The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-11-17
Some Aspects
Of the Tim es.

" I II ~ d Il 4LL ~ > .
New York Journal Of Commerce.
To the thoughtful observers Of the events
Of the times. the most conspicuous drifts
OF current ambitions are far from being
assuring. In the basic stratum of society,
the working masses, and at the social apex,
the millionarist class there Is a rapidly
developing clash Of principles aud Of In.
tercsis whilst, among the intermediate
CLASSES there Is IN anxious wondelment
as tn what these tendencies may mean and
what may he their outcome The founders
of our government dattered themselves
that they had devised system of rights
and liberties wisely adjusted and guard
ed Ga to unite All classes in reciprocal
honds Of interest aud maintain ecunl &C
cess TO the virgin resources of our vast
domain AZ tho end Of our frat century.
however We find broad and powerful ten
denotes wholly Incompatible with these
foundation theories and we seem to be
gradually drifting into a very unassuring
II construction of our political snd economic
Institutions
no period since tho civil war has the
public mind been so profoundly conscious
Of doubtful new departures MS today The
causes OF these unsettling tendencies If,
deep and far back. We had Incorporated
into our National structure the great wrong
Of slavery. The clash Of that Institution
with our ardent conceptions Of Hberey
and human rights resulted in war war
so distinctly fratricidal naturally recon-
cllcd the public conscience to government
by power. with all It's undcmocratic ac-
compartments; ana next, IN logical order,
came full-hedsed paterual.m. Tae
"regium donum' has proved to be the most
deronging Of this series Of baneful devel-
opmertS. Assuming the function Of con
trolling the course of our material cvo
lrtlon the government bent its whole force
tn tina, direction Instead Of restricting
its functions to the faithful execution OF
equal laws and the maintenance OF free
course for Individual interests, congress
asscmed tho Intrusive function OF build
ias mp the Republic after bundly con-
ca,vcd Ideals and upon class lines. lltle
needing what sort Of materials they were
putting into the structure The heavy taxa
ton consequent upon the war was drawn
largely from duties on IMPORTS and those
mpoHis, no longer needed for revenue,
have been retained and augmented as a
means Of artiaclaily stimulating industry.
This fictitious fostering has established a
false and unstable basis of values. The
natural relations between one Industry and
another. between labor and capital be.
tween domestic and foreign prices and
between domestic supply and demand have
been orerthrown. and scarcely any inter
est within the whole range of Industry
can be said to rest upon its really intrinsic
merits For the last forty years. there
has been little really natural growth In
Our productive resources; our progress has
been hampercd, thwartcd or ovcr-sijmu
lated by dcranging nostrums, and this SO.
cGilcd protection owes the success of
which It boasts to no better reason taan
tnat the old world governments have
lallen into the snme folly and thereby SO
TAR disabled themselves for connecting
with us This false dependence of industry
upon the government has begotten n vic.
lous dependence of government upon indus
trial capital, The industries look to the |
government for special privileges conferred
At the cost Of the taxpaylng public and |
FOR the restraint OF competition; the row.
erning class in turn draw on the purse
" Industry for personal brides to lcqis
atora and for contributions to election
funds to pcrpetuate party dominance
such has been the coursc or our nation !
'Niidihs for nearly half century. So
mr. as this tncit bargain extends. the |
government dehases Its status and perverts |
Us uigh functions, whilst industry cunsti. |
utos Itself an oppressive oligarchy.
Under such conditions, what nceutious |
ofms OF privilege may not Industrial !
opidliy assume to demand? Tic current
nonopolistie Invasion affords startling
lhswer' Because modern invention had !
uddenly augmented tho worlds production
ma stimulated competition. the leading /
huustrlcS have consolidated their corporate (
'epitals IN order to restrain production and I
leleat tue great regulatory law OF compo.
ltion' and this Wholesale attack mon IN.
Iustridl rights they expect the public TO
oierate ond the government ana the marty
u power to defend. This latest oarres.
Ion or industrlalism defends Itself on tho
'round that the merging OF capitals inspres
economy IN methods and management. Int
whatever truth there may be IN this claim
ana We do not deny that there may h
omol the main purpose of the trust Il nm.
TO supersede Industrial f-eedop,
M Individual initiative through monon.
listle control This. and nothing short
L this. Is the great Issue that todav chnI.
'nges the nation. The country aIresd-
omprehendS the true Significance 81 tho
u's'i'n' ana every DAY the popular indig
''''N az Tue holdaess and danger ~ the
Movement becomes more intcnse Nerer
~ INC popular condemnation Of public
'sse oeen more emphatic and unanimous
.nu Set much remains to be accomplished
nfoogh intelligent discussion In order 10
neet fuh comprehension n tho broad
Angers that threaten our Industrial, social