The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-07-12
OF WEST VlRGiNlI

or else it Is no patriotism at all.
Let US never speak, then, Of prot
it's and patriotism in the same SEN
tence, but face facts and meet
them. Let US do sound business,
but In the midst of mist. Many
a srievous burden Of taxation VIII
be laid on this nation. In this gen.
Grafton and in the ne to pay for
this war; let US see TO It that for
every dollar that is taken from
;ne peoples pockets It shall be
possible to obtain a dollars worth
of the sound stufts they need.
"Let me turn for moment to
the ship owners Of the United
States and the other ocean car
riers whose example they have
followed, and ask them If they
realize what obstacles, which are
almost insuperable obstacles, they
have been putting In the way OF
the successful prosecution OF this
war by the ocean freight rates
they have been exacting. They are
doing everything that high freight
charges can do to make the war
4 failure, to make It Impossible.
do not say that they realize this
or intend Il. The thing has hap
pened naturally enough because
the commercial processes which
we are content to see operate In
ordinary times have, without sui,
ficient thought, been continued
into a period where they have no
proper place. am not question
ina motives. am merely stating
a fact, and stating it in order that
attention may be fixed upon IT.
"Ths fact Is that those who have
fixed freight rates have taken tho
most effective means In their power
to defeat the armies engaged
against Germany. When they real
ize this We may, take It for grant
cd, count upon them to reconsider
tho whole matter. It is high ttme.
Their extra hnzards are covered by
war risk insurance
1T know, and you know what
response to this great challenge OF
duty and of opportunity tho nation
viii expect Of you; and know
what response you Will make. Those
who do not respond, who do not TO
spond In the spirit OF those who
have gone to gtve their lives for us
on bloody folds far away, may SAFE
IL be left to be dealt With by optn-
ION and the law-{or the law must
Of course command those things.
am dealing with tho matter thus
publicly and frankly, not because
have any doubt or fear as to the
result, but only In order that In all
our thinking and in all our dealings
with one another We rnsy move in
a perfectly clear air Of mutual un-
derstandtng.
And there n sonisthing more
that we must add to our thinking.
Tho public II now a. much part OF
the government as arc the army
and navy themselves; the whole
people in all their activities are
now modified ana in service for
the accomplishment Of the nations
task In this war: Il II In such cir
cumstsnces impossible Justly to
DISTINGUISH between industrial pur-
ohaaes made by the government and
industrial purchases made by tho
managers OF individual industries;
and it Is just as much our duty to
sustain the Industries Of the coun-
try-au the Industries that con-
tribute to tts ufe-as it Ia to sus
QUIZ 1OXCoS LII L33O 34SAA 14&0 S>~
tho sea. We must mako the prices
to tho public tho same as the prices
to tho government. Prices mean
the Same thing everywhere now;
they mean the efficiency or tho
ineffictsncJ Of the nation, whether
it Is the government that pays Thorn
Or not. They mean victory or de-
feat: they mean that America will
win her place once for all among
tho foremost FREQ nations Of the
world, or that she will sink to de-
feat and become second-rats
power alike in thought and In &C
ton This Is day Of her reckon
ing, and every man amongst US
must personally face that reckon
Ing along with her.
"The case needs no arguing-I a.
sumo that am only expressing
your own thoughts-what must DO
In tho mind o. every true man
whom he facep tho tragedy and tho