Evening star., 1923-07-01
Holds Victims Of Profiteers
Have a Remedy in Own Hands

which the individual was not permitted
to 60.
2 More than four.and- half years have
elapsed. and the word ''profteer" stu re-
mains as frisky as ever. Men growi and
say the government should do something
about proflteering. do not at this time
argue the question Of governmental In
tervention: Hconcede what I believe
not to be true-namely. that in a free
government, such as ours. constituted
authority both can and should take
charge of the private business Of the
citizen. Let US be measurably honest
with ourselves. So far have found no
person, whether business man, profess
sional man or working man, whether
on farm. In mill. mine ,or office. who
has not expressed belief that he
was being underpaid, either for his
services, his products or his labor, In
sufficiently rernunerated for his activi.
ties. whatever they were. That has led
me to wonder where all this profiteering
that we are talking about comes from.
Yes, the average citizen has a hard
luck story Of profteers, how they. have
imposed upon him and taken from him
such increased returns as he succeeded
IN getting. -.
Orthodoxy has been said to be my
doxy. and heterodoxy your doxy. May
not the same principle be applied to
profiteering? Those who COMPLAIN
that the government has done moth
ing have not stopped to consider
what the result Of governmental ac-
tion might be upon their own affairs.
would not be understood as denying
that there are corporations and per-
sons In America who are CHARGING
exorbitant prices. prices which would
result under the moral law In their
conviction. But contend that no
government such as ours can fix the
cessive profits. unless it fixes II for
every man. every business. every
trade. every profession. This would
be difficult thing to do. as difficult
as to take overall the business and
resources of America. designate each
citizens task and stipulate his COM
pensation. Those who talk about the
government stopping profiteering are
unconsciously talking about COM
munism: They are talking about the
other fellow while the other fellow at
the same time is talking about them.
It is human nature to wish regulation
and restraint of some one else.
We had no suoh troubl - as these
before the war. We had scoundrels
and crooks. OF course. and many went
+unwhipped OF Justice. but. neverthe-
less. we had o people who very large
ly took care of themselves. If sugar
was too high. we did not buy SO much
of It: IL clothing was too high, we
wore last years suit: II building ma
terial was too high. we continued to
live in the old house; IL lawyers were
too expensive, we pleaded guilty; IL
tickets to uplift lectures cost too
much. we stayed at home and read
what the papers had to say about
them. We had one universal panacea
for much OF the profiteering CT life,
not then SO designated. We said, I'VE
can't afford it," and straightway for
got that we ever desired It. Elimi-
mating infants, insane persons and
Indians. who go untaxed. most OF US
are Citing more than we deserve. and
are being compelled to pay more than
we ought to for everything we buy.
But poor old Uncle Sam has about all
the business that he can look after in
meeting the interest on our debt. and
preserving our lives and property.
1t is UP to us to exculpate our gov
ernment from responsibility for our
condition. Each of us must deter.
mine for himself what he can do
without and not suffer. how much less
he can take and still live. --
fconxr,~btnd yQo2 o1sf Centurv pressN