Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1908-04-28


unwarranted, yet that it is unques,
tionably true that in a number OF
cases this power has been used to the
grave injury of the rights of labor.
ing men.
Listen to Public Opinion.
1T is unwise to stubbornly refuse
to provide against a repetition of the
abuses which have caused the pres
emit unrest. In a democracy like ours
1t Is idle to expect permanently to
thwart the determination of the
great body of our citizens. 1t may
be and often is the duty OF a court,
legislature or an executive to defy
a gust Of popular passion; and most
certainly no public servant, whatever
may be the consequences to himself.
should yield to what he thinks wrong.
Use Injunction Sparingly.
The process of injunction in labor
troubles, as well as where state laws
are involved, should be used sparing-
ly and only when there is the clear
est necessity for it; it is one so nee
essary to the efficient performance of
the duty of the court in behalf of the
nation that it is in the highest degree
to be regretted that it should be IL
able to reckless use; for this reckless
use tends to make honest men desire
to so hamper its execution as to de-
stroy its usefulness.
Every far-sighted patriot should
protest first of all against the growth
in this country OF that evil thing
which is called "class consciousness
The demagogue, the insister or social
list visionary who strives to arouse
this feeling of class consciousness in
our working people does a foul and
evil thing; for he is no true Ameri-
can, he is no self-respecting citizen
of this republic.
Wealthy Influence Corrupt.
But evil though the influence of
these demagogues and Missionaries is,
1t is no worse in its effect than the
influence exercised by the man of
great wealth or the man of power
and position who by his lack OF sym
pathy with and lack of understanding
of, still more by exhibition of uncom-
promising hostility to the millions of
our working people, tends to unite
them against their fellow Americans
who are better OF in this worlds
goods. 1t is bad thing to teach our
working people that men of means
who have the largest proportion OF
the substantial comforts of life are
necessarily greedy. grasping and cold
hearted, and that they unjustly de-
mand and appropriate more than
their share of the substance OF the
many.
Want Antitrust Law.
THE strengthening OF the anti
trust law is demanded upon both
moral and economic grounds. Our
purpose Of strengthening 1t is to Sc
cure more effective control by the
national government over the bust
ness use OF the vast masses of indiv-
idual, and especially OF corporate,
wealth, which at the present time
monOpolizes most OF the interstate
business of the country, and we be-
lieve the control can best be exer-
eised by preventing the growth OF
abuses. rather than merely by trying
to destroy them when they have al
ready grown. In the higher sense of
the word this movement for the con-
troll of the business use OF this great
wealth is conservative.
Keep Safe Course.
We are trying to steer a safe mid |
die course which alone can save us |
from a plutocratic class government |
on the one hand or a sOefaIistic class
government on the other, either OF |
which would be fraught with disas-
ter to our free institutions, state and |
nation. We are trying to avoid alike |
the evils which would flow from gov
eminent ownership of the public util- |
tiles by which interstate commerce Is
chiefly carried on and the evils which |
iioE from the riot and chaos Of unre-
stricted individualism. There IA
grave danger to our free Institutions I
in the eOrrupting influence exercised
by great wealth suddenly coneentra-
ted in the hands Of the few. We
should IN q sane manner try to rem
edy this danger. in spite OF the sui
len opposition Of these men and with t