El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-05-24
5EC'Y HOUSTON
IS OPTIMISTIC



much effort in resisting demands
from groups Of people for appropria-
tons as have in seeking them
Excess profit tax is not all evil.
II has good features II Is produc-
tive OF revenue II reaches. some real
profiteers- But It tends TO promote
waste IL works unequally and ca
priclously. Il depends on mere &C
ciQent or form OF corporate organi-
cation Tt Furnishes conservative bus
mess and rewards and promotes
stock watering. Many OF the cor
porauons charged with proflteeriug
got off very light because they are
so generously capitalized
The tax does not apply to all BUSH
ness concerns and therefore works
un1ustly. The substitution. Of a fiat
rate on undistributed profits would
place Incorporated and unincorporat-
ed concerns more nearly on the
same basis
Seventh. what we need nowadays
are cool judgment. regard for facts
and courage TO follow conclusions
based on them Let US have debate
criticism and progress, by all means
but let us have constructive critl-
cisms and let US have progressives
who know where they are headed and
are headed in the right direction
No War. Yet No Peace.
Today there is for rs and many
other people neither peace nor war
There is not only the unrest which is
uncertainty and added difficulties
which exists because Of our failure
to conclude peace The whole world
waits on us and is affected with
grave doubts and hesitations. Pro
ductiVe programs OF all sorts are
fundamentally affected and disturbed
conditions furnish agitatOrs favor
able opportunities for conducting va
rious propaganda
obviously. the existing state Of
things make for ineffectiveuess Of
the national life in every direction
and the persistence and perhaps ex-
pansion OF present burdens and sac
rifices. Certainly our burdens and
problems would be sufficiently dir
ficult 70 meet II peace were secured
and We could devote our energies eL-
clusively to the adjustment
Eighth, the federal reserve board
and the treasury have sufficiently
difficult tasks to discharge without
Interference OF uuintelligent opposi-
ton
Ninth. democracy is a difficult
enough thing II the people have the
facts and nothing except facts pre-
scented 70 them with the most Impair
tial interpretations II one had the
facts and nothing else, there would
still be difference OF opinion and am
pie reason for the existence OF the
parties But II seems to me that de-
mocracy is going TO have very hard
shedding fl we are 10 have govern
ment by misrepresentation Certain
y some Of our most widely read pa
pers are giving US not news but par
tisian Impressions OF what they de-
sire the news 70 be-
Plea for Fair Press.
7 wish it were possible for every
e. H1HalH
great public utility and to be COM
mitted TO the policy Of seeking the
facts and presenting them in the
most impartial manner possible ]
wish also that more people would
tolerate only leaders who have the
ability and the inclination 70 get the
facts 70 interpret them honestly and
courageously. TO present their con-
illusions TO the people I know this
standard would put very large per
cent OF present leaders out Of fash
ion. but the nation would survive
their retirement
Tenth. many problems lie before
us They VIII require the best
thought Of our most patriotic en-
liEhtened and Impartial leaders ]
am not pessimlstic as TO the out
come and IN spite OF my somewhat
still something OF an optimist. an
optimist perhaps By temperament
and certainly by some reading Of his
tory. This world and this nation
have gone from the shadow Of medic
valism. There is little doubt that the
recent disturbances viii give IL an
impetus along modern lines and IL
viii move forward slowly. perhaps,
and haltingly. but still forward. 10
higher and better things with larger
recognition OF the average man and
a fuller life for alL"-Copyrigh
1920, by David Lawrence.