New-York tribune., 1917-07-29
Who Shall Be
Suppressed?
CFrom "The New York Call" July 24)

n n ANY readers of "The Call" have
N directed our attention to the
page that The New York Trib-
une ran last Sunday, in which it was
stated that "Uncle Sam thinks the So
cialists have gone far enough" The
article in question-it covers the entire
page-appsrently anticipates the coming
suppression of socialist journals, and
quotes many of them, among others "The
Call" 1t is also illustrated with three
cartoons from "The Masses" the centre
one of which portrays a number of fat
capitalists seated around table, while
Congressman, hat in hand, humbly ap-
proaches them and inquiries: Excuse me,
gentlemen; where do l come in?" The fat
men, representing "big business" reply;
L"Run along, now! We got through with
you when you declared war for u.s."
This is supposed to be reasonable and
seditious. Let US assume that it is. Uncle
Sam is represented as not going to stand
for it any longer. But, if it is seditious
there is something more to say on the
matter. There are others-not socialists
who most assuredly merit the same
treatment from Uncle Sam.
Now, here is something that all our,
correspondents overlook. Take up that
page of The Tribune, hold it to the light
and look through the centre picture we
have described. You will see something
there of exactly the same character as the
supposedly seditious picture. Turn the
page over and you will notice fat capi-
talist sitting on a skull, under the caption
of "The Profiteer." 1t is taken by The
Tribune from "The Bystander," a Lon
don publication, and that it is reproduced
with approval is shown by the quotation
underneath, setting forth what President
Wilson had to say to the American
"profteers." Now, if "The Masses" car
toon is sedtious, what shall be said of The
Tribune's reproduction? The first merely
represents capitalists in council dis
eussing what they intend to do, whereas
the one The Tribune reprints, with ap-
proval, depicts the profteer as actually
having committed murder, and sitting on
the skull of his victim.
We reproduce both of those cartoons
elsewhere in this issue, and leave it to our
readers to decide which Of them goes
further than Uncle Sam can stand.
Our opposition to war is to no small
extent on account of these unscrupulous
profteers, who, as The Tribune's cartoon
shows, would murder the people for profit.
If the war could be conducted without
these greedy and conscienceless rascals in
any way whatever profiting by 1t con-
siderable amount of socialist opposition
would either subside or become greatly
mitigated. Their suppression would at
least have the effect of greatly strength
ening the claim now made that we are
in this war to make the world safe for
democracy. And it is this very thing the
existence of this abomination, this CAPT
talistic character Of war, that gives point
10 nine-tenths of the socialist criticism.
Now, we put it up to The Tribune to
say which should be suppressed-the So
eiahst journals, that excoriate big busi-
ness and profit mongering; The Tribune
itself, that does the very same thlng, even
more pontedly, or the profiteers, that
both the socialist publications and The
Tribune equally condemned?
Now, reader, turn over to the pictures
we told YOU Of They were both printed,
back to back, on the same paper page OF
The Tribune, so that you could actually
see the one through the other. We want
your opinion about which is deserving of
suppression.