News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1917-02-07

Tense. And from this sprung the ma
ton. Rome is a good example OF
this. Then between the nations COM
merce sprang up, and it is this inter-
nlingling of people that has furnished
the progress of the world. Thru this
means man rose from dependency to
INDEPENDENCE, as some would put it;
rose from INDEPENDENCE in fact. He
became interreated in all his affairs
with his brother of whatever race and
wherever found. Humanity became
family. Distance was eliminated.
invention, born of necessity, ,spanned
the continents and the oceans, and
made all mankind neighbors. And so
the world travelled with rapid strides
to the present era Peace and plenty
we're in the land. Prosperity was
in the ascendency. The church was
| victorious over all. Christ was King,
not of the Jews, but of humanity. The
Millennium had dawned.
And then the storm broke; Ger
many was on the way to Paris. Bel
GUM guarded the way, justified at
last in the setting of her guns toward
Germany, the common enemy. France
hastily modified and rushed to the
defense. England rallied to Frances
support. A speedy end of the war was
predicted. This was an age of peace
War would not be tolerated. Christ
ianity forbade that man should kill
his fellowman, and was not this a
Christian age?
But what happened in the United
States? Overnight the prices of the
poor mans necessities went skyward.
But why? Was there such a sudden
dearth of food supplies and raw mater
ial that the demand overreached the
supply in brief instant? Or were we
at this time, and had we been, great
export nation in all these products.
Surely some momentous force must
have controlled this sudden rise in
price of all those things that armies,
Dr. laborers, might need!
Then later there was a sag in prices,
out not to the old level. And later
STILL Russia, the Slav Nation, owner
If the great wheat fields of Europe
entered the arena. And away went
he prices again, higher than before,
acquiring an impetus that has sent
md is still sending them far beyond
he reach of the ordinary purse, pro-
libitive to the common people, who
must eat or starve.
Was this necessary? England had
,ast domains overseas from which she
ould and did draw men, money and
upplies. Germany plowed up her
many beautiful parks and sowed them
o grain; took possession of the farms
If Germany and Austria, and the sur
,lus went to the National Granary.
Russia had vast uncultivated areas,
md millions to till them. These coun-
ries were not dependent on the United
states Germany has proved this. :.
Then why did prices soar? Were we
It war, or playing the war game in any
way? Well, maybe so, in fact, if not
n spirit Anyway, we went contract
uniting, and we began the extensive I
or munitions; we be- I
ane suddenly deep ly interested in
ommerce, and when there was some I
Interference on the part of Germany,
he President began to write his notes :
f "strct ountability." But new c
plants sprung up, and later c
ONE of them were blown up. Our 9
nils were transformed from produc c
rs of necessities to war feeders, Fab I
Ious prices were offered for laboryl /
killed and unsklled. Thousands I
ockcd to the industrial centers, at
Tacted by the possibility of great I
aims. The New York Stock Exchange {
nd the Chicago Board of Trade be- t
anne the financial centers of the |
-orld. Money flowed in all chan
els of trade; flowed so freely that it
ctually lost the greater part OF It's
urchasing power And this is the pros c
Gritty we have read so much about in
he past few months, -the prosperity
hat duped the mass of voters until {
re had this for one of the slogans of I
he past National Campaign, and the 9
resident rode to victory on this and
he added slogan, "He kept us out of
ar" i
Since then there has been some OBJ
1rvance of our demands for freedom t
{ the seas, and Germany recently
skcd the good Offices of the United {
tates in requesting the Allies to dis
uss terms of peace. Then the Presi- t
ont appeared before the Senate with {
is beautiful dream of a world peace d
ompact; and then came the ultima t
lm of Germany, followed by the {
everance of diplomatic relations, and =
RASH WENT the prices in the
ock market. v