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Editorial
February 16, 1918
Union Labor Bulletin
Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas
What is this article about?
Editorial critiques the influence of wealthy interests in advocating bond issuance to finance the war, burdening the poor, and calls for taxing excessive corporate war profits instead, emphasizing citizen duty to decide fair payment methods.
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PAYING FOR THE WAR.
It will cost more than twenty thousand million dollars to pay the first year's cost of the war. Will it be paid by those who are best able to afford it, or by those who are not?
It is regarded by some as treasonable to talk about how the war should be paid for. As a result it is the very wealthy that have done the talking through newspapers that are working in their interests, and as a result only the method they advocate for paying for the war has received much consideration.
Their favorite plan is to pay for the war by issuing bonds, which means the poor man must pay for the war. Any person opposing this plan is usually denounced as a disturber of the peace.
It is time for the American people to wake up and decide upon the fairest way of paying for the war. It is a part of their duty as citizens to do this.
It is estimated that the additional profit from the war alone for its first year, made by American corporations, exceeds $3,000,000,000 or more than the cost of the civil war. Understood that this is not the total profit for the year, but the extra made on account of the war.
And yet there are some people who say government has a right to conscript a man to give his life for his country, but no right to conscript the dollars a corporation makes over and above a reasonable profit by trafficking in war supplies.
The corporation's dollars are sacred. The citizen's lives are not. The life can be taken to save the country, but the dollar cannot be. At least this is what the makers of the dollars would have us believe.
It will cost more than twenty thousand million dollars to pay the first year's cost of the war. Will it be paid by those who are best able to afford it, or by those who are not?
It is regarded by some as treasonable to talk about how the war should be paid for. As a result it is the very wealthy that have done the talking through newspapers that are working in their interests, and as a result only the method they advocate for paying for the war has received much consideration.
Their favorite plan is to pay for the war by issuing bonds, which means the poor man must pay for the war. Any person opposing this plan is usually denounced as a disturber of the peace.
It is time for the American people to wake up and decide upon the fairest way of paying for the war. It is a part of their duty as citizens to do this.
It is estimated that the additional profit from the war alone for its first year, made by American corporations, exceeds $3,000,000,000 or more than the cost of the civil war. Understood that this is not the total profit for the year, but the extra made on account of the war.
And yet there are some people who say government has a right to conscript a man to give his life for his country, but no right to conscript the dollars a corporation makes over and above a reasonable profit by trafficking in war supplies.
The corporation's dollars are sacred. The citizen's lives are not. The life can be taken to save the country, but the dollar cannot be. At least this is what the makers of the dollars would have us believe.
What sub-type of article is it?
Economic Policy
Taxation
What keywords are associated?
War Financing
Corporate Profits
Taxation
Bonds
Conscription
Wealthy Interests
What entities or persons were involved?
American Corporations
The Wealthy
American People
Editorial Details
Primary Topic
Fair Financing Of The War Through Taxation Of Corporate Profits
Stance / Tone
Critical Of Wealthy Influence And Advocacy For Equitable Taxation
Key Figures
American Corporations
The Wealthy
American People
Key Arguments
War's First Year Cost Exceeds Twenty Thousand Million Dollars
Wealthy Advocate Bond Issuance, Burdening The Poor
Opposition To Bonds Is Labeled Treasonous
Citizens Must Decide Fairest Payment Method
Corporations Gained Over $3 Billion Extra Profit From War
Government Conscripts Lives But Not Excess Profits
Corporate Dollars Are Protected While Citizens' Lives Are Not