The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1905-05-30

70
THERE are many good people who
fear that the spirit of socialism is
gaining a foothold in the politics OF
this country ADD Ouf institutions are
in peril because 81 it. The Wall
Street Journal the leading fnan-
cial organ of this country presents
views on this subject with considera-
tion, in. saying that the spirit abroad
in this country is first and foremost, a
spirit of revolt against some of the
things that now exist. In some places
it exhibits itself in the form Of an up
rising against political corruption. In
other places IT looms up as spirit Of
hatred of wealth and those who pos
sess it. In other places it shows itself
as a spirit sitting in judgment upon
the morality of the acts and intentions
of the kings of commerce. Every
where there is one note, as it were a
keynote, and it is a note Of assertion
of the worth and rights of the indiyid-
ual as moral personality. The note
is sounded against the tyrannous labor
union and pirate trust; it is sounded
against the public service corporation
that is purchasing by corruption the
political rights of individuals from
those who have no right to sell them
it is sounded against dishonesty in
49, n
positions of trust and it is a note OF
truth. No doubt here and there in
the swelling chorus of disapproval
with things as they are there are dis
cords. But on the whole it is a har-
mony. 1t is not an effort to overturn
the structure of our civil society as it
is now stated. 1t is an effort to root
out the abuses that have crept in and
these abuses arise almost entirely from
our tremendous prosperity. We are
witnessing, as we have said more than
once in these columns, reaction from the
worship Of the captain Of industry"
and all that he represented There is
a feeling abroad that perhaps after all
dollars and cents are not the only
measure of success and that there are
something's which have not price.
There are many economic heresies
abroad in the land. as there are al
ways and always will be, but they are
not the substance Of the complaint.
The principle of municipal ownership
is prominent only because of the out
rageous debauching of municipal bod
les by public service corporations. The
agitation for government ownership III
railroads is merely a phase OF the real
Trouble which is that the present s a.
tute book Is totally untitled to deal
with present conditions. The demand
for destruction of large corpora
tions is merely froth the real demand
is that the corporations shall only
obey the law and shall keep their lob
byists from the legislatures. There is
nothing dangerous in all this indeed,
there is much that is in the highest
degree satisfactory to those who be-
lieve in the permanency of democratic
institutions. The great danger that
threatens democracy is the danger Of
corruption. The only thing that
threatens popular. liberties is acquies-
cence in corruption and the first sign
OF health in corrupt community isl
that discomfort which is sometimes
called divine. Because the country is
discontinued with many things that
are, the country is healty. Socialism
may lift its head here and there, but
we are a long way from danger at its
hands