Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-06-15
The Rich Mans War


Answer-Workmen whose wages
are increased in higher proportion
than the advance in the cost OF
living. No others profit financial
". except a few crooked men
whom the law is already overtak-
ing: and these same men made
crooked profits before the war as
well as since it began.
Question But aren't the rich
men making more money now
than they were before the war be-
gam
Answer Before the war, bank
ers and financiers made profits on
loans to the allies ami on pur-
chases for the allies The L. >
government makes these loans ana
purchases now. The government
fixes the price OF munitions and
heavily taxes the munitiOn makers.
The government has virtually put
all great manufa Cturers on salary,
giving many OF them one dollar a
year. The government has fixed
the price of necessities, reducing
them so that profiteer!ng is IL
legal and has become almost i'm
possible. The prices of securities
have dropped and the railroads
have been Communicated by the
government. The railroad presl-
dents have been remOved-Wlthout
pay.
Question-But. anyhow, doesn't
Mr.. Rockefeller profit by the war?
Answer-Yes; if we win the war
he will not have to obey the
kaiser. That is a profit. But fin
ancially his only possible enjoy
ment must come from a sense of
duty and obedience rendered, be
cause the government is taking
more than half OF his income. Be
fore the war the government TOOK
only a small percentage of his in
come.
What do the million
aires sons and other rich young
men get out Of the war?
Answer-A chance to die for
freedom.
Question-But aren't the young
millianaires favored by the gov
eminent?
Answer That depends on their
physical condition. II young
millionaire is in good physical
condition he will probably be ia
vored with a chance to get killed
or wounded sooner than other
young men who are not so robust
Question How is the govern
ment paying for the war?
Answer selling bonds ana
by taxing the rich.
Question-HOw will the money
be raised to pay the interest on the
bonds?
Answer By taxing the rich
QuestiOn-How viii the money
be raised to pay the principal of
the bonds?
Answer BY taxing the rich.
QUestiOn-HOW Will the rich pay
this money?
Answer By becoming poorer
than they have been.
Question-Then why did the riCu
man want this war?
Answer Because they had a
certain objection to seeing their
country lose its independence.
Germany, a foreign power, sent or
ders to the United States, and
murdered American citizens for
disObeying those B orders All
Americans would rather fight than
let the German junkers make the
laws for the United States; and
a rich American is an American,
Question-WelI, anyhow, it is a
rich mans war, isn't it?
Answer Yes; in the sense that
the rich mans money is being TAX
en- away from him to pay for it,
and the rich mans lie is being
taken away from him to win it on
the battlefields, the war is just
exactly as much the rich mans
war as it is the poor mans war.
The war is the war OF every man
who will fight and work and pay
for his own liberty, his countrys
independence and the worlds free
dom from militarist domination
and imperial ambition. The rich
man fights and works as the poor
man does; but in proportion to
what each possesses, the rich man
pays a great, great deal more.
QuestiOn-Who call it the rich
mans WARP"
Answer Those who wish Ger
many to subjugate America. Those
who wish TO destroy the American
government and hope to profit
themselves thereby. Those whose
minds are SO confused that they
are unable to perceive facts. And
those who take up and repeat
such phrases as a parrot takes W.
and repeats, Polly wants a crack
er!' And from traitors. from
egoist agitatOrs, from confused
babblers and from parrots, may the
Lord deliver all honest men who
want the truth
BOOTH HARRINGTON.