The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1917-09-07
WITH THE EDITORS
DEMAGOGY IN the SENATE.
Chicago Tribunel.

A prosperous NatlOu 10 sti ohS hA
ton, and only a strong nation can
fight effectively. Poverty is weak and
insecure. A poverty stricken nation,
harassed by crushed taxes, can never
accomplish very much in either peace
or war. The primary condition of ma
tional strength is material welfare in
the broadcast sense
There is so much current buncombe
and loose thinking that it is neces-
sary to repeat these truisms. the
bunk artists are winning converts be-
cause they are dealing in line that
is cleyerly designed appeal to patrl-
otto feeling. They are selling US
gold brick, but they insist it is a patri-
otto duty to buy their wares with our
eyes shut. s,..a- .-s,s,ty .s .t--- .s
The most popular buncombe in the
United States senate just now begins
with a peroration about the boys in
the trenches, our sons and brothers
who have been drafted for duty in
France Now, we cannot say too
much about the heroism and self-sacri-
flee of these soldiers of ours. we
know they will endure great hard
ships: we know that many will give
their lives for their country.
1t is easy, therefore, for the bunk
artists to proceed to the conclusion
that crushing taxation for the stay-at-
homes is the logical and necessary
counterpart of hardships in the field.
Since we cannot fight they would
have US acquire merit by wearing hair
shirts.
But we cannot do our part in sack
cloth and ashes. If we attempt to do
so it will be the greatest disseryice
we could do the men who are fighting
for us. Only vigorous, prosperous
nation can maintain an effective fight
ing force Without strong support
from home, both moral and material,
the army is doomed to terrible re-
verses: but even if the men come back
crowned with victory, only to find
their families submerged in poverty,
it would be a cruel reward and one
they would promptly resent
Yet the bunk artists-LaFollette
and the rest-ignore all this. They
talk glibly of conscripting the wealth
that is coined out of our blood
Democracy offers its life; let plutoc-
racy give it's profits" is another fav-
orite line.
These phrase mongers do not stop
to consider that every man who earns
a dollar is coming money out of our
blood. The farmer who sells his wheat
to the government is doing so just as
much as the manufacturer who sells
war munitions. The man who sells
machinery to the farmer is party
to this socalled bloodcoinage. 1t is
an endless circle. But if there is any
money anywhere that is outside this
circle, ii cannot claim exemption, be-
cause there is not a single dollar in
the United States that is not secured
by the efficiency of our fighting force
The Tribune holds no brief fol-
wealth. The Tribune does not desire
/ to keep inviolate the war profits OF
/ the munition makers or to protect the
profiteers in their. profiteering. Nc
one can deny that certain large cor
porations are making enormous prof
its which are largely deprived from
war orders. These profits constitute
a special problem. But that problem
does not justify the wild schemes o,
the bunk artists.
Their plan for the CONSUMPTION Of
wealth will doubtless hit these profits
but at the same time it vii hit the
country at large. The cure is worse
than the disease. 1t is worse because
the proposed taxation would impose
heavy burdens on innumerable con
Germs throughout the country-bur
dens that would be greater in proper
ton than those imposed on the larg'
corporations.
We believe the dangers of crushing
taxation should be seriously consid
cred. We believe the L-aFollette
i, Johnson program would cause grea
internal distress, with the consequen
weakening of our fighting morale ant
our national integrity. The senate
bill has already been boosted yer.
close to the limit of safety; if it i
. boosted beyond that limit we shall
have lost the first battle and possibl.
the decisive one. s...,sls- .s.IE
We cannot afford to be misled b,
!. the bunk artists.
r.x - - ss--ss. -aaSasss