Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1909-12-17
MAYOR MCLELLAN
Tells PRINCETON
OF TRUSTS BIRTH
New York Official Blames Pa
ternalism for Burden of In
creasing Taxes in U. S.

PRINCETON, Dec. 17.-Mayor George
j. Mcclellan. of New York, delivered
his second lecture before the Prince
ton University. 1t was a continu-
alton of his talk a week ago on Pres
ent Day Legislation" The lecture was
another in the Stafford Little Lecture
Course. In brief Mayor Mcclellan said:
THE new economic era which follow
ed the invention of the steamboat and
the steam locomotive resulted in a ma
terial prosperity of which the people
of the United States had never dream
ed. The new processes of manufacture,
mining and agriculture n the new
methods OF transportation called for the
expenditure of capital beyond the
means of the individual. Corporations
We're organized, whose stock was dis
tributed among hundreds and in some
cases thousands of shareholders. These
corporations received their corporate
life from. charters granted by the State.
The real force of the collectivistic
movement began almost Immediately
at the close OF the Civil War. Govern
ment contracts easily acquired and
easily filled, government pensions ana
Offices easily earned n obtained, a
policy of tariff legislation followed far
more in the interests of protection than
of revenue, educated our people into the
belief that government possesses every
good and perfect gift which can be had
by any man for the asking. In addi-
tion to this, our national taxation being
for the most part indirect, the cost of
governmental extravaganza was not
felt as it would be in a country raising
its revenue by direct taxes.
And so the Sherman antitrust act is
merely the enactment of the common
law, with penalties and remedies for its
violation attached. 1t is in the interpre-
tation and application of these and
their complementary acts that the SUI
preme Court has made the law as the
eollectivistlc present day public opin-
ion would ave 1t.
The extreme of paternalism was
reached in the Hepburn pure food act,
which subjects all foods, drugs and
drinks. including wines, liquors and
milk, to government analysis, govern.
ment regulation and government in.
spection. The national government, in
other words, undertakes through its
power to regulate between
the States, to secure the citizen q
wholesome breakfast. an eatable din
ner, a sound glass of champagne and
a pure drink of whiskey.
1.-THE influence of those who directly
feel the burden of increased taxation
Is having more and more effect upor
those who only feel it indirectly. Tht
pleasing fiction that the foreigner pays
the tax, and that the United States Il
chiefly supported at the expense O
Europe by a species Of Commercial
highway robbery, is no longer accepted
as fact. The American people ar,
slowly. very slowly, awakening to {
realization OF the truth that they can
not eat their cake and keep it at TIN
same time. If they wish ~paternalisn
in government they can only have i
sby. paying the price. and the price il
~ very long one. The people them.
selves are far more conservative thai
are their representatives., far more ap
toftnipk twice before deciding. far les
apt to be deceived
49, L-