The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1899-05-09
TWO HAVE DARED TO SPEAK
ONE HAS BEEN OUSTED,
THE OTHBR-4

THE OTHBR-1
Prof. John B. Commons has lost his
position as Professor of Political Econ
omy at Syracuse University. He had
the courage to attack trusts and show
up corporate greed
The statement was given out that he
had resigned. The following dispatch
seems to give the true reason:
''The stories that have appeared In
relation to Prof. Commons leaving the
university have all been incorrect. The
true reason of his leaving lies In the
fact that he was forbidden to attack
monopolies and trusts by Chancellor
Day. This neither the professor nor
the chancellor will deny, and while it
is not public knowledge is absolutely
true. The main reason for the chan
ceIlor's action is without doubt due to
the fact that the president OF the board
Of trustees is John D. Archbold, OF the
Standard Oh trust, and the presence
on the board of others who are inter
ested In other trusts"
Prof. Commons fate, however, has
not yet frightened Prof. Albion ".
Small into silence. Prof. kmall fills
the chair Of Political Economy in
Chicago University. In a recent lee
ture he said:
in this age of so called democracy
we are getting into the thralls of the
most relentless system Of economic oil
garchy that history has thus far re,
corded. That capital from which most
of US, directly or indirectly, get
bread and butter is becor"c the most
undemocratic, inhuman and atheistic
of all the heather divinities. 1t breeds
children but to devour the bodies of
some, the souls of others and to put
out the spiritual eyesight Of the rest.
The socialistic indictments of our civ
ilization are essentially sound. Mind,
1 do not say the remedies are sound,
but the indictments are true.
There are clouds on the social hor
lion already bigger than a mans hand,
foretelling changes OF which no one is
wise enough to predict the end. If
present tendencies continue it will not
be long before the men whose business
it is to communicate ideas wilt be
gagged by those who publish ideas,
and the publishers will be shackled by
makers of paper, and the paper manu-,
facturers will be held up by the trans
portation lines, and the transportation
corporations by the producers of steel,
and the steel industries by the coal op-
orators, and the coal miners by the oil
producers, and the oil maguates by
the stove makers, and the cook stove
men by the sugar trust, and the sugar
interests by Wall street, and the stock
brokers By the labor unions, and they
by the farmers, and the farmers, G1d
help them, by everybody. I am not
throwing the dust Of my library in
your faces, but if you heed the symp
toms from bank and Cfice, factory and
railroad headquarters and daily press,
you have discovered that the very
men who made these combinations are
beginning to be frightened at their
shadows. These very business men
who claim to have a monopoly Of prac
tical horse sense have involved them
selves and all of US in a grim tragedy.
They are asked in a qIiet way how it
is all going to end. Whether they re
alize it or not, our vision Of freedom ia
passing into the eclipse Of universal
corporation in the interest OF capital.
The march Of human progress is get
ting reduced to marking time in the
lock step of capitals chain gang. 1t
would make indefinitely more for hu
man veal if every dollar Of wealth
was cleared off the earth, if we could
have instead of it industry and homes
and lstice AMI love and faith, than to
be led much further into the devils
dance of capitalism"
This is very strong language-too
strong to suit Rockefeller & Go. Prof.
Small will doubtless keep silent here.
after or share the fate of Profs. An
dreWs of Brown University, Com
mons of Syracuse, Ely Of Johns Hop
kins, Adams of Cornell, and others
Mark the prediction.
DR.. HILLS AND TaE FAITH OF