The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-03-02
SOCIALISTS AND WAR.

Iears in setting forth their attitude toward the
POSSIBLE entrance of this country into the
world war. The impression gained by read
ing of the various official and unofficial Social
list utterances is that the socialists would re-
main passive; they would neither hinder nor
help the country in its war course. FROM Tue
rational Hillquit to the irrational soclalst ora
for on the soap box, none has promised any
harsher anti-war program than passlVity.
Remembering the violent outbursts of Euro
Dean socialists when the threat OF war swept
over Europe, and contemplating the lo!ai
service of the same socialists when war nnais
came the danger of detection of the American
socialists in time of war seems not serious
Some of the best Americans are SOCIALISTS, just
as some of the stolidest Germans and praFesl
French are socialists. An enemy threatening
the liberty and safety of the state is the com
mon enemy.
Socialism is a political religion, not dis
ease The gentlemen who are brayng against
onr traditional policy of national deceney are
not socialists. The opposers of Americanisln
in congress are not socialists. The profession
al nacifsts. who are owned body and soul by
tho German propaganda, are not socialists
In his heart every socialist probably feels
good deal as the European socialists have feit
and as the social democratic party OF Germany
felt in the day of Karl Marx when It issued a
manifesto declaring:
So long the mercenarias OF Na1o5so1 s1.e.-
ened Germany it duty a. Ge-Ez-s 20
defend the Independence OF ne tAsa $500
Such defensive war does not s1casas o..-1 -.
measures K includes. does every "ar ~
necessity Of forcing the enemy to ACCEPT peace
r. would not be difficult for an American
citizen today to resolve that: ..As long az the
;mnerial frightfulness OF Europe threatens
America. it is our duty as Americans to de-
fend the independence Of the United States
Marx. who launched socialism into the
stream of political life. did not deny the pos
s;ble necessity Of war. He predicted the
nrasent war az an inevitable follower OF the
war of 1870. His socialism contained no doc
trine of non-resistance. nor does the socialism
Of today. The political analysis OF Marx Is
still good reading; his ideals still exist In the
socialist mind.
We needn't worry about the socialists OF
America in case of trouble.
One of the uplifting young mems ASSOCIATION
If Sioux Falls, S. OAK, church, IN view OK the
fact that the state will be bone dry IN only
little more than four months, already mas begun
preliminary work providing substitute 1or d
saloon as a place in which to pleasantly spend
an evening. Coffee houses, well regulated pool
halls and more bowling alleys have been sug.
gestd as means of providing suitable places OF
entertainment in the evenings as successor 70
the saloons. The wellmeaning young men OF
Sioux Fall might profitably include the nome
in their list of places that could be SUD
s+ituted for the the thirst resort.
Somebody is always taking the JOY out OF
living Now comes coal dealer VINO de,
noses and saws that some people could get Goa
enough if they would pay for the coal .hes
have burned.
PoIvgamv is said to flourish in the Danisn
West Indies our new islands, but we can Only
blush and turn the shocking matter over 10 'he
birth control movement.
One beauty of the short month OF fepruary
was that il did not afford so much time IN whicl
ito dread March.
When the law of demand and supply faiis
down. the only law left is the law OF sef-preser
vation.
/ Window glass goes up ten per cent. IL costs
more even TO see to eat