The Owyhee nugget. ([Silver City], Idaho) 1905-1984, 1910-06-30
Public Welfare VS.. Special
Privilege

Wageu IN Cnls country 10 restore true re-
preventative government. 1t has been a
hard struggle Special Privilege, in poll
tics for profits, had become firmly en-
trenched. Through almost a generation
Of undisturbed aggression, Big Business
had secured complete control of the
agencies OF government. Self-goyernment
had become a mere shadow. To under
take to give life and substance to it meant
graphing with the most powerful forces
in American life, the Special Interests.
It has been winning fight. The peo-
pie have been informed more completely
than ever before. Out Of this information
an intelligent, aggressive, earnest public
opinion has arisen This public opinion
has forced upon the statute books Of
many cities, many states, and even the
nation, laws to curtail the power Of Busi-
ness in Politics. Direct nominations have
come into use, lobbying has been shorn
of its most vicious features, commission
regulation is giving the people fighting
chance with the public service corpora
tions, local machines have been broken
and thrown on the scrap heap. Little by
little Public Welfare has been gaining in
this long contest with Special Privilege.
At the present time the lines are drawn
more closely than ever before The field
is nation wide. The opposing forces are
represented in Congress by the Regulars,
on the one hand, and the Progressives on
the other The principle at stake is the
same now as ten years ago. Shall the
Special Interests rule; or shall the People
rule? Shall we have representative gov
ernment in fact or only in name?
Into the present conflict have come two
champions Of representative government
with courageous and inspiring appeals to
patriotism Both Senator Dolliver and
Clifford Pinchot-the one on the floor Of
the Senate, the other before the Roosevelt
Club Of st. Paul-have given the same
message to the country. 1t is this: the
country is now ruled by the Special In
terests; the control of these great business
combinations over government must end
if we are to have the kind Of government
Lincoln called of the people, by the peo-
pie and for the people I"
We quote few extracts from these
speeches that we wish might be memeriz-
ed by every citizen.
Said Senator Dolliver:
In common with good citizens every
where, l share the universal disgust which
has arisen on seeing the greatest execu-
tive departments, those departments
which touch the business Of the nation
most intimately, made headquarters for
the awkward squad Of politics, bucket
shops for dealing in political futures upon
margins calculated daily from the record
Of the yeas and nays.
i am aware that it is sought to con-
strain independent expressions of opinion
in these days by an appeal to the prin-
ciple of majority government, principle
in accordance with which it is thought
proper for individuals to surrender their
own views and accept the views Of ma
iority
There never was more faithful friend
Of the doctrine Of maiorities than l am.
1t is our form of government. accept
it everywhere. 1 have never advised
anybody to vote against the party ticket
simply because he did not like the boss.
I have always supposed it to be my duty,
when the city in which live was boss
ridden, to enter the arena and fight for
the overthrow Of a bad party leadership
instead Of acquiescing in it and afterward
overthrow the party of which it was the
only tangible expression. believe in the
doctrine of party maiorities applied to all
popular assemblies.
els a man who holds Congress nm bv a