The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1917-09-22
Who Are the Traitors?

Borah protesting against placing the
burden of war expenses on posterity
and the soldier boys when they re-
turn by means of another great bond
issue, and urging the CONSUMPTION
of wealth and heavy taxes on war
profits. Shortly after the publica-
ton of that article we were surprised
and panied to hear a substantial and
intelligent business man refer slight
ingly to Senator Borah, Senator
Norris and others as ''pacifsts. The
gentleman was not democrat, by
the way.
This word pacifsts, like Stacker,
patriotism and similar expressions by
the war enthusiasts and mercinaries
has been worked over time until it
is not received with much enthus-
iasm by the public. Here is some
thing to give the public some in
sight as to Mr.. Reavis' position on
war revenue.
A recent Washington dispatch
says:
Speaking for number of his re-
publican colleagues, Congressman
Reavis said tonight that he will op-
pose the war revenue bill If changes
made by the senate finance commit
tee are adhered to.
"I cannot see the wisdom of the
patriotism Of loading the financial
burdens of this war upon the shout
ders of those least able to bear them.
Every reduction of taxes as reported
by the senate finance committee has
been made from those taxes which the
house levied upon the very rich.
Every increase of taxation has been
on the poor. The supertax which
the house put on incomes of more
than $4,000 has ben removed by
the senate committee and the reve-
nue. thereby lost to to be raised from
sugar, tea ard coffee.
"They leave the consumption tax
on light and heat, but they remove
the tax from the great automobile
manufacturers who receive in the
army bill millions of dollars is reve-
nue.. The per cent, is not disturb
ed, but there is scarcely a tax on
wealth that is not mysterially reduc-
ed"
Senator Norris has taken the same
stand on this measure as Mr.. Reavis,
for the people as against war profit
ers, the big interest and swollen for
tunes
L. S. Heron in Nebraska Union
Farmer, September II.
al 14OAAA OOAAAS NOAAoAoOAOA NAO~-e
ors as the newspapers and corpora
ton satellites are branding them, the
little group of senators who have
been holding cut for wealth conScrip-
ton are the real PATRIOTS. 1t is they
who have the best interests of the
country at heart. The majority of
the members of senate have shown
by their votes on the revenue meas
ure and proposed amendmentto it that
they are either economic illiterates"
or the willing tools of a financial in
terests.
FfTo lay heavy taxes upon wealth,
upon large incomes and war profits,
would make the war unpopular, say
the protectors of wealth. Unpopular
with whom? Unpopular with those
who want bonds, bonds, bonds; who
want everything back with interest,
who want to loan the government
3O-cent dollars and be repaid IN 100
cent dollars. From the standpoint of
the common people nothing could
make the war more unpopular than
to issue billion of bonds until lntia-
ton reduces the purchasing power OF
the dollar to a point where working
people cannot live upon their wages,
while the rich becme richer and live
extravagantly.
corporations and big business say
that if taxes on incomes and profits
are placed too high, the incentive to
business will be lacking and produc-
ton will be discouraged This is
equivalent to an acknowledgment
that the men of great wealth are in
terested in the war chiefly from the
standpoint of profits, and their pro-
LESSONS of zeal and democracy are
utterly hollow.
whether high taxes should be
placed upon war profits, or whether
high profits should be prevented by
rigid regulation and price control are
matters of method. But certainly it
should be the policy of the govern
ment to obtain by equitably distribut-
ed taxation all of the wealth neces-
sary to conduct the war"
If the sentiments here expressed
are evidence of pacifsm, un-patriot-
ic and un-American, then the coun-
try is literally honeycombed with
treason. But fortunately, the re-
verse is true. The unpatriotic, the
un-American, the slackers, the trait
ors are those who would thrive and
grow fat on the miseries of the coun-
| try, the burdens of the poor in the
shape of enormous war profits and
war DOnQS, anu Iney are VASTLY III
the minority. They sem to have the
pull to get by with their nefraious
work yet, and the money to finance a
shrieking war press to derided all
people as 'pacifsts," or denounce
them as traitors and German allies
who do not calmly and meekly &C
quisce in the plunderous, piratical
schemes of big business. They are
increasing discomfort and hatred in
the hearts of the people, they are
tanning the flames of retaliation and
retfibution. They are sowing seed
and making history all right. They
are the real traitors.
The great mass of citizens of this
glorious country are true blue, 10y
al, patriotic Americans but they do
notallow capitalism and its SHRED press
to prescribe their particular brand of
Americanism and patriotism. They
are against autocracy as they are
against plutocracy. Theyare for demo
cracy in fact as well as in name and
they are going to have it when the
game is ended and the traitorous
| grafters on government and people
viii be hung higher TIM Haman OF
cast into outer darness.-Lincoln