The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1901-03-29
A PROBABLE PREDICTION.
Tendency Of the Industrial NoseD'
0Itcs to Tsrn America Into
IN Empire.

ave shall have an emperor In WISH.
ington within % years unless we can
create public sentiment which will
regulate the trusts" said President
Arthur +. Hadley, Of Yale university.
in an address delivered in the Old
South church in Boston recently. The
assertion is not SO fantastic as il may
seem, although little attention might
he paid to il. did it come from less
thoughtful and less scholarly member
OF society than President Hadley.
The emperor may not come Within 5
years; but his ultimate coming is by
no means impossible, or even improb-
able. When the great industrial mo-
nopolies are once firmly established. it
will not be difficult for the men that
control them to work their will in poll
tics and government. The complaint
is already made that presidential
elections disturb business, and the
question OF extending the term OF Of
fee of the president is seriously agi-
tated. This disturbance will become
more and more pronounced as indus
try and commerce become more and
more centralized. Fundamental diff
ferences in party creeds will increase
the uncertainty growing out of presi-
Dental contests and consequently the
business uncertainty of the country.
ANYTHING that disturbs business is
popularly regarded as Objectionable.
and the disposition of the trusts Will
he to minimize this disturbance as
much as possible. The first step from
a republic towards an empire would
F., probably come in the reelection OF
safe" president to third term. a
crisis might easily arise in which this
third term would be considered nee
cssary for the preservation of the
commercial interests of the country.
Out Of this third term mightas natural
" come a quasi-dictatorship, and out
of this dictatorship empire. 1t is not
impossible more impossible than
was the transformation Of Napoleon
III. from a president to an emperor un-
der the belief that "the empire is
peace
The experiment with n republican
government in the United States IS 10y
no means conclusive. although most OF
rs fancy that it is. The suprc me task
If a republic is vet 10 be undertaken
II has not vet been proved that re
public can perform its functions salts
factorily i'm the midst of highly com
plicated civilization extending over
large area. with diverse and often con
| 4, hi
very cumbersome and operates clum
silly.
We have seen n brilliant illustration
Of this in the miniature tariff war tha
the administration is conducting wit
Russia. Nearly four years ago tarii
hill was passed. and the secretary @
the treasury only recently got aroun
10 construe clause relative TO tn
duties on sugar This clause was cor
strued TO meet the demands OF Gel
tain interests. and the secretary SET
: lied back in his chair with the convi'
! ton that another load was off ii
! shoulders. and that the courts Nigh
= dispose Of the matter as they please
I The ink on the paper was hardly Dir
e before NJ de White. the Russian minis
! Ter Of finance. had issued an order il
j creasing he duty on American import
= of agriculture The retaliation Wa
4 almost instantaneous. NJ de Witt
! was not Obliged 20 convene a con2res
in session and wait until a tariff Ia
= discriminating against American IN
5 ports was lobbicd through. lie W;
" IN a position TO declare war at ono
/ 4 would require more months in IN
J. country to inaugurate such tariff W;
than il required minutes in Russia, al
Z, consequently Russia is in a far bott
\ position than the United states
y meet the demands Of her growing !
re- dustries from day 10 day.
y In the fight for markets centraliz
ie ton in government must soon coui
p for rs much as Capitalization in indu
p try. and when that centraization i
h comes necessary to the men that 60
ir troll the great trusts. have we any re
70 son TO believe that they will not exc
themselves to the utmost-to obtain /
r. 1t must be remembered, too. TN
" money is everything in politics a
r. government. II is the lever that NOV
- the government. and the men that ha
this lever in their hands are the IN
IS that can make over the form Of a 9,
b. eminent to suit themselves. --Detr,
70 | Free Press.
: PARAGRAPHIC POINTERS.