Brookings weekly register. (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1898-1903, 1899-04-06

DdfkeTs edy 81. anu W tSNy ldAtS Wncn ltic
trusts say so, Goes not give satisfaction.
| The people are learning That the govern
ment has no power except to help the rich
| in ievying tributs from the poor, and
| though slow 10 recognize an infringement
of its rights and slower to resent 1t, the
| American public will learn, eventually, that
government which promises to protect
| the life, secure the property and promote
| the happiness of the citizens must do some
| thing more than preserve order while the
strong trample upon the weak and the very
rich seize the reins OF power to further ex-
aggerate their wealth.
DIRECT GOVERNMENT THE BEST.
| That is the best government in which the
| people exercise direct and supreme authorl-
| ty. That will be the most happy and pros
| porous people who shape Their government
| to meet new conditions as iast as those con-
| ditions arise. True democratic government
| cannot otherwise exist. That will be the
most useful government which actively en-
\ cages in the performance ot such public
| functions as would be Otherwise unper-
| formed or drift into the hands OF oppres-
| slve monopoles.
SHALL THE TRUSTS Run TIE GOV.
ERNMENT.
1t ia not so important now to determine
| what government may or may not do IN the
line OF industry. 1t must tlrSt be settled
now running the government are to con-
| tinue to do 90 or the government Is to run
| the industries; whether the trusts are to
run the government tor the benefit OF their
| stockholders or the government Is TO run
| the trusts tor the benefit of the seventy
| five million stockholders OF this republic.
| For NV own part | do not believe there Is
anything which great corporations have
| done that cannot be done as well by the
government, and L do not think there y
| any point where the government should
cease the active conduct OF industry short
/ OF complete protection to the public from
private greed. 1t has required time 70
demonstrate that the railroads. telegraphs
| and telephones can be more economically
| and satisfactorily run by government agen-
| cy than by private companies, but the rec
| ords of the receiverships OF this country
proves the claim in the case OF railroads,
| and there has never been serious doubt ex-
| pressed as 10 the practicabihty o. the gov
| ernment owning and operating the tele-
graph and telephone systems. II Wlh re-
Guire time yet to determine what other IN
| dustries are proper subjects for government
management; but it is safe to decide as
permanent policy, that so fast as an INDUS
| try becomes an oppressive monopoly IN
| private hands it should be taken by the
people and operated for the public by the
| public.
| POLITICIANS. COURTS AND TRUSTS
Just now the trust is the absorbing top
| ic among thinkers and writers who are en-
deavoring to improve conditions and make
| the practical Application OF our system con-
| form to the theoretical. The newspapers
| are replete with denunciatlons OF the trusts.
| The magazines are running over with argu-
ments upon the various phases of the sub
| ject. Statesmen with honest purpose are
| trying to bring these institutions under re-
| straint or destroy them. Demagogues are
| fighting. sham battles with them, sensation
| al publications are raking them where they
cannot bleed them, thrifty politicians are
| ta.ing them for campaign expenses and
| sand -baggin. them with threats ot new tor
lures as soon as the election has been won.
| One great political party has gone into part
nership with them and is now buslly en-
gagged in administering bill to tax the
people for their benefit. The courts, for
reasons best known TO the Judges thereof,
are alternately slugging them with an un-
friendly" decision and pacifying them with
| two friendly ones. The country, was
| thrown into Juror OF excitement when 1t
| was ANNOUNCED that the recipients OF large
incomes who pay no local or state taxes
| could not be taxed on incomes derived from
| hidden property. This righteous Indgna-
ton bad not yet subsidized till the same court
| turning about face declared that the rall-
roads cannot pool their bunness because
| such pooling is in restraint OF trade A
h~Ise, VIGOROUSLY in the hands o. trusts,
| where one man does all the business and he
does none at all, defeated by an overwhe M
ing majority a pooling. bill approved by
| Coils p. Huntington, while another, equal
SHALL SUGAR PEDDLE GOVERN
| MENT?
| 1t may be urged that the government has
no business peddling sugar. L reply that
sugar has no business peddhng government.
| 1t would seem strange. 1! We were not aG-
| ,aI TO q 70 40 "a
ding postal cards. In France the govern
| ment peddles tobacco. 1t would be con-
| sidered highly idiotic for our government
60 engage in the cigarette business, yet In
France, where the system prevails, the peo.
| pie do not regard it is singular or out OF
place. Ii is a source Of great revenue to
| the French government, and the govern
ment tobacco trust of France has not been
prolific of the wretched scandals which
| have resulted from the operation OF pri-
vate tobacco trust in the United States. In
Russia the government operates the gold
and silver mines; in Venezuela the govern
ment reserved title to all its mineral lands,
and operators pay royalty to the state.
In Prussia the government runs the stock
| exchanges; in Germany the government
pensions its old people, and insures the
lives OF its citizens. In many OF the cities
OF Great Britain public lodging houses and
| laundries are maintained tor the poor; all
over western Europe meritorious examples
| can be found of the successful operation OF
useful lines of industry for the benefit Of
the people. Turn in every direction and
you will see, when once your eyes are
opened TO the peaceful light OF righteous
system, where the intervention OF frater-
nal government has been a great and ever
lasting benefit to the race. AL Of our seri.
ous troubles are directly traceable to our
folly in allowing great public, functions to
be seized by greedy corporations.
MONOPOLY AN ENGINE OF DESPOT.
| ISM.
Monopoly has indeed been an engine for
the destruction Of Liberty Ii has been 4
creator of caste, privilege and tyranny. but
| il contains IN its veins sac virus which will
prove its death. Prom q demon hated by
all it may become q bsnetaction hailed with
joy BY the people. Bot that viii be whsn
she trust becomes . government Institution,
eonferring its blessings upon all as lavishly
as ys now showers them upon the few. That
viii be when che people st large have
| learned the benefits OF socialistic co-opera-
ton a. wen ~ the trusts have learned it
That will be when the people, exasperated
! by repeated failures TO demolish the trusts,
have been forced, az measure OF self-pres
sryation, TO adopt shs trust and make 1t