The Jamesburg record., 1897-09-25
THE TRUE SOLUTION.


on the law of "Interdependence," and
one Of the ablest men of our state and the
president OF college, writing to Us on
this subject, says: "The great problem
is practical one-how can man be
brought. to an intelligent perception Of
and sympathy with the law of interde-
pendence and reciprocity? There is 10
reason to doubt that society is all
wrong in the motives and methods that
govern production, distribution and ex-
change" Again he says: sit is folly to
look to legislation for relief from pres
ent business depression. Practical eco
uomics and mutual recognition of the
right of man are the only way out from
present entanglements - 1t will be
noticed that he says sit is folly to look
to legislation for relief from present
business depression. 1t is we'll known
that we have contended for this for
years, and yet legislation is held up as
the only panacea. Now that the elec-
ton is over, we should investigate this
matter. If legislation cannot correct
this business depression, then we can
simplify politics by eliminating such
questions as do not legitimately belong
to it.
If there is wrong in soeiety-which
is the people-in the motives and meth
DDS that govern production, distribution
and exchange, that wrong, or error,
must affect the nation, and even the
church, for it is we'll settled fact that
truth cannot be deduced from an error
Error comes from assuming a premise
instead of proving it true. If we start
with a false premise, our conclusion
must be false, although cur reasoning
may be logical and flawless. 1t has been
and is accepted as a truth that agricul-
ture is the great industry upon which all
others rest and the base of all our pros
perity. While this is true in measure,
agriculture would be in very crude
state if there was nothing to aid it.
Back of the farmer, to enable him to
till his acres and feed the world, are the
blacksmith, the mechanic, the furnace,
the sawmill, the timber cutter and the
miner. Without the aid of these agricul-
ture could not progress. Stop the miner
in the mine and the timber man in the
forest and you stop all progress. Truth
fully speaking these two industries start
the wheels of progress and prosperity
revolving. They are the foundation from
which spring our mills, our factories,
our railroads, our steamboats,, our farm
machinery-in fact all. While they are
the foundation, their work and efforts
would be useless unless taken up and
carried forward by others, each doing
his part until the whole is completed.
This shows the law of interdependence,
and runs through all things, exists in
our government, governs in capital and
labor, our body or physical system is
subject to it and it exists in nature.
The wrong of which the gentleman
speaks is our disregard of this law, our
efforts to strengthen one part by the
weakening of another, looking to the
government to aid one and oppress an
other, expecting the government to cor
rect wrongs over which society, or the
people, alone has control; to do a work
that must be begun and carried forward
by the individual.
The government has provided by the
laws of corporation how the people can
control the business of our great nation.
The people failing to provide the neces-
sary capital, by each taking small
amount, others were forced to take
large, and thus few men became the
owners of what should have been own
ed by thousands The capital all COM
ing from a given point, the profits all
centered there. No blame can attach to
legislation for the result, for the people
could have changed the result by chang
ing the conditions under which these
enterprises were owned.
The above being true, the question is
how to overcome this condition. The
first step is to formulate some plan to
obviate the necessity for drawing capital
from the great money centers or from
wealthy men in which they have no in
terest except as a mere investment In
all of these enterprises, especially rail
roads, all industries have interests and
are benefited by them aside from the
capital invested. 1t would then be a
sound business policy for them to own
them. The fact is that railroads now
own large coal mines because 1T is to
their interest to do SO not merely as an
investment, but because it cheapens their
fuel. In large cities the heavy dealers
own bank and railroad stocks because
they aid them in their business, but the
farmer, to whom every industry-min-
ing, manufacturing, railroads, banks,
etc.-is necessity in twofoid measure,
fails to invest in any, with rare excep-