The Mena weekly star. (Mena, Ark.) 1904-1977, 1912-01-25

ittt TotihilSt anu tiit ATuNtN.
70 the Socialist the successive
phases Of the governments war up
on the trusts are far more laugh
able than any vaudeville.
II is continuous performance Of
varied and infinite entertainment.
one president rushes upon the
stage and fronts the horrible trust
monster, making groiesque faces
and shaking the Big Slapstick, em-
lifting the while between his
clcnched teeth most strange and d.
verting sounds. Another fumblcs
and founders about, struggling
with the notion that he can reverse
Ia worldwide evolution by pultina
somebody in Jail.
Every days has its fresh situa-
Itions -and mirth-provoking stunts
in This delightful comedy: while The
grave and earnest bearing of The
principal actors, as they perform
the most ridiculous motions great
~ enhances the pleasure of The
spectators. Yet the horrible mon
ster keeps its way totally indiffer-
ent to these eccentric gyrations.
and every day sees the steady adj
vance Of the universal process Of
consolidation and combination.
The Socialist, being informed o.
basic economic truths and quite
aware of The universal scope and
natural origin of the forces this
foolish government is fighting,
knows from the beginning that
nothing but failure will come Of all
these efforts.
He knew in advance that the In
lerstate Commerce bill would fail,
that the Elkins act would not work,
that the Hepburn act would prove
futile, that the Commerce Court
would merely exasperate the ma
ton, that the Sherman law wou'l
he a flasco, that the meat inspection
law would not inspect, that The
railroads could not be regulated
that the trusts could not be basted
hat competition could not be re-
yiVcd, that we should never have
oure food under the existing sys-
em. that child labor could not be
abolished without abolishing iis
ause. that you could not go back
to worn-out business methods any
more than you could restore the
itagecoach.
He knew all this from the begin
ling. and ii seems to him infinitely
omical lhat adult men should 60
seriously about the childish bust
less Fl turning back evolution by
making faces at il and telling it tc
be good.
But another aspect Of this sol
/ mn fooling is not funny at all. but
merely alarming While the gov
eminent has been enacting these
fantastic tricks on the national
national stage. the standard Of liv-
ne Of the vast majority Of the peo-
ole has been steadily declining, as
The present system has worked oul
its inevitable result Of increasing
the prices of vital necessaries.
Without a doubt this sharp in
crease has been a great provoCa-
Tive of thought on the part Of tn,
generality of men and great i'm
IDetus toward economic enlighten-
ment but the cost of the tuition i,
too great. That millions. alread,
msuf1iciently fed, bust sink to lower
Vital levels before we awake to The
Iiniquities Of the system that pro
lduces these results seems to tn,
Socialist the final indictment Of tn
conditions against which the bust
ness of his life is to protest.
Socialism Not Peculiar TO America
| One other point about the growth
Iof Socialism ought TO be under
stood here. What is happening il
1.-THE United States IS. happening il
Ievery other country. Our habitua
lview is provincial; We think WI
have a monopoly on the trust prob.
lem, the labor problem, the prob
lem of increased cost Of living. WI
have not. The situation is practi-
lcally the same everywhere, and il
bringing about the same solution.
While the Socialist party has
been gaining strength in the UniteC
States it has been gaining in Tn,
same or a greater ratio everywher,
ese. Every parliamentary election
in Europe for the last three year.
has resulted in increased votes OF
Increased representation for the
SOCIALISTS. At one and the same
thine Socialism breaks successfully
Into the political field Of America
Igains seats in the German Reich
lstag, gathers new head in Switzer-
Hand. italy Denmark, Austria. Hol-
land and France, presents a for
Imidable appearance in South Afri-
lea, is revived after years Of coma
lin Australia and New Zealand and
begins to astonsh and perplex the
government Of Japan.
Then consider that all these So
lcialists, here and abroad, are MEM
beers of the International Socialist
lparty OF the world, which purposes
to abolish war; put an end to pow
Ierty. and bring all nations into
bonds of enduring friendship, and
you may see that here is a move
Iment that is really worth consider
ling and watching.