Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-08-29
Selected by Tavenner

| Why. because the national imagtna
| ton had not then been fired: had not
! then been worked up to the pitch of
| patriotic fervor that would counte-
nance permitting the country to this
extraordinary and unjustifiable expen-
! diture. The efforts of the vendors of
| the instruments of death 10 enhance
their profits, to make new and contin-
uing markets for their products, had
not then borne fruit. Their campaign
| for the past year has been prosecuted
with all the power organized wealth
can command. What is the result?
| Congress Is in a panic. Their pro-
gram is accepted. One year ago 1t
would have been pitched out of the
window as a piece of impudent graft.
Mr.. President, the interests that are
behind this preparedness program in
the United States do not fear Ger
many, do not fear England. do not fear
any nation on this earth; but they do
want large army, they do want
large navy. 1t fits into the CONNER
cial, Industrial and imperialistic
schemes of the great financial masters
of this country.
Senators may think it expedient to
vote for this increased appropriation
at this time. The people may be un-
der certain vague fear and in doubt
now, but when they see that their
fears have been played upon. when the
tax burden comes. when the weight
begins to press down, when You
double on every member of the family
the cost of sustaining this military
program, then you will be called to
account, then you will have to answer
their stern, deliberate, second judg-
ment.
The danger of an attack upon our
country has been made to appear very
real and very imminent 1t has been
painted in lurid colors-motion pic
lures showing New York's splendid
edifices topping to destruction under
the shots of enemy guns, the enemy
CARRIED to convey the idea that they are
Germans; books written to show New
York and New Orleans and San Fran
cisco already captured; that the for
eign hordes are sweeping across the
country-have these volumes been
sent to you senator's? / have received
them. Who do you suppose pays for
all this? Why the Du Pont Powder
Co. had a, hand in it; the Bethlehem
Steel Co doubtless made its contribu-
ton of millions of money. 1t was paid
for out Of the bloody profits made
from shipping arms and ammunition
True. the American people may be
influenced by the advertisements OF
the Bethlehem Steel Co, may be |
swayed by the headlines and editor |
fals of the great metropolitan press. |
They may be deeply moved, the blood |
may tingle and the pulse quickened to |
the strains of hundreds of bands play |
ing as hundreds of thousands of men |
and women march in parade; but when /
1t is known that many American cit |
liens felt impelled to- march in fear of |
a penalty-the loss of wages or of |
being discharged-it alters folks atti- /
tude as to the impressiyeness of such |
demonstrations.
What do we want of an increased |
navy and an increased army such as
this great military program provides? |
What changed conditions warrant |
doubling the appropriations of a year
ago?
Mr.. President there is absolutely
nothing in the situation. nothing in the
conditions that can be made to justify
placing this extOrtionate tax burden
upon the people of the United States.
There is not one substantial reason
why this congress should double the
for military purposes at
this time.