The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-01-10
THE CApITALIsTIC CLASS

The Metropolitan Magazine for December in its ed
itoral comment demands show down between cap
alism and revolution and commits the Metropolitan
Magazine to the capitalistc system declaring that
America the greatest capitalistic nation earth
as well the best ocular demonstration that capt.
talism brings progress. Any radical liberal.
meaning peoifist is ashamed the CAPT
talistc element among the allies ashamed Amer
you be against the capitalistc system and
still be for America"
The editorial writer goes to say that there has
been too much sneering by pacfist papers Of the
Nation type without any commitment by those pa
pers to what they for against. that the
time has for them to make their decision and
their profession. Germany used the capitalistic
wrench in her effort destroy the machinery which
put millions of American into the fight against
her intolerable system of government. Into the
mouths of guilty and innocent alike she put the term
"A capitalists war" Boshevist Russia has declared
war the "captalistic nations and look at poor
Russia. Germany used every tool she could manip-
ulae to distor and cast into dsrepute the term cap
italistic nations" She played upon the weak. the
dsIoyal and the selfseekers who spread her propa-
ganda of distrust and suspicion. So insidious was
her design that today WITH contempt for those
who sought to hamper the United States in her fight
on Prussian milarism and autocracy fading, the
cusations which they hurled upon their country in
stin cling with menacing confusion to the period
of reconstruction which must clear away the false
hoods and Misrepresentation afloat by anti
war and pro-German elements during and prior to
our entrance into the great war.
IN his demand for show down the Metropolitan
editor clears up one defuddled notion of which
certain groups in nation make capital; the idea
that capital in itself is criminal. "Boshevism" he
reminds US. demands the destruction Of capital and
the return all the products labor to the work
ers themselves Civilization and all progress in civ
ilization to our mind depends on two things: labor
and the institution and use Of capital"
The Metropolitan editor grants that America is
the greatest of all capalistic nations and declares
we are for the capitalistic system" at the
time warning against confusion of the term cap
italstic system" and 1.-The capitalist" To his way
of thinking and rightly so. the man who encourages
enemy to the safety of the American traditions as
the Bolshevist or the anarchist
To define the American capitalistic system we
quote: Let US go back to first principles fam
iIy a community or a nation that produces only
enough for its own consumption cannot make any
progress either in materialistic spiritual
sense 1t is only when it produces surplus of food
or OF commodities that means is provided whereby
portion Of the community have time to plan
new enterprises and to set them going and keep
them going until they in turn become productive
Progress is impossible unless produce more
than they consume and so provide a surplus which
Immediately become capital. the working capital OF
and wider life In our complicated stage OF
trial age. the principle holds good The ma
ton that does not produce surplus sooner or later
stagnates ard dies. Capital is very simple thing