Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1911-08-18

people? say it might not be a
waste of the public's money to in
yestigate such fundamental questions
as these, and If by some rare chance,
it should be found that they could
be answered favorably, then the pub
lie might like to inquire whether our
public servants could not find some
way to preserve these advantages to
the pulic, rather than destroy them.
At the present moment, while the
Attorney General is enforcing the
laws of Congress Gas he is III honor
bound to do) and is proceeding actu-
ally to dissolve large business con-
Germs, he is at the same time pub
licly calling on the country to dis
cuss the question of whether or not
ruthless competition has not had Its
day and the time arrived for us to
find some other and more co-opera-
tive principle of business on which
to proceed.
Congress has ignored every sug-
gestion by Roosevelt, by Taft. by
Wickersham-yes, even by some OF
it's own members toward
any method that would preserve any
good there is, any benefit or advan-
tage there is to the people in large
business undertakings, and has SEEM
ed content to let the country drift
toward business chaos.
What has given us the sweatshop?
Competition.
What has thrown us child labor?
ployment? Competition,
What throws labor out of en-
ployment? Competition.
What causes low wages? Com
petition.
What brings panic and failure?
Competition.
And what is our Congress at this
moment calling loudly on our At
torney General to enforce, even to
the door of the Jail? Competition.
The Congressman who stands for
literal enforcement of the Sherman
act stands for the sweatshop and
child labor.
Competition produces the two ex-
tremes-millionaire and paupers,
cooperation looks toward more
stable conditions and more equal
distribution of wealth.
This blessed country of ours is suf-
fering from a deluge of politicians
and a dearth of statesmen. We must
give better men to our public life.
We business men have been at fault
in many things, but in none more
than in our almost utter neglect of
our public duties. We have been
so busy, opportunities for great
achievements have crowed so hard
upon one another, that we have said:
ooh, do not bother us about politics;
there are plenty of Others who will
attend to that; have attended to it
and here we are.
The promised land is ours, but
what we want at the moment is a
Moses to lead us out of the wilder
ness.
If the question of passing the
Sherman law as 1t stands were up
today and were left to a popular
vote, and campaign of education,
pro and con, carried out, it never
in the world would be enacted. In
a multitude of counsel there is wis
dom as well in business as in states
manship.
If during the years since the Sher=
man law was passed American bust
ness men had literally followed a
competitive policy, does any student
Of affairs pretend to the belief that
our people as a whole would be as
well off today as they are? General
net results are the touchstones in
every undertaking.
The stronge light of publicity con-
stantly shines on our Chief Execu-
tive, and it is powerful enough to
protect the people against any SER
ious abuse of the great powers con-
ferred upon him. About the same
methods with our large business con-
Germs and who knows but that the
results will be eminently satisfac-
tory.
The very universe teaches us re-
gulation, supervision and control by
one great certain power. Every
thoughtful student of affairs knows
that for commercial purposes our
state lines have been obliterated-
indeed, national lines have almost
been obliterated. What the situa-
ton imperatively requires is con-
structive national policy in CONNER
cia1 affairs. Any man who is above
petty prejudice and political party
lines knows deep down in his mind
that what this country needs today is
and we will have this
when we have more statesmanlike
representatives in our Congress. In
dividualism must be preserved, but
rather through emulation in collec-
tive effort than through competition
BY individual effort.
We commend the foregoing article
20 the careful consideration of every
man in this community.
We submit that the time has come to
bring the political grandstand play
hat has been going on for some
months in Washington to a close.
We need, not only in our nation
Il affairs, but in Our state and NUM- |
'ipal affairs also, more statesmen and
ever politicians. The same princi-
lie applies to every phase of govern
nent. Too long have the brainy
business men of the country stood |
lloof from political questions, many |
II them declining tn take any part |