The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-12-30
| aEpUBIICAN ORGAN ON Roosn-
 WELT.

nEPUBLEcAN ORGAN ON R00sE- | WELT.
 Tt is pFobsble.r says Tbe Kansas City Journal that few persons, oom- parativeiy speaking. comprehend what a wide departure has been taken by the Roosevelt administration. now happi- iy drawing to close. in the direction of governmental interference with the | private business affairs of the coun- try. Beginning with the avowed ob- ject of enelishipg unlawful combins- tions in trade through the enforce nent of the sherman act. or antitrust law as 1t Is commonly called. the Fed- ersl administration has gradually as- | sumed extensive and hitherto un. heard-of authority over the great cor porations. From abolIshing their abuses 1t has begun to assert its right to regulate their uses and to exercise inquisitorial powers regarding their affairs which are wholly without pre- cedent In the history of American gov ernment. and. we believe, without warrant in constitutional law. or course, if the government has the right to investigate, supervise and regulate the management of the busi- ness affairs of the corporations 1t has the right to do the same thing In re- gard to the business affairs of indi- viduals. It is but short step from the one function te the other. and. it may be well to undarstapd. 1t is 2 stiil shorter step from this sort of government to socialism in it's abso- lute form. Paternslism in government is the mainspring and Fundamental principle of socialism. If 1t be conced- ed that the government has the power to interfere In the private affairs of a cooperation. which is merely an AE- gregatioh of individuals it must be sraHtea also that 1t has an equal right to Interfere in the private affairs of a single indtvidnsl; and this is social. ism. absolute and triumphant."
 This is plain and truthful pre- sentation of the case. and, coming from Republican organ, 1t may be called really remarkable. The Jour nal, however, Is unduiy ienient when, in another portion of the same edi- torial 1t thinks that all this dsparture from constitutional government has been done perhaps enthusiastically" Does not The Journal see that in this case the defense is about as uncompli- mentary as the charge? As a matter of fact, to adopt thst viaW is to make Roosevelt an ignoran1us and his legal advisors weddings. We have never been among those who regard Roose- velt as an intellectual giant. or ss a really great public man. but on the other hand we do not consider him an imbecile or man wholly ignorant of the affairs and limitations of govern msnt.
 The fact Is that the Presidents en- eroaehmsnts on the Constitution. his intolerance and his many and wide departures from the fundamental prin- l ctples of our government were design edly carried out. We may admit thst he did not at first foresee the lengths he would so. but usurpation. like some other human attributes. grows with what it feeds on. We all remem- Der the old story of the camel and it's | Arab master. The animal begged to be allowed to put It's nose in It's mas ter's tent. and when that was grant 1 cd 1t continued to push it's way until | all its body was inside and the mas ter crowded out.
 It was that way with the Presi- | dent His first sncroachments were excused on the plea that they were due to his inhpulsives and impetuous l nature. but thet argument. if it ever had any force. has lost it long ago, l and each submission to his will has added to his desire to govern. It has gone on until he evidently thinks he can control government officials and private individuals. and can reg | ulate both public and private affairs at his own will. The Journal says giving a liberal interpretation to the old Latin motto. ''facilis descensus Avernp'-that 'the road to hades is as easy as a turtle dropping of log"
 Our contemporary takes some com fort in the reflection that the Roose- welt administration Is now happily drawing to a close" Whether it 1 hopes to strengthen itself with the next administration by belIttling the present we cannot say. but we rather prefer to give it credit for sincerity 4n its criticisms. and we think we risk nothing in saying that vast ma 1orty of the beat Americans will join 1t in rejoicing that the present dis .creditable administration Is nearing it's end Pity it's life could not go out wth the old year.