The Holly chieftain., 1917-09-21
D...a4 a sau.r. Deal.

,.s,nS m,r grin ON one Of our most
chsrished traits OF character-lsir,
ness Tine was when this word
and all 1t stands for was "r,t'ell
broad on our national life.and we
have prided ourselves on our readi-
ness to accord to any ana all I'eo-
pie o square deal.
And, parsdoxical as it may SEEM
this trait stul predominates. we
are as ready as we ever were TO grant
large justice to all. But Granting
Justice IL only one-sided fairness
but ono side Of the human equa-
ton. ;,
We should Demand justice ana
fairness. eash for self and for all
others.
This we are rapidly eeasing to 90
Year by year We are more and more
sleeping on .onr individual and
collective rights, and others, more
active and aggressive, are usurping
them.
The resourees-yes, the actual pro
ductions, Of this great nation are
80 abundant that want" should
be an unknown word with us.
Yet want exists. and exists largely.
With our great wealth we should
be the most care free people the
world has ever seen, but we are not.
Lines of care are deep upon the ma
tionsl brow
And AL Of this because we sleep
upon our rights and will not rise
up and demand q square deal
It Is time we arose in our might
and demanded that the price boos-
ter and speculater must 60, and he
will not 90 until we do.
We are hopelessly in the hands OF
the exploiter- the speculator in
other peoples rights and privileges.
From the man on the corner who
sells us pair Of shOestrings for
twice their worth because he knows
we would not walk block for the
difference, up to the giant corpora
tion that furnishes the steel for our
buildings at more than its worth
because he knows we can get it no
where else all are out for the ex-
ploitation of the other fellow.
We have said that we rs people
are as ready as ever to accord fair
ness to all Yet the very presence
OF oppression and extortion in our
midst has tendency to breed us q
disregard for this principle
Doubtless, you are familiar with
the story Of the Arab and his camel
how it intr.uded it's head into its
masters tent, which the latter kind
|ly permitted But meeting no re
sisence, 1t was not long before the
camel was<in the tent and its mas
ter was excluded.
It Is SO with us. We are systema-
tically exploited and held UP by
the spectators and the -ShylOcks
until we are in danger of supinely
surrendering to their every demand.
There is absolutely no reason for
the extortionate prices we have been
paying for many months, except the
maehinations Of the trusts, the stor-
age companies the spectators. or
all who can in any way hold in re-
straint the supply, and by unfair
means stimulate the demand and
the price.
When PERMITTED free movement,
the products Of this country are
always equal to any demand. This
is not true however. when large
proportion Of our production is cor
nered and retired from the channels
Of trade until scarcity forces prices
to fictitious level.
When cold storage first came into
general use it was hailed as one of
the greatest discoveries Of any age.
We very much fear, however, that
it is fast becoming our chief oppre.
ssor. unless we can take its power
out OF unscrupulous hands.
1t is time for us to awake to the
Importance Of Demanding the
square deal, as well as according It.
National disaster faces us II we do
not.