The morning journal-courier., 1908-10-17

of taxation belonged to this category, Certain classes had, and could not but have, private motives for advocatinG or opposing indirect or direct taXes, protective or n-protectiye customs duties, A progressive or non progressive income tax or succession duty. In some countries large sums were expended on public works and the residents in a place which desired such a work, and the flow of public money to the locali- ty which 1t caused, could not but have an interest which might be adverse to that of the nation, vet would in their minds supersede the national Interests, l The promotion of private bills the ob- taining of franchises or other local privileges, especially if they created a l monopoly, were objects which affected comparatively few members of the community, but affected their pockets 20 much as to tempt them to resort l to improper methods of obtaining these advantages, Both national governments and the governments of cities were now large employers of labor, and the laborers had an interest In trying to get higher wages than lt might be the interest of the community to pay. The case of the Australian railroads which had excited so much controversy there was referred to. Furthermore, there were many ways In which general leg islation might affect particular Indus, tries, such as ship-owning railroad ing, brewing, or the action of labor organization, az for instance the meth- ods nf conducting strikes, In all such cases 1t was hard to distinguish be- tween the true interest of the commun- ity and the special interest of the class affected Lastly, the desire to secure or retain public saarled office affected po- litlcal action of certain part of the citizens not a numerous part but of ten influential. European practice in this matter Has described
 After summing up the result of the
 facts described the lecturer estimated the amount of harm which the prefer ence of private to public interest caus- ed in modern free governments, and observed that European experience had shown that this amount was al any
 rate sufficient to make it desirable tc
 keep money interests out Of govern.
 mental action and politics go far a;
 could be done consistently with tho
 wider scope which that action has lat
 terly taken In the Old World and in th'
 British Colonies. The number If per
 sons whose citizenship was dstorte,
 and sense of duty lowered by selfish in
 terests was no doubt a very small per
 centage But they had deletertou,
 influence on others Those in particu
 lar who were trying to make an unfai
 gain out of the public were apt to re
 sort to covert means, Though thei number was small, their inAuenc might be considerable.
 Tho lecturer then dealt with the gen fral question of the money power |, aemocracies at some length pointlni out the various ways in which it coul' act, and wound up by observing that Il all countries it was much to be desire, that the lines of division between poll tica parties should not coincide wit lines of social or economic division, AT ter Illustrating this from English his tory, he remarked that in tho Unite, states thc danger If class antagonlsm and all the harm that might thence re suit had been averted. and would prob ably continue to be ayerted by the fac that large part of the working class es in the cities far larger part thai in European countries, were holders Q property. and by the existence of
 great mass of small land owners, work
 iug their own farms over the whol
 alea of the republic The prospects fo
 peaceful solution of the cconoml
 problems which nov chiefly occupie mems minds was therefore an cncour I, aging one.