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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 , ,
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