The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-12-01

The Brooklyn Eagle seems to be
convinced that President Roosevelt, in
spite of all he has said, will be forced
to accept another term in the Presi-
dency. 1t calls attention to the fact
that during the last few years the
newspapers have been filled with &C
counts of the great privileges granted
corporations, and the work of expo
sure has been carried on relentlessly."
This work has been done not only by
the newspapers and magazines, but
books have been written about it. and
orators have made the most of it with
telling effect. The agitation, instead
of subsiding, as many hoped it would,
has steadily grown apace, until, the
evil is discussed everywhere, broadly
and Understandings. The questions
have reached beyond the mere mouth
lngs of socialists and anarchists"
and have become great national ques-
lions. In commenting on the observa-
tons of its Brooklyn contemporary
that very able and conservative news
paper, the Indianapolis News, says:
And the whole trouble comes from
the failure of what have come to be
known as the interests to do their
duty TO the public The more money
man gets the greater seems to be
his desire to control some one or
some things. He goes into politics not
for the purpose of cooperating with
his fellow-citizens to secure wise leg
1slation and good government, but to
get SOME graft for himself. And so
it. has come to pass that, not simply
great wealth, but property itself is dis
liked and distrusted. And thus we are
deprived of the influence of a perfect
ly legitimate force operating on the
side of conservatism. In this coun-
try most of our people are property
owners. Yet large numbers of voters
instinctively take sides against prop
erty. The growth of socialism points
inevitably to this conclusion. Hearst's
great vote in New York is another
danger signal. Such signals are flying
on every side. Yet our wealthy men
and our corporations and trusts seem
to be blind to them. 1t is astounding
that they are not able to discern the
signs of the times But such seems
to be the case. 1t is hard to know
what will awaken them"
1t is evident that Mr.. Hartman is
one of our great financiers who scorns
the danger signals or regards them as
entirely meaningless, for a few days
ago he publicly sneered at the efforts
to regulate the railroads and declared
that they should be granted more
power instead of attempting to re-
strict that which they already possess.
This attitude of the men who have
grown enormously rich and insolent is
fraught with the most dangerous con-
sequences, because, and as our Indian
apolis contemporary remarks, "the eff
fort to break down the influence of
insolent wealth is fast growing int.
one to destroy the influence or proper
ty itself as an institution But it
seems that the appeals which have
been made by the conservative press
to rich men all over the country have
fallen on ears that will not hear.
The result is seen in the lining up
of the same old forces of graft and
greed for the usual assault on con-
gress, and they are all at work on the
same old lines; hence it is evident
that these interests have learned
nothing. Therefore, the conservative
press of the country is ominously pre-
dieting that if things go on as they
have been going the country will soon
have more than one Hearst in office
exercising political power in a way
that has never been seen before in
this country. and these papers are
most emphatic in their declarations
that there can be no permanent i'm
provement until the wealth of the ma
ton "awakens to a sence Of its re-
sponsibilities, and ceases to regard
the nation as its legitimate prev"