Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1920-07-08
THE PROFITEERS


Automobile speed fiends, who's prop
err place, wheather rich or poor high
or low in society, is in the penitlanti-
airy since thee violate laws that en-
danger life, have been let off with
such light fines in Northern West
Virginia that it is nothing less than
winling at thir defense. Violators
of the anti-liquor lawys have been
viswed as martyrs and the symathy
of so many prominent citizens has
been with them in Northern West /
Virginia that the United States Mar
shall crops into jest in the news
papers he kids about drinking. Boil
shevistics Communistic, Socialistic.
Anarchistic and anti-God propaganda
have been spread through Northern
West Virginia without calling forth
serious objection from man and wo-
men of influence and oftentimes peo-
pie who ought to know have smiled
at some of the tales as though secret
not comprehending the evil of their
own work nor of the national chain of
which they are a link, have purposely
broke the faith of the government
and of the banks in their pledges to !
Liberty Loan buyers, and men who
have broken up banks have been pre-
melted to live or die in liberty inst@ll
of serving time in the penitentiaries.
Northern West Virginia, blessed
with material resources so vast and
hmitless, that it should be come one
of the most desirable spots to live in
the United States, is harassed by a |
gang of profiteors so bold that there
is no wonder that good people are cry
ing that it is time to call halt.
When the state chairman in United
War Work campaign of war times is
prominent in a firm is fined $35 900
for profiteering in sugar and the cap
italistic daily newspapers no more
than give it passing mention, when
Charleston firms profiteer in such a
way as to get columns in national
trade publications but not line in
the two daily newspapers of Charles
ton, when mistakes without end are
being made by boobs in high positions
which the newspapers dare not orr
care not to criticise, it becomes tinA
for decent people to interest them
selves in public affairs and elect men
with conscience and ability to office.
If the really patriotic people in
Northern West Virginia have any
sentiment for the Fourth Of July they
can do no better than to sit down half
an hour and think things overs Can
men who denouse the moral forces
which are fighting to save the coun-
try from the power of evil by trunted
to make public opinion in the capa-
city of newspaper editors, bankers
presidents of schools and colleges,
and to head up movements which are
for the public good and which are of
a community nature? Are political
demoagogues to be permitted to fan
the class hatred that unfortunately
exists to some extent in Northern
West Virginia into white heat?
1t is time for the people who have
kept in the background to come for
ward, time for decent people to make
a FIGHT against petty politicians, time
for the farmer to assert his manhood
in public effairs, time for old-fash-
Toned honesty to have a show against
the ingenious trifling of the social
ed businessman. 1t is time for people
who have faith in our form of govern
nlent, faith in the people, and most
important of all, faith in themselves
as honest, upright men, to come for
ward and, despite the shortcoming of
the hour, despite all the unwise eff
forts of bankers of debated Liberty
bonds, to debate business and break
down our prosperity to what they call
normal conditions" move forward
in an effort to produce products of
the farm and factory, build modern
highways, erect hotels and office
buildings, erect dwellings, by the hur-
bred, develop our school system, any
interest ourselves in every movement
that is for the general good.