The daily commonwealth. (Greenwood, Leflore Co., Miss.) 1916-1919, 1917-07-28
MERELY RAINBOW GOLD.

MERELY RAINBOW GOLD.
Let there be no decisions regarding the real value
of "war prosperity"
That the wal is good for business because IL puts
money in circulation is repeatedly asserted.
But is it true?
Successful prosecution Of any war requires money
lots Of it. Money must be spent for many purposes
new activities must be called into being to supply new
needs. Prices are inflated. The normal demand for labor
is increased. Profits are made in millions, and some one
gets them.
Yet in the inevitable showdown, the bills must be
paid.
After all, it isn't by means of money that wars are
fought. 1t was not money that halted the German dash
for Paris in 1914, It is not american dollars or British
pounds or Franch francs that will feed and equip the
Allied forces till the inevitable death-doom of authocracy
is sounded.
Uniforms and shoes, guns and rifles and ammuni-
ton, food and transportation facilities by land and sea-
these are the essentials. Money, today, as always is mere
" the mechanical device of mankind to facilitate trans
actions between man and man. If there is plenty Of money,
there are niger prices; and in the last analysis the in
creased money can buy no more.
There is, indeed, a national readjustment to war. La
Dor diverted from peace actlVlIieS w q 'Ni~ ~o
! steel that would otherwise go into structural work at home
must go into cannon for the west front, into ships to
meet the submarine situation. The gasoline supply that a
few years ago ran pleasure cars, motor boats and trac-
tors must today supply also a huge air fleet. The gram
that not long ago went into the making of liquor must
be conserved for bread. Peace activities are c~urtailed that
the war may be won.
We are going ahead, r~esolutely, to win the war; but
we may as we'll face the hardships. Well face them cheer
fully, but we'll not close our eyes to their existence.
In wartime, when men, money and materials must
' needs be conserved for the winning Of the war. no man
has a right to spend lavishly. The man whose profits are
abnormally sweled as a result of the income tax should
have them clipped by a real income tax. Under a demo-
cracv. all citizens should share in the burden in proportion
to wealth and ability to pay.
m IA IA pa "a IA IA
THE PASSING OF DIVINE RIGHT.
The American people, who raised more than one man
from the log-cabin to the presidency, have taken little
stock in the old time doctrine of the divine right Of kings
They vaguely remember that a couple of centuries ago the
stuarts in England upheld such doctrine; but to Amer
leans such assumption of superiority on the ground OF
birth seems an echo Of the middle-ages.
Yet the Kaiser has repeatedly declared that he rules
w
Germany, not by consent Of his people, which is neces'
sary, but by gift Of God. Not long ago his condolences tt
: Constantine of Greece re-echoed this ancient idea, that thu
ruler is such by divine gift.
Such a doctrine is rather Earring to present-day Amer
t leans.
Its reiteration is a reminder of the sort OF propositlol
this country has lined up against.
, Just the same, the Kaiser in the last few years ha
been rather upsetting his preposterous doctrine. He ma
driven the kings of Belgium, Serbia and Montenegro fron
e their thrones. If he rules by divine right, SO did they
In meddling with their authority, he is treading danger
GUS grounds.
h The outlook right now is that the divine right of king
is about due to receive its death-blow, and that after tn
war the royal ranks will provide the shoe-shine bushes
and kindred occupations with numerous new recruits.
H PASSING IF BIRD LIFE.
MANY o]d-timers who were boys fifty years ago
more, can remember when the wild pigeon was as commo
a bird as the English sparrow is now. The wild p'geo1
Id moved in huge Aocks, so great in numbers that they o
scrued tn esun.
Today, repeated efforts repeated efforts have failed
is locate a single living pair Of this native American bird.
Reckless determination by hunters, the advance
civilization"-thes and other modern agencies have wip
no out entirely this type Of bird life, in the short space
half a century.
In the light of this tragedy, agitation for tn eprote
no ton of insectivorous birds would seem amply justified
"a IA "a
As a whole the American people have no desire
Nv either boost or knock individual officials. They are mere
of laundering for results, which they know are being retard
hv h;cLor;nos at WASHINGTON. and would be glad to
every bickerer fired p. d. q.
M,
Of II the Senate amendment to the food bill providing
a joint Congressional committee to supervise war exp
ditures be left in the bill, its Importance will depend lari
the " on the construction put upon supervise"
ore 49,