The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1905-08-05
rHE pEorLEAND REFORMS.

HE PEOPLE AN ID kEEohNsa
No reform, no movement for better
government, or more honest business
methods, will ever succeed without
the strong backing of public senti-
ment. Statute laws are of little
value unless they are backed by a
public sentiment sufficiently strong
to cause their enforcement. In
other words, village, city, state or
nation will be just what the people
make it, under our form of govern
ment. The corruptionist is ever
alert and will make his influence
felt if the people do not prevent it.
The force Of public sentiment was
never more clearly demonstrated than
in the settlement of the slavery
question. Vested rights in the black
slave Of the south we're respected as
the most sacred. In fact, it was a
part Of the religion Of the south,
Justified by the bible and taught
from the pulpit as one of the God
given rights to the superior race, and
those people were sincere in their
belief. But the time came for a
change and the result is matter of
history.
The greatest evil Of today is the
greed for wealth, 1t is causing
more crime than all other evils com
bined. The people of America are
money mad, and TO obtain it, stoop
10 all kinds Of crime The business
man Of ability thinks nothing OF pro
noting any scheme to rob the pub
bic, even to laying himself liable to
the criminal laws. The Standard
Oil company, the Equitable Life
Insurance company, the cotton
scandal, the steel trust, and thOus-
and other organized schemes for
robbing the public, which may be
called legitimate because the plan is
under the guise Of business enter
prise and the promoters are known as
captains of industry, prove the greed
Of men for gold. 1t matters not that
they donate millions to churches,
colleges and other institutions; that
is but one means of bribing the pub
lie to permit the plumber, and to
their discredit the dollars, in too
many instances, close the pulpits to
criticism or censure and keep
the churches quiet. They can
not afford to antagonize these men,
which shows to what extent the greed
has invaded the sacred places.
Under such conditions it is re-
freshing to have men like President
Roosevelt, Governor La Toilette.
Governor johnson, Governor Folk,
Mayor Deenan, WIN. J. Bryan and a
hundred others OF that stamp fighting
the evil and routing the robbers from
high places both in business and
political life. Public sentiment Is
ripe for the reforms and these men
have the courage to come out boldly
and do things to bring them about
when the more timid are afraid to
say anything. Prosecuting Attorney
Hensy, of Oregon, says 1t Is the big
Ssh he is after and that their punish
nsnt will do more good than catch
ing the little suckers aho are made
their tools for a small sum There
Is going to be a terrible shaking up
Of big captains Of Industry and poll.
iicians in the next few months unless
all signs fail. Public sentiment de
mands a change and Is bt coming ir-
resistable.
The people are not lawIess, al
though there may BE- times when such
conditions seem true. and their
rights are safe IN their own hands,
but DO more so than are the rights Of
all great and varied Industries which
they create and which are low
operated in the Interest Of a few
shrewd mauipulators WhO imagine
that 1t is legitimate to fleece the
lambs by all sorts Of eKtortiou and
questionable methods that are made
possible only by the close combina-
ton Of personal interests IN big
trusts