to keep out of.
If the railroads petition for an increase of
rates, it is believed they will be able to get a |
decision on the same by the time they have /
either gone bankrupt or are so prosperous that l
they won't need any increase.
Secretary Baker sympathize with him
self as the most thoroughly roasted member of
the cabinet IL