Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1901-03-07

cause cherished IDEAL are being swept
away, because the pr0cessiOn-the
mighty procession Of man going forth
TO do the worlds work in the byways
as we'll az upon the highways-sw
past them, ignoring their protests,
disregarding their warnings, leaving
them to stand alone, fearful, regretful,
full OF forebodiDg, helpless. The
! protest against this change has been
IN part moral and intel lectual, in part
| simply political and 70 some extent
| insincere. But in all WAYS it appears
| TO have been Intellectual. The proces-
/ sion is moving, and whether We like il
or not we cannot closr our ewes 10 the
facts. There is sui an agitation
against "imperialism, - il II true, and
I. i: a..,:,-,. en..ce anod !, is hnlniny 20
keep the procession in order, to hold
| it within bounds, 10 make it more
regular and considerate, less ruthless
and violent. But despite temporary
reactions and certain Obstacles, the
forward movement does not stop at all :;
nor are there any signs Of its stopping.
Surely powerful but almost i'm
perceptible change is taking place in
American public opinion--a change so
striking that we have to pull ourselves
together once in while to real6 6e its
full significance. 1t appears that all
our mental fermentation is over out
ward questions and that domestic
policies, for the first time in onr his
tory, are almost wholly neglected
There is justitication for this view in
the well night universal discussion Of
Cuba, the Philippines, the Nicaragua
canal, the forthcom ing Supreme court
decision On the constitution and the
flag cases, the shipping sub.idy bill,
China. But is it true that these qnes-
tions have actually, as well as ap-
parently, engrossed all the activity II
the public mind? Is there no develop
ment Of note and promise - to our
domestic concerns? We think there is,
and this is the second phase Of popular
thought which il seems to us is work
ing 50 strongly andyquietly under the
placid surface that nfost of us have
Jailed TO appreciate it's Importance. 1t
is demand for tax reform While
the demand springs first from the
leaders Of thought from specia lists and
scientists like Professor Richard 7.
Ely, they are playing upon a popular
outbreak even they perhaps, do not
fully know. This agitation, though
rapidly gathering force, is az vet
diffused. 1t has not taken definite
form or direction. But there are un-
mistakable signs that it is nearing the
stage in which it will be necessary for
it to be co-ordinated that il may
adequately express irself One thing
we may be pretty sure OF, and this Is
| that il will not take the form OF an
attack upon the protective tariff sys-
tenn, save in an indirect or reflex way
That has been fought out If this
| fermentation NAV be said to have al
ready given indication of itS final ex-
preston perhaps We shall find it in
demand for tax upon wealth. This
demand is not only local state and
municipal but national. Ii found ex-
| preston in the income tax legislation
which the supreme court overthrow
and TO whose fate millions of Ameri.
cans are not yet reconciled. Doubtless
il is safe to assert that within a few
years a new income tax law, framed
TO come within the constitution. will
pass congress. Public opinion is rising
for it.
In all this It is not difficult to see
the principle OF action and reaction.
Americans are piling up wealth at
rate never before known. Probably
there never was in the history Of the
world SO rich and prosperous nation
as this. Great fortunes are as common
as black berries, small fortunes almost
a. numerous as the sand OF the SEA-
shore. 1t is becoming almost automatic
that there is something wrong with
the man who in these DAYS fails t.
amass al least a comfortable COM
potency. Many deplore tins rising
tide OF wealth. They fear ~e are fall
ing down before the golden calf that
we are in danger of becoming too ma
terislistic National expansion. gov
eminent OF subject peoples, the subsidy
bill, the great standing army. are
all looked upon by the sentimentalists
a. part OF the orgy of brute force and
mighty dollars which has taken
possession Of the world. But here
comes the reaction. In a great demo
cracv the Two controlling forces are the
leaders OF thOught-the large and
happily increasing number OF thinkers
philosophers students and writers
who resent lie their ancient prototypes
in caring little for the fesh.pots oi
accumulatio1-and the great mass ot
the people who prosper only moder-
ately and are not SO taken up with F.
money getting that they have no time
for thinking. Between these two ple-
ments there is a natural affinity one
leads the other follows: one gives
xcientiiic direction. the other furnishes
S strength and the votes. Ii j. these
Norces that can stand against all
Ntocracy in the world, With tire
ass sNhelr mouthpicce. When thew
reaS IN TO move they can swetr
field ANd sweep il quickly. Just
" their Ndency j. toward mai,r-
;. scioEtif. 4 \socialism. They would
wealth. n, u xdestroy il Men VII.
,w rich do 5, ANrcuIh the protection
en- them by ASet-. The state may
use it, powe- A. the extent ot iu
terence with tlr LNatnra' .aw of ire.
lortunity. But /. + KS-av sat. ans ape
,rs disposed to 50, " 81 increasing
e.. tina; the uni. A taxation mnst
the dollar, not ii. ~ man. E'rNe-
Ter, Morgan, Nanjel III Whitney
rriman. Hin. Gato~ X.,mdt acquire
much wealth a. the, Ne'r1>". "r as
lr genius vii, prar- .'u Z. ia.
they owe the stat, fa.r- '.-
privileges which the terIHN. anal
st pay il. Besides Vi GATES Has
aterial aspirations
here is cause for concr- 3 'a'n
fact that this agitation + Ne> oa H
RENE or violent form '"v Anr-t-
people are mai.. W,.-