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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 24, 1905)
Hffll pf-y-irja-m.'rvr wt WVpVf fmmtT 1 ' P 2 v- Xhp ; Pommoner. VOLUME B, NUMBER 45 HOW COULD IT BE OTHERWISE Writing in tho Atlantic Monthly on "Wealth vs. Democracy' William Allen White says: After taking as tho price of his service to his countrymen every luxury that our civilization affords, for himself and for his household, the American millionaire has taken more. Ho has taken the power to op press the people by establishing unnatural commercial and industrial conditions. By compelling the people to pay dividends upon watered stock in unfairly organized corpor ations, the rich man has unjustly increased tho price of land transportation. This is laying a robber's tribute upon the masses, as surely as any baronial tux was ever put upon vas sals. The tribute falls upon every article of necessity or of comfort or of luxury that tho people use. More than that, the aggrandize ment of capital in cheating corporations has made it possiblo for an usurious direct tax to bo levied immorally, even though legally, upon the water that the city dwellers use, upon the light and fuel and power that all the people use. Interest on bogus debts is paid by con sumers of the commonest necessaries of life, and this unfairly accumulated wealth is used to devise further methods and to legalize them, in order to put the yoke of accumulat ing capital upon the people. Rich men are but men; they love power as all men love it, and they use it as men. Their money gives them power; it opens a new sport to them, when the mere getting of money palls. This diversion is the control of government. After saying all this Mr. White adds: A SENATOR'S DUTY Senators Long of Kansas, and Millard of Nebraska - have declined to express an opinion on railway- rate legislation, and they are being severely criticised by some of their constituents, !iwi y are, lso BUPPrted by many leading repub leans and by some republican newspapers Ton J K?,nSilS, Clty Journal defending Senator Long says that he would "belittle his high office" if ho announced himself in favor of "whatever the SnnnTantS'' The JUrnal sLrthl 2,n that congress will give the subject "due consideration" and that a measure will be agreed upon that will be "satisfactory to the prLfdnt" Of course it would be absurd for a senator to declare himself in Javor of "whatever the presi- Ws iSm bU, S,enat?r Long would not 3Se his high office if he frankly declared his posi tion upon a public question. Senators, like presi dents, are mere men and, therefore, not infallible. Senator Long might be mistaken in his views wW iTUld. frankly say to Ilis constituents just ?Mfnhif VlTS are' t Js Pable that in the public discussion concerning those views the sen ator would learn considerable to his advantage It is significant, however, that among those statesmen who are so fearful about taking thei? constituents into their confidence lest they "be ,nvf iS11 office they hold, no such keen anxiety exists when representatives of special in terests seek to learn their views apeciai m' !mr ?IP?"0n,S are seldom doubt concern ing the attitude of public men. They readilv ascertain the opinion of public men where tho people are kept In the dark. w A suspicion aeemB to be abroad to the effect JLS1nat07 Lone and Millard are, properly to be classed among the railroad senators And under the circumstances this is a reasonable bS? picion because in a government Hko ourl tho people have a right to know where public servants stand upon questions of vital import S nHnTeSU0n S0 imPrtant as ihevl iwa ate Tow the vTiatofrSR.and rePrestatives 7el 1 inrow tne yell of secrecy around their views nmi who tL d,SCUSS that (luesti0 " tie people whom they are presumed to renrent u IT indication-as wo have learned ivii Is an special advantage of the powerful interests "that have for so many years made and unmade aim? ft ST "I07 are in'any effort to bHng about the greatest good to the greatest number." JJJ WHEN "THE" THING" WILL END In an address delivered at the dinner civen o? !S2 ST" of Mlaso,,r, 'Govo S "Thus far in playing that game the rich man has not materially harmed the country. He has played for pleasure rather than for profit." It is a bad habit some newspaper men have of seeking to minimize evils even after they have, more or less dramatically, described those evils. It is absurd for Mr. White to say that "thus far" the game played by the plutocrats has "not mate rially harmed the country." With all of the pop ular protest now being made, the people are resenting only a comparatively small portion of the impositions that have been put upon them. - So many of these impositions have operated upon the public welfare in an indirect way that in all too many cases tho people are unable to lo cate the responsibility. But Mr. 'White's own statements show that the country has been "mate rially harmed." How could it be otherwise whenaccepting Mr. White's own testimony the eminent defender of "national honor" has not even been content with demanding "for himself and for his house hold every luxury that our 'civilization affords." How could it be otherwise when, according to Mr. White, these eminent gentlemen have taken the power to oppress the people by es tablishing unnatural commercial and industrial conditions?" m How could it be otherwise when, accord ing to Mr. White's own testimony, these men have compelled the people "to pay dividends on awakening, that unless we find some effect ual remedy for the control of the great trusts and corporations in the interests of all the people, a tidal wave of socialism will sweep over the country one of these days that will do Incalculable damage. Referring to Governor Hoch's remarks the New York World says: Governor Hoch is not exaggerating the facts. They are so plain that no human be ing of- ordinary intelligence should mistake their meaning. A great wave of discontent is sweeping over the country which is mani festing itself in the form of socialistic reme- dies for political and economic evils. The great corporations are largely responsible for the radicalism that is rampant everywhere. lhe real leaders in this movement are not the Bryans and the Hearsts and the Dunnes and the Johnsons and the Schmitzes, but the 22e fe"?rs' the Armours, the Morgans, the Swifts, the Ryans, the Yerkeses, the Mc Curdys, the McCalls, the Hydes, the Perk inses and the Harrimans, with their Murphys, McCarrens, Coxes, Durhams and Penroses Ten years ago Pingree was denounced as an anarchist. Today Pingree's program would be regarded as mild and conservativ? Where is the thing going to end? b"vauve- Yet for some reason or other, in nearly everv contest at the polls the New York World s fmmd fluence to the very evils it condemns JJJ "FREIGHT'S" PETITION A Naugatuck, W. Va., reader sends to Tho Commoner a petition circulated by the Dubli cation known as "Freight" Thf SmVi J , the same to have the sole ii tv Hi . aePa"nent, transportation, the judge? o? wE"? cVrt .o appointed hW TufcoSm,!? "Would you rocommend tho endued San' Com fer,.eTd"toCCFree.r8S' M ",an Proposition ,t $& hW S$ watered stock in unfairly organized corporations " thereby "unjustly increasing the price of i transportation?" l land How could it be otherwise when, according to Mr. White's own testimony, these men have laid a robbers' tribute upon the masses as sure ly as any baronial lax was ever nut unnn vassals?" ' upott -And even Mr. White tells us that this tribute falls upon every article of necessity or of com fort or of luxury that the people use." And how could, it he otherwise when as w are told by Mr. White himself, "the aggrand lzement of capital in cheating corporations hag made it possible for a usurious direct tax to bo levied immorally, even though legally, upon the water that the city dwellers use, and upon the light and fuel and power that all the people use?" How could it be otherwise when, as we are told by Mr. White, "interest on bogus debts is paid by consumers of the commonest neces saries of life," and that this unfairly accumulat ed wealth "is used to devise further methods and to legalize them, in order to put the yoke of ac cumulating capital upon the people." In the beginning Mr. White stated the case well.' He made a fair indictment, and by his own testimony it must be clear to intelligent men that these conspirators against the lives and the happiness of the people have "mate rially harmed the country." It must, also, bo clear that unless -t an early day tho oppressed make bold to defend themselves from the op pressor "failure" will be written in connection with the American experiment in popular government of life judges to be increased. Applied to the railroad problem, the plan is particularly bad. From public experience it is reasonable to be lieve that a court appointed for life would post pone remedial legislation for years. The rate-makingower should be trusted to men appointed for a limited terra, like members of the interstate commerce commission. A man holding his office for a limited term is not so easily controlled by corporate interests, and it would be much easier to make a change in the personality of an administrative body than in that of a judicial body. Those who are anxious to have an effective relief plan adopted will do well to withhold their encouragement from any plan designed to place the power In tho hands of a court composed of judges appointed for life. It is imporfant that this power be given to the interstate commerce commission "an administra tive body which, in the discharge of a purely administrative duty, may reasonably be expected to respond to public necessities and to deal justly with shippers and consumers. It is important, also, that when a rate is fixed by this administrative body, the rate go into effect at once and so remain unless removed in the final adjudication of the case by the supreme court. JJJ "SING THE SOUTH" A handsome book with the title "Sing the South," has just come to The Comomner's desk. It js a collection of poems by Judd Mortimer Lewis, the poet-humorist of the Houston Post, whose work is as familiar to the south as its own balmy breezes and is fast gaining recog nition wherever English poetry is read. Mr. Lewis' poetic fancy covers 'a wide range, but it is in his poems of childhood that ho is most entertaining and most convincing. There is a sentiment therein that appeals to the best in every heart, and through the most of it there is a vein of rollicking humor that leaves the reader with a pleasant recollection and a renewed interest in childhood. And when Mr. Lewis doe sing a song of the south it is always a song of praise and thanksgiving. Somehow or other bis verses always "reach" because they seem to be just what tho readers would have written had they taken time to set their thoughts to rhyme. Mr. Lewis is a prolific writer, but his literary out put has maintained a uniformly high grade, and lie has given, and continues to give, great en joyment to the newspaper reading public wltii his column of "Tampering with Trifles," in tne Houston Post, His work has boon widely quoted, and he compiled and published "Sing the South because there' was a demand for such a collection. An occasional half hour with Judd Mori liner Lewis will fit any man for a ne'tter view or life. f , , v .. , , , t a l...iMlw jb. &mu.-