Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-08-23
Government
By Injunction.

From a private letter from Hon. j. NJ.
Mason, of Jefferson.
Il saw Mr.. Kincaide
paper in the Register, and am glad
some one 'agitates the outrage l had
intended trying TO prumulgate correct
views and point out wherein the courts
are making a radical departure from
the fundamentals Of freedom OF speech,
but cannot find time for the necessary
research and reflection. The public
are so accustomed to the leadership OF
/ truckers to the money power that
il is necessary to elaborate the fun
damentals and philosophy Of free
speech. If you chance to know an. OIL
fetal Of any labor organization who
is both sincere and brainy you may
render the greatest service by urging
that they hire some really competent
lawyer TO publish an article on this
subject Government by Injunction
shocks American instinct, but l have
never seen a discussion Of it which
furnished cleaT-cut ideas and enabled
the semi-educated TO give a reason fol
the faith that is in them The theory
Of substituting deputy marshals and
PinkeTton's detectives for regularly
enlisted soldiers is far more dangerous
than the pomp and circumstance OF
military parade. The iron hand, under
a velvet glove, will undermine Amerl-
can manhood with less delay than
a display of bayonets.
1T is piteous that no educated,
brainy man comes to the front TO be-
doc
trine. The ascendancy of the money
power is best illustrated by the fact
that heightened men, if aggressive,
have ceased TO be prominent in public
life II is piteous that aspirants for
Congress, candidates for the Legisla-
ture. and all applicants for political
preferment are active TO appear con-
spicuous as being neutral in a strug-
gle. between muscle and money, IN
vOlving such vast interests. II Is.
indeed piteous that questions involv-
ing the welfare Of fully One-fOurth
of seventy millions of people are left
TO the leadership of men whose I'M
trained minds cannot comprehend
that if a profound thinker applies him.
self to the task he will suggest leglSla-
ton 10 protect miners from oppres-
sion and point out the way TO obtain
such legislation.
The managers of coal companies
are not more avaracious than other
employers of labor. The cause of the
strike is not the cupidity Of coal opera
tors The true cause is an effort by
railroad managers TO pay dividends
on watered stock. For illustration:
The consumer in Charles Town pays,
say, So a ton. The remedy is TO en-
force a law which will justly apportion
this So between the miner. railroad
and the coal operator. The difficulty
is that a hearing cannot be had for any
proposal which threatens the profits
Of the holders of fictitious railroad
securities. The difficulty is that rail-
road managers are able to control the
votes of labor. The trouble is that
labor is misled TO vote against
the class of men who would curb
monopoly. If Bryan had been elected
this strike would not have occurred.
II he had been elected we would never
again hear of an injunction intended
TO prevent free speech. Bryan's cleo
ton would have brought to the front
the honest brains of the country and
this would have been an era Of equal
and just laws. Bryan's defeat meant
government by the rich and for
the rich. IL is questionable to pro-
mulgate these views, but no one dare
take issue with them before any audi
ence anywhere in this so-called cOun-
try of free speech and free press.
You ask why these views, so COM
mon in private conversation, are not
ventilated in the public prints? The
reason is that. with rare exception,
editors, like college professors, and
politicians. will lose their job if they
autagOnize monopoly. More than one
hundred and twenty years ago Adam
Smith wrote as follows:
The member of Parliament who
supports every proposal for strength
ening monopoly is sure 10 acquire
great reputation for understanding
trade. and also great popularity with
an order of men whose numbers and
wealth render them Of great impOr-
lance. If he opposes them, on the
contrary, and still more if he have
authority enough to be able TO thwart
them. neither the most acknowledge
ed prObity. nor the highest rank, nor
the greatest public services, will pro-
tCct him from the most infamous
abuse and detraction, from personal
insult. nor sometimes from real dam
ger arising from the influence Of fu-
rious and disappointed monopoly
Smiths Wealth of Nations, vol. >,
PAGE 173. edition of lI96."