The daily Nome industrial worker., 1917-06-02

advantage OI tnelf position to insist i that no poor man was entitled to 1 pay cent towards the expenses of the nation during war time. They might have pointed out that the war would, with increased business activities of one kind or another, ] have so increased their profits that the only reasonable way of ridding themselves of their surplus was for government to take it. They might
 have pointed out that the poorer
 sections of the, community had a
 sufiiciency of gloiy in giving their person under the draft law, and 1 that it remained for them the richer
 classes to give of their property
 under a quasi conscription of pro-
 perty law.
 It must be admitted, for it cannot
 well be denied, that the workers
 would not for one instant have
 dared to challenge the right of the men of wealth to have their wealth cCnscripted It will have to be
 acknowledged, because it is beyond controversy, that wealth conscrip-
 cal and just as reasonable and just
 as fair as conscription of the per
 son. Yet in spite of this, the senate
 committee, with wonderful selt
 abnegation admit the workers to an
 equal footing and permit them the
 opportunity of sharing in the pay
 ment of taxes of the country.
 A very wise poet said that trials
 are more easily borne when more
 commonly shared. Upon that max
 i'm is founded this weighty policy
 which eXcites applause. It is obvi-
 ous that if these be times that try mems souls, in having all share the
 bear it.
 !; It might have been otherwise. A naughty senate might have held , that the workers and the masses . of the people were being admitted , to sacrifice enough; they might have held that here was an oppor- tunity for the men of wealth not for the masses of consumers, to show
 their patriotism. It is was for the inner circle of wealth concentration to enjoy the luxury of wealth con , scription. But knowing well that ) in denying them this opportunity ; they ran the risk of creating dang 5 circle for all time, they do their 5 whole duty like whole-souled men. It is to be hoped that those men ' of wealth and position who have : been compelled thus to share their privileges with the producing mas ses will not do otherwise than ac- with true patriotism acquiesce in ] the action of the Committee. This is a time when the national senti- 2 ment should he unified, and Ho time ] for quibbling over matters which ? in the last analysis are nothing Tut fair play and common justice. It i may be that the millionaire will I feel sighted in being denied his sur
 tax, it is not impossible that he t may be excited to angry expressions T because of this, but the nobler con : dua on this suspicious occasion is e to submit 10 the inevitable and , with great good cheer accept things [ as they are.
 ' Surely they who have so many ( and so much of the good things of this life will not envy thespoorer brother in his little gift from the Senate. It should rather appeal
 to that finer sense which with more kindly heart enjoys seeing others
 enjoy the privileges which might very well have been their own. Moreover knowing the charitable
 methods of oundation-founders
 and stain glass window -endowers, I we feel confident that they will i make virtue of necessity and all low the justice of the policy which
 removes a tax from their shoulders
 and allows the masses the privilege
 of themselves sharing in the burd- ! ems.