Detroit evening times., 1945-02-24
BEHIND
The u EWS
By Paul
MaIIon

INIOIlSIl
CAVANNAH, Ga, Feb. 23-No
~ nation on the threshold Of
world victory could possibly be
believed to be as discouraged,
disheartened and confused as l
find the people down this Allan
tic Seaboard.
A cold despair covers all walks
and classes. all creedS and coll
Ors. No one anywhere seems TO
hope.
The poor man, rich man, busi-
ness man and banker talk and
act as if they are in the same
boat
l met one old Negro above
50 years who, had returned from
employment IN the Brooklyn
Navy Yard, where he said. he
received a wage of $3.50 a
week. He was looking for work
as a yardman, cutting grass and
raking leaves, for which he
insisted he must get $3.50 a
week, not a nickel less.
WHEN people who needed
w such work done, pointed
out TO him, that his eXorbitant
demand was not only not justi-
fled by the type of work he
would do. but also that skilled
and educated labor was getting
less. he rose in wrath;
II must make living, the
same as you, and l will not
work for less"
The confusion among this
class Of workers is pathetic.
EVERYWHERE there is evil
II dent a feeling against the
rich, famed constantly by the
current periodicals out of New
York, which hold that the test
of whether a man is fair and
honest these days, lies in the
single factor Of whether he de-
nounces the rich. A revolu-
zionist deception is being prac-
ticed upon the people in this
matter.
There viii always be rich. II
this class of former day rich
are completely decimated. "A
new class will arise. If COM
munism comes. those who are
high in politics will be the rich.
Businessmen in the southern
cities have asked me plain
lively:
"What will become Of Florida
when the rich are destroyed
completely"
They forget the history Of
the rich. Revolutions never
abolish riches, only change the
class OF those who are rich.
DEFORE the Civil War, the
- southern planter and the
New England mill owners were
the rich Of the country. Since
then the southern planter has
been poor. In more recent years
the New England mill owner
has become poor
Then came the rich class
from the West. from railroad
building, lumber and gold This
class, also is now nearly extinct.
In the Coolidge-Hoover era
we had business fortunes built
up by the Fords. Dodges,
Du Points, and also by the
financial rich Of New York.
These fortunes continue only as
they are productive, only If they
can make fresh money from day
10 day in large quantities
Don't forget also there are
rich in Russia The favored
politician there can live in
castles, or get the best Of every
thing there is available. The
revolution there, has also
merely created a different class
of preferred few. just as the
French Revolution destroyed
the royal rich and created our
current refugees and their for
tunes.
The true test of whether
riches are justified under capi-
talism IS whether they produce
for the common man-pay taxes
which ease the burden of gov
ernment. produce good jobs at
good salaries under good work
ing conditions. Only the bunk
propagandiSts. or the fools who
are deceived by them, want to
destroy cows who can be made
TO produce good milk.
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Reproduction In whole or In part