Elbert County tribune and Elbert County banner., 1921-03-11

called under the flag, for assignment
to duty. for whatever service. military
| or civic, the Individual Is best fitted;
where we may call to universal sery-
ice every plant. agency or facility; all
In the sublime sacrifice for country.
and not one penny of war profit shall
inure to the benefit of private indi-
vidual. corporation or combination, but
all above the normal shall flow into
the defense chest OF the nation. There
Is something Inherently wrong. some
thing out of accord with the ideals of
representative democracy, when one
portion of our citizenship turns Its
activities to private gain amid defen-
sive war while another Is fighting. sa-
crificing or dying for national preser-
| vation.
Unity OF Spirit and Purpose.
| Out of such universal service will
come new unity of spirit and pur-
pose, q new confidence and consecra-
lion. which would make our defense
impregnable. our triumph assured. Then
we should have little or no disorgani-
zation of our economic, Industrial and
commercial systems at home, no stag
gering war debts, no swollen fortunes
to fiout the sacrifices OF our soldiers.
no excuse for sedition. no pitiable
slackerism. no outrage of treason.
Envy and Jealousy would have no soil
for their menacing development and
revolution would be without the pas
sion which engenders it.
A regret for the mistakes OF yester-
day must not, however blind us TO
the tasks of today. War never left
such an aftermath. There has been
staggering loss of life. and measure
less wasteage of materials. Nations
are still cropping for return to stable
ways. Discournging Indebtedness con-
fronts us like alt the wnr-torn ma
tlons, aud these obligations must be
provided for. No civilization can sur
vlve repudiation. We can reduce the
abnormal expenditures, and we will
We can strike at war taxation, and
we must. We must face the grim ne
cessity, with full knowledge that the
task is to be solved and we must pro-
ceed with full eralization that no
statute enacted by man can repeal the
inexorable laws Of nature. Our most
dangerous tendency is to expect too
much of government, and at the same
time do for 1t too little. We con-
template the immediate task of put
ting our public household in order.
We need rigid and yet sane economy.
combined with fiscal Justice, and 1t
must be attended by individual pru-
dence and thrift, which are so essen
tial to this trying hour. and reassur-
ing for the future.
Reflection Of Wars Reaction.
The business world reflects the dis |
turbance of wars reaction. Herein |
flows the life blood of material ex-
istence. The economic mechanism is |
Intricate and Its parts interdependent, |
and 1t has suffered the shocks and |
Jars incident to abnormal demands, |
credit inflations and price upheavals.
The normal balances have beeh--irn-
paired. the channels of distribution |
have been clogged. the relations of la
Dor and management have been
strained. We must seek the readjust-
ment with care and courage. Our peo-
pie must give and take. Prices must
reflect the receding fever of war ac-
tivities. Perhaps we never shall know
the old levels Of wage again, because
war invariably readjusts compensa-
tions and the necessaries of life will
show their inseparable relationship,
but we must strive for normalcy to
reach stability. All the penalties will
not be light. nor evenly distributed.
There is. no way of making them SO.
There Is no instant step from disor-
der to order. We must face a condi-
tlon of grim reality, charge of our
losses and start afresh. 1t is the old
est lesson of civilization.
From Destruction to Production.
The forward course of the business
cycle Is unmistakable Peoples are
turning from destruction to produc-
tion. Industry has sensed the changed
order and our own people are turn
Ing TO resume their normal, onward
way. The call Is for productive Amer
lea to go on. l know that congress
and the administration will favor
every wise government policy to aid
the resumption and encourage contin-
ued progress. l speak for admins
trative efficiency, for tightening tax
bui dens, for sound commercial prac-
tices. for adequate credit facilities, for
symapthetic concern for all agricul-
tural problems, for the omission of
unnecessary Interference of govern
ment with business, for an end to gov
ernment's experiment In business, and
for more efficient business In govern
| ment administration. With all of this
must attend a mindfulness of the hui
man side of all activities. so that so
cial, Industrial and economic justice
will be squared with the. purposes of
righteous people.
With the nationwide induction Of
womanhood into our political life we