Denver labor bulletin., 1918-10-19

In the battle OF lie, III the slrussie
for power, wealth or fame, men be-
come narrow and selfish. Self-inter-
est keeps their thoughts within that
circle where men are judged by the
gold standard alone, and where there
is little OF no incentive to look for
higher standard.
II is. therefore, refreshing and in
spring to do honor to the boys who
have gone to do their duty upon the
field of battle, without any selfish
thought of gain to themselves, but to
help the cause of democracy and hu-
manity.
Times like these emphasize the fact
| that the true worth of men Is not
measured so much by what they have
as by what they are.
Money is a desirable thing. 1t is
the equivalent of what we eat and
drink, of the clothes we wear and the
comforts with which we surround our
selves; with it we can purchase the
wisdom of the master minds, past and
present: it admits US to where ora
| tors declaim and where singers thrill
the soul with ecstacy; with 1t we
\ build churches, endow schools and pro-
vide hospitals for the weak and help
/ less: but money cannot buy the best,
the God-like, the distinctiyely human
things which more than all others
make or mar our happiness.
The world would not be so rich and
/ life would not be so full of hope and
promise if this true soldier spirit of
devotion were destroyed. But let US
hope and pray that this war will so
change the ideals and policies of the
various nations that the soldier Will
no longer be compelled to follow the
standards of the Caesars, the Napol-
cons and the Wilhelms who would
crush the hearts, hopes, lives and
prosperity of their fellow beings in
order to satisfy their own ambition
for power and glory.
This war is the result of mllitarlsm-
Militarism is the bhghting evil that
/ has oppressed the people Of the va
rious nations and stified their aspIra-
tions for better things. Why was 1t
that the allied army began to drive
I the Germans back as soon as the
| American boys got into the fight
Was il because the American boys
I brought to the army superior physi-
. cal strength or military equipment!
No. 1t was because they brought to
: the allied army the spirit Of Ameri-
can democracy-;he democracy that
/ has never been blighted by the curse
of militarism.
Instead of imposing the curse of
militarism upon this nation, | say that
I this war. with all its sacrifice of blood
and gold. will have been an absolute
/ failure unless it lifts the burden of
militarism from the backs of the peo-
pie of all the nations involved in this
war.
The power of military despot may
bring about war; the power of a
/ financial despot may bring about a
panic; both are the fruits of human
greed. and both leave poverty and suf-
fering in their trails.
As long as it lies within the power
of one man, OF few men, to bring
about either of these two evils the
world will not be safe for democracy.
\ To bring about a full lrealization of the
hopes and the aims of the common
people we must have democracy in
our industrial system as well as in
our political system.
The protiteer is no better than the
kaiser. To take advantage of the
needs of cold and hungry people, to
satisfy ones greedA for gold, is as
despicable; and as inhuman as 1t is
to sacrifice human beings to satisfy
ones greed for military power and
glory.
! can say for the laboring people
of this nation that they will continue
to give the very best there is in them,
whether it be upon the field of battle,
/ in the workshops OF on the farm, until
this bloody contest is decided in our
I favor.
The laboring people are in this war
heart and soul because they love de-
u i
sacrifice that it might triumph. They