The Greenville times., 1910-05-13
< with tae state instead of

-s with the state instead of
With the individual.
no tendency TO use civil power TO in
sfitaite needed reforms; and it is a note
In the social and religious affairs
Of America, there has been little or
worthy fact that great and useful re-
forms have been thought out. indepen-
ments of our national life. and then
have been carefully and quietly fixed
by changes in our political system In
heany economic affairs, the same pol
icy has been suecessfa fully llse.l; vet re
cent indications point to the fact that
the economic problem that eoafronts
America today, and which has grown
out OF unvwsse governmental interfer-
ence wirh economic questions, is .one
of the gravest problems in all history.
Our government began its first ex-
pertinent of this kind In tne congress
of 1879. Desiring to foster and pro-
teet home industries, It adopted pol;
icy of protective tariff The motive
was good, bat the result was the organ
ization of trusts and other menacing
especial privilege corporations. and
the breeding of corruption in our nat
ional policies. A tariff war costing the
people Of the United States millions
Of dollars every year has been waged
constantly since that time. The bust
ness interests Of the country have been
made 10 depend upon governmental
policies, and az this hour the govern
nient has TO bear the responsibility of
that unwise interference with economic
conditions; and the great commercial
interests are now rendered insecure by
the extreme reform policies which a
wiser governmental course would not
have occasioned.
Another experiment. which cost our
nation millions of dollars, four long
wears of civil war, and the loss of
thousands of the noblest American cit
ixens. was the federal interference with
slavery, and the premature attempt at
slave legislation. Though the question
vas introduced into congress by abo
itionists as a social and religious
measure, the congressman soon found
hat they had Stumbled upon one of
the gravest economic problems of our
aational history. The abolition senti
nent of the North seemingly religious, |
vas. in truth, purely economic; slavery
here was unprofitable. The unwise
INTRODUCTION Of the question into con-
1ress involved our political institutions
IA an enterprise which in the end sew
red the fraternaI bonds of the union
and threatened to disrupt the nation.
Yet, after all, did governmental inter
ference solve the problem? No, civil
var with all its terrible losses and de-
str,ction offered the only solution ;,
and the solution left new problems
which still remain TO be solved.
In recent years the issue between
labor and capital has been taken up for
solution by governmental agencies At
every meeting of our national congress
he labor and capital forces clash for
supremacy. The government is becom-
ttiS IifOFt ftlitt iHpit INV oihtd tac veal
and statesmen admit that the complex
itv OF thc problem increases every day.
Thus We see that from the very begin
ming governmental interference has
not only failed to accomplish the re
form proposed. but has in each of these
typical instances served only to intro
duce corruption into our political at
fairs. The interference with tariff ere
ated and strengthened the trusts, IN
til today. they are seeking to controi
our national legislation In an effort
to solve the slavery question, we see
the government passing through years
of sectional dissention and nearly DIS
rupted by fratrieidal war From gov
ernmcntal interference with present
labor problems. we see labor and cap
ital in life and death struggle to get
in order 10 :hrottle each other. Cap
isai is in power to day; the interests or
labor are menaced by legislation. Who
donbts that labor viii have It's turn,
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