New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-19
The Difference in Patriotism


After the ensuing laughter Townley
proceeded, getting more and more em-
phatic as he warmed up and at times
just touching the edge of that chilly
patriotism that was in the air of the
Non-Partisan League until it saw a
light and determined to come out
strong for patriotism. He said he was
informed that representatives Of the
Department of Justice were in the az
ditorium to inspect the patriotism OF
the meeting.
They had come TO the right place II
they were looking for patriotism. After
they had done inspecting the farmers
he would like them TO look for patriot
ism among the profiteers, in the leather
trust, in the iron, steel, munition and
coal industries.
There is a great difference betweer
our patriotism" ne said, "the patriot
ism of the men who toll that the profit
GERS may make four billions Of dollars,
and the patriotism of the men who
make the billions. While the farmers
and other producers have been raising
crops to feed the armies of liberty,
making ships and munitions and i'm
pements of war, lot of gentlemen
have been spending their ample leisure
in announcing their patriotism. When
you work sixteen hours day for lib
erty and democracy you haven't much
time or will TO wave the flag.
so they say the farmers are not pa
triotic. But four billions of profits
robbed from the workers will pay for
a lot of patriotic announcing. But now
you have taken a day off TO announce
your patriotism. Yet you cannot do a
much announcing as they o, those mer
who leave the production Of all things
10 us. Those men whose hands are
white and soft, and whose skins are
round and smooth have more time -
wave the flag than We have.
"If we were TO put in as much time
waving it as they do the whole world
would starve to death. The protiteers
and their kept press are very lavish
Of patriotism, but too much Of it comes
from money stolen from US. Their
arms are red with the blood that
proves they are not patriots. And if
they are not patriots what in hell are
they? Who has German helmet?
Place 1t upon their heads, and you will
see the Kaiser himself. Patriotism is
based upon justice, not upon robbery.
81 want TO say to you and 70 the
newspaper men here that If the papers
will tell the truth about this damnable
thing as you and see it, the profiteers
will have TO go out of business, be-
cause they can't stand the breath Of
truth. No criminal can. When the
life of liberty and democracy, when
the life of this nation hangs but by a
thread, these are the men who talk to
US of patriotism and call themselves
patriots. And then when a farmers
boy complains because his wheat is
marked down 20 cents a bushels be-
cause it contains FIVE pounds of barley
they brand him as a pro-German. Ny
answer is that with the aid of the boys
who are marching TO the battle front
we may yet defeat the representatives
OF autocracy in our midst as well as
abroad.
I've say to the prohteers: Govern
mcnt price fixing is all right Come
on in, the water is fine. We do not
TASK to fix the price OF what you sell
US according 10 the price we fix on
what we sell you. We ask you to sell
to Us according to the price you have
fixed on what We sell to YOU | be-
lieye there is enough patriotism in the
country 20 see square deal of this
Kind. | do not believe that America
has been Prussanized yet.
at is our duty to support the gov
eminent in its efforts TO fix prices,
and II 1t were not FOR the patriotism
Of iron and steel and coal and -four
we would have square deal to-day.
Let the government make those gem
tlemen produce without profit, as it
is making Us do. and they will quickly
say to the government: Here, take