Owingsville outlook. [volume] (Owingsville, Ky.) 1879-192?, 1898-12-08

hest politicians 49, they have always
done. regardless nf qualifications
and fitness Tor or experience IN the
business. The consequence would
I've that the executive head uf "a
peoples trust would hc without the
personal desire If gain through the
peoples business aud their whole
ambition would he concentrated
upon the retention of Office. Bus
mess accomplishments would be
neglected that politicians arts
might be cultivated. II is so today
in the machinery of government. IL
will he - whenever the people essay
any sort of state sncir li>m. whether
Il br munufactur NJ, operating
railroads or what not.
IhrorrIirrlly socIalistic teachers
like Brllamy build zap ingenious
and most fascinating structures.
but they are every one based upon
the entirely false assumption that
humanity as mass il not only
naturally virtunu- hut is impcllrd
by highly intelligent altruIstic
impulse Ia do its duty To its utmost
capacity without the stimulus of
necessity, ambition. pride, egotism
and the complex impciling causes
that have evolved the primitive
man into the civilized one of the
present time. They assume that
the wiscst and best people would be
chosen as the rulers and directors
of socialism and that these rulers
would display and carry constantly
into the direction of affairs "A more
unsrliish and more progressive
spirit than they could show when
they are driven by necessity or
moved by their individualism. This
altruistic spirit may exist and have
lain dormant Throughout the ages.
1t is extremely doubtful. 1t seems
almost capable of proof by the ci-
tation of the whole world of exam
plies that it does not; and that the
wise men and elders of the people
though given unlimited opportuni-
" will in time wreck or cause to
decay any institution or organiza-
ton of mankind for its real or sup
posed benefit if they are given the
power. and the iEdividualism and
freedom of the masses are restrict
ed at viii by them.
Does any one believe John ID.
Rockefeller would have served the
whole people one tenth as well as
he has his own interests in manag-
ing the Standard Oil Trust? 1t is
not in reason that he would have
been Anything like as jealous in
the peoples interest. Self-interest
prompted Rockefeller. lie is IA
great captain of industry. 1t is not
too much to say perhaps that he
has done the people great benefits.
Though the Trust is a nearly per-
feet monopoly lamp oil is cheaper
than it would likely be with many
companies refining and selling it.
1t is certainly much cheaper than
ii used to be.
Andrew Carnegie is another of
the great captains of industry,
greater than Rockefeller except in
wealth. Carnegie has brought the
prices of iron and steel down until
they are nearly as cheap as the
finer qualities of dirt. He has been
a benefactor of mankind, though
Internationally and despite his rob
hing prcclivities through a protec-
tive tariff. But Andrew Carnegie
with visions of a laird's estate in
Scotland, which he left a poor boy,
and Andrew Carnegie running an
iron foundry on modest salary
from the people, are two persons
that bear no resemblance to each
other.
Hundreds of similar conspicuous
examples could be cited where men
impellei by self-lnterest and gov.
erned by competition have benefit
ed mankind. Withdraw the worldly
motives and these same people
would take things easy and not
rack their brains when the people
chose them to manufacture in the
whole peoples interest. The whips
and spurs of necessity and the re-
wards of baser sentiments than
love of mankind are essential to
bring out the most useful labors of
the great intellects, and equally so
Of the average man.
Nor can the threatened evils of
the trusts be averted by the enact
ment into law of the reckless and
destructive ideas propagated by
Bryan and his followers. Free.
coinage of silver, the changing of
the monetary standard and the ex-
pansion of the currency are in the
abstract debatable questions, but
their enactment into law as pro-
posed in the campaign of 1896 are
rightfully no more debatable than
is the question Of the right of a
hungry man to take to the highway
and make travellers stand and de
liver their pocket books. Organism
would create financial chaos, out of
which would finally come some sort
OF order again; but no permanent
relief from monopolistic ills can
come through the adoption of Bry-
anism as the law of the land. Alb
rupt robbery of the creditor class
in the supposed interest of the
debtors is policy that would
prove demoralizing to all classes.
1t is easy to see the dangers Of
capitalistic domination ahead. and
it is far easier to recognize and re-
ject inadequate remedies or harm
full preventives than it is to find
and apply what will be really ef-
ticacinus. 1t looks like the great
thinkers of the nation ought to be
able to devise some rational treat