New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1911-12-23
MAKING PEOPLE THINK.
Beaumont Enterprise.


The people of the United States
are long suffering and slow to
protest against injustice. The in
dividuaI citizen out of total cit
izenship of one hundred million
feels his Importance so lightly
that he hesitates to shoulder re-
sponsibility and will tolerate a
continuation Of a wrong in the ag-
gregate so long as he is not made
to suffer very much individually.
This indifference Of the individ-
ual to aggregate wrong accounts
for the extraordinary and monu-
mental system Of graft and thlev-
cry which has been disclosed from
time to time in our large cities
and in all branches of the gov
eminent Of counties. states and
the nation. As rule the average
citizen looks through the glasses
reversed. He measures the effect
upon himself. If it is the tariff
he finds that his suit Of clothes IS
increased three or four cents and
he smiles at the idea of raising
fuss over such an amount. II
there is grating he looks to him
self and is reconciled when he
finds he is untouched. If it s
reckless expenditure Of public
funds he figures up his own loss
and passes cheerfully on his way
without thinking of the thing in
the aggregate. It is when the
people think as a nation that
something happens.
When a whole state is arous-
ed there is hurried scatter
ing of guilty folk and when ma
ton stops and thinks there is
trembling and fear in the hearts
of the country's political leaders.
They know that once thought is
aroused and the entire people sit
in Judgment the clean-out will be
thorough.
We have numerous examples OF
the nation in deep thought. 1t
happens every now and then.
When it does happen there is
something doing. We have SUI
fered the most appalling robbery
of the national treasury by means
of tht pension graft until we have
lost track Of the matter and grew
to accept it as a matter Of course.
Part of our liberation was due to
the realization of our helpless
ness as individuals and inability
to grasp the strength we have as
a nation when all minds set to
thinking along the same line. 1t
remained for Martin Dies to make
a speech in the house Of repre-
sentatives which promises to set
the nation to thinking Mr.. Dies
did nothing more than other con-
gressmen have done before him.
New members usually make a
speech against the pension graf.
but Mr.. Dies put power and sting
behind his words and he sent
every one Of them ringing into
the ears of his countrymen. They
stopped, listetned, approved and
set to thinking. This thought is
gathering force and we believe
that out Of the mouth Of Mr.. Dies
has come the message which will
stir the nation to a realization of
the outrage which is being com
mitted by the cowardly office
holders who are yearly paying
out millions upon millions of tax
money to purchase seats in the
national congress.
Mr.. Dies speech has created
countrywide comment and not a
single word has been spoken save
in approval Of his denunciation of
the pension outrage. Perhaps af-
ter all these years the people will
think and if they think they will
act and if they act there will be
a cleanup such as we have only
once every decade. The trc-
mendous voice of the nation will
be heard in Washington and men
too cowardly to do right for pat
riotic reasons will drop this pen
sion graft for the same reason
that they have been allied with it
to save their hides. The graft
has been just about all the nation
would stand heretofore and the
Sherwood bill was the last straw.
1t was the outcome of overconfi-
dent greed and it will be the un-
doing Of the pension grafters. It
will be no small thing to cut off
the enormous army of crafty
schemers who have been for years
and years feeding upon the pen
sion appropriation. 1t is not the
pensioners themselves who will
suffer. It is the man who stands
between the government and the
deserving pensioner. There ism t
a man under the canopy of heaven
who would deny the old soldiers
a pension and it is this firmly
rooted sentiment which has been
worked until it has been over
done. Mr.. Dies has set the nation
To think ana IL WE mistala not tho