The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1908-03-12

big busipess-is now in the saddle
booted and spurred. Not having pald
the price we are IN imminent danger
of liberty which have been our nation
al glory. This is not because the pre-
sent generation is less int2Ilig mt than
their fathers. but because tier intel
l~igenca has beer directed elIewhere.
The struggle for eXistance-the siren
uous persuit OF the dOllar-has con
fined their attention to the near at
hand means OF obtaining IT, thereby
circumscribing their power OF accom-
| plishment in that direction as well as
in the broader field Of human endeal-
| or that makes for mans higher deyel-
Opment.
That they have made this mistake
is due to their failure 10 take into
consideration two facts /. q. the eco
nomic foundation of all liberty, n
the ever changing order that requires
a consistent adjustment OF conditions
to principles, of the continuity or hu-
man development is TO be maintained
The poet tells us that FREEDOM IS
~recreated year by year In hearts wide
open to the Godward side, and we
must likewise recreate 1t In our insti-
tutions If We are 10 preserve It's bless
ings. Those who have watched the
trend OF events in the last score or
years have seer this precious heritage
subtly but surely undermined through
various forms of economic pressure,
till today it totters TO its fall.
Today we are economically i'll the
hands OF the allied trusts. Produc.
ticn and distribution are effectively
organized for private gain, and
whether we buy or whether we sell;
whether we work with brain or hand,
or whether We are not given the
privilege of working at all, we must
bow to the mandate of these allied
because we have not yet seen
clearly how resistance is possible.
The recent decisions Of the supreme
court regarding the use OF the inJunc'
ton. the boycott. the black list anG
the Sherman antitrust law, have
swept the legal bulwarks of any rem
nant of economic independence that
might have remained TO the people.
The Dick Military bill-virtually a
conscriptiye measures being made
more effective by confOrmatory legis-
Iation in many of the states. BY this
bill every able bodied man of legal
age is subject to military duty at the
call of the nations executive. And
last but not least comes the PenroSe
bill now pending in congress, which
puts the seal upon all of this involun-
AIRY servitude. This bill gives the
of the press into the hands
Of the postmaster general, giving him
,rbitrar, power TO refuse mailing
privileges to such publications as fail
meet his approval. 1t is the APP
Russian method as far as it
goes.
AS to our present status OF liberty, |
With the allied trusts firmly e%ntrench-
I'd at Washington, the terms upon
which we shall live and contribute
,ur quota to their dividends are de-
.ermined for us. but with this bill a
aw, they should prevent any vide !
discussion of these conditions. SO
when some farmers paper again pre-
,umes to print something that Stand
lrd Oil regards as inimical to its in
it need not take the trouble
reprimand it and withdraw its in
and advertising, but can sim
,ly snuff out the offending publication
without further ado.
The elimination of waste is a prime
in trust management and under
he pending bill it will no longer be
leedful to control the public press
the economic motive, it a
De done more cheaply with the au-
of government. and by that
either increase dividends, or
official salaries.
u the people still value this rem
liant of liberty at them shower their
members of congress with personal
etters to the end that he may vote
md work to kill this iniquitious meas
ire. The occasion is urgent if this
ever of freedom is to be saved. 1t
will be badly needed in the long
struggle that lies ahead of us, for
when was entrenched power, whether
If king or class. known to surrender
With out a struggle?
Alice Ball Loomis.