Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-08-22
THAT NEW BRIBE
The Editor of The Telegraph:

y tHe EdH" " "e tNSFoPh-
One would think that when a ma
ton was engaged in a war for hu-
manity the setting up of the dollar
against the man would have little
weight with the legislator. But
strange as it may seem, in the eyes
of many legislators the dollar is still
much bigger than the man. 1t was in
the Presidency of the immortal Lin
coin that the nation was first brought
face to face with the question of the
Internal revenue the nation has been
ever since receiving from the liquor
traffic. When the bill passed by Con-
gress was presented to him for his
signature he refused to sign declar-
ing he would rather lose his right
arm at the shoulder than to have
his right hand affix his name to the
bill. However, after much urging and
the assurance that as soon as the
war was over the bill would be re-
pealed, he reluctantly yielded and
the blood money began to flow into
the treasury. The sacred promise to
repeal has never been kept.
A new crisis is on us. Congress
has large sums Of money to raise for
this war for humanity. Once more as
in the days before the Civil War the
battle for the abolition of the drink
traffic has risen to high tide. A day
has even been fixed by the United
States Senate when bill providing
for national prohibition for the
period of the war shall become the
unfinished business Of the Senate un-
til a vote is taken.
Once more the bribe, only of much
larger proportions, is to be held out
to block the passage of the bill. We
hear talk of billion in revenue that
will be lost If prohibition is voted.
The committee in charge of prepar-
ing the stupendous eight billion rev.
enue bill has seen a great light and
has raised the internal revenue tax
on whisky from $500 per gallon to
So per gallon. Doubtless other alco-
holics will have like raises proposed.
What will be the estimate placed by
our Congress upon the dollar as COM
pared to the man? We shall soon see.
But "woe to him that buildeth a
town with blood and stablisheth a
city by iniquity! Behold. is it not of
| the Lord of Hosts that the people
shall labor in the very fire?" Sub
| stitute nation" for town" and
city and 1t is just as true, and is
not our nation passing through "the
very fire?" And who are we? We de-
| light to boast that in this land, we,
| the people, are the sovereigns. If SO,
let us rise in our sovereignty and
! compel our servants, the legislators,
serve us and do our Will. Pretty SOW
ereigns we, If we sit supinely by and
| let our Servants" dictate to, us who
! shall represent us in the halls of the
Legislature and of Congress. The
servants" have become the masters
and 'Hoss rule" is rampant. 1t will
continue to be so as long as the voter
goes meekly to the polls and reg
listers the ballot the bosses have de-
| creed.
| This year, more distinctly than
ever before, the call goes forth to the
voter to be his own man at the bal
| lotbox and register vote there that
the blindest may see spells liberty to
| all men. Cast vote that says the
man is bigger than the dollar. Amer
| lea is being taught to think in big
and generous terms to-day. and the
biggest thing she can secure and the
most needful thing for her future is
a clean, pure, virile, sober manhood.
God give us men. A time like this de-
mands clear vision, right appraise-
| ments, just decisions. If it was wrong
in the SOS to put blackman on the
auction block and sell him body and
| soul to the highest bidder, 1t is just
as wrong to put any man on the
block and say to the liquor traffic,
you can capture him and enslave
him body and soul with your alco-
holic drinks, if you will pay me my
price"
Let PENNSYLVANIA men no longer
submit to this unrighteousness. but
let them inquire closely into the
character of all candidates for the
LEGISLATURE and other Offices and II
they will not come out openly for the
| immediate execution of John Bar
leycorn, let no dollar plea buy their
vote. Then shall they be freemen in
deed and our state can hold up her
head again with just pride.
B. e. P. P.