The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-01-21

and In private business is the censerva-
tsm of the people. The people do not
oppose wealth; wealth in itself Is bless
ing; but they do object to the abuse of
wealth. They encourage legitimate In
dustry and are not unfriendly to corpor-
atoms that obey the law, but they de-
mand that corporations obey the law just
like any one else. The object to corporate
Nominations in public affairs; they object
to government by any class.
Graft cannot be exterminated fully
until special privileges are done away
with and the doctrine of equal rights Is
recognized. 1t matters not whether this
special privilege be in the form of a tar
if so arranged as to foster monopoly or
combination to control the prices of
necessities. or rebates to favored ship
pers. Whenever a class are given a spe-
clal privilege in any form whereby they
can prey upon the rest OF the people,
that is graft and should be stopped. Some
special interest is at the bottom of every
graft.
Should Not Fear Publicity.
Corporate domination of legislatures
and elections has been shown to exist to
an amazing extent. 1t Is yet not made
public what other great concerns may
have done, but the recent insurance dis
closures furnished some startling infor-
nation as to the methods of these COM
, panies. 1t Is an established fact that
corporations are the chief corruptors or
our public life The creatures of the
state have thus become the most danger
Gus enemies of the state. That something
must be done to protect representative
government from being thwarted by the
nominations of corporate influences is
manifest The honestly conducted cor
porations would have nothing to fear
| from publication of their expenditures
~, Il
with proper vouchers 1t would then be
! difficult to conceal the use of corporate
moneys for corrupt purposes.
I'm securing a representative govern
! ment the influences of special interests
in legislative halls must be curtailed. The
free railroad pass is prolific breeder OF
| corruption.
! THE nearer the government can be
brought to the people the more repre-
! sentative the government will be- The
/, United States senators are not elected by
the people, and in many instances, In
stead of being senators Of the people,
! they are senators of some special inter-
| est. When the peoples highest repre-
sentatves in the national Legislature are
| elected by the people these representa-
tives will more nearly reflect the people s
/ will.
Representative government depends
| upon the people. If they want 1t long
|
II the people do not govern themselves,
| then special interests will govern the
people There is and always has been a
| constant fight between the interests OF
| the masses and the selfishness OF the
| classes. the law and the lawless, the
| right and the wrong. The interests OF
| the masses, the law. the right must all
ways be fought for. The selfishness of
| the classes TIE lawless. the false, the
wrong must be fought against. II Is not
enough to be merely against wrong; the
| people must be aggressively against 1t.
i Strength lie In Individual.
"The real strength of a nation Is In the
| Individual, and the nation is great in pro-
portion as It's government represents the
happiness. the prosperity and content
ment of the average individual.
Here between the two great oceans
| on ground concentrated by the blood of
patriots TO the principles of liberty and
representative government we have
founded an empire such as the conquer
ors of old never dreamed Of; but tho
greatness of a nation does not consist in
mere acreage nor in the strength of bat
tleships alone. but in the purity or Its
! ideals and In the intensity of its devotion
to those principles that make for right
! for Justice and for humanity True to
| the principles of representative govern
| ment. we shall be the most powerful OF
all nations Of the earth. Forsaking these,
| with a government OF and by special In
| terests. national and private prosperity
| can only be temporary, and we must n
naIIy go as other nations have gone dur
| ing the flight OF time through the ages.
| without these ideals and principles, the
| time will come when our strongest mill
| tarv engines and our most powerful naval
| ornaments will be as impotent as the
! armies and navies of Russia against the
victorious Japanese. In vain do we build
| battleships, fortify our coasts and man
| our guns. unless into every rampant and
turret there can be brought the ideals
I and the principles that constitute the
| foundation of representative government.
for these make the men behind the
| Quns"