Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1912-03-15
SPECIAL PRIVILEGE.

The Taft family organ, the Cincin-
natl Times-Star, processes inability
to understand the meaning of the
term Special privilege" Perhaps the
shortest and easiest way to enEghten
it would be to inform it that special
privilege is the means whereby
Charles P. Taft succeeds in appro-
priating annually, by perfectly legal
methods, the earnings of many of his
fellow citizens without returning an
equivalent. That ought to make the
matter clear to Mr.. Taft and to those
who have some knowledge of what
his fortune consists. However, if the
TimeS-Star wants less personal def
milton, it ought to consult diction-
airy. Webster defines privilege as ga
right or immunity not enjoyed by
other or by all" The same authority
says that special means peculiar
or uncommon"
A protective tariff is a special priv
ilege because some individuale are
empowered thereby to levy tribute on
the rest. Even if it we've a fact, in
ficiaries of this privilege shane their
stead of a barefaced lie that the
beneficiaries of this privilege share
their loot with their employees, it
would be none the less robbery of
MANY by a few.
The individuals who are empowered
to appropriate to their own use val
ues created by all the people en-
Joy another iniquitOuS special priv
lege. Charles P. Taft is one of
these. He knows it is indefensible
but does not want others to know
It. So he tries to hide behind the
small individual home owners. He
says, TO the single taNer the man
who OWNS his own home is enjoy
trg a special privilege in the own
erShip of the hand ON which his home
Is located" He conveniently neglects
10 add, but since such home own
ers are being taxed on houses and
personal property and also in other
ways on their labor far more than
they would pay under the sinle tax
on their land, the privilege is hurt
instead Of a benefit to them, while
the owner of sites on which the
homes Of other people are located
Or where nothing whatever is Ocat-
ed finds the privilege a profitable
one. -
The owner of a franchise, like the
Cincinnati Traction Company, OF
which Mr.. Taft is a sbockhO1der, en-
joys also the legal but not moral
ownership of a special privilege. It
has the peculiar right denied to all
others to lay tracks on the public
streets, string troEy wires over them
and run trolley cars upon them. No
matter how willing others may be
to render the same or better SER
vice they are denied all right to do
SO. This particular privilege was
granted for fifty-year term by acts
q a boss controlled legislature and
boss controlled city officials, They
were controlled by the same boss who
gave Charles P. Taft a nomination
for congress. 1t is about as clear an
example Of special privilege as can
be found.
Another term which bothers the
Times-Star is "pnogreSSive." 1t is
natural enough that Mr.. Taft should
not know the meaning Of that term
If he does not know the meaning Of
special privilege A progressive is
some one who wants to abolish the
graft Of the owners of special privi-
lege.
The TimeSStar asks, what do the
confiScatiOl gentlemen mean by pro
greSive? To them the true progress
sive is tine man who does not believe
IN the right of private property; who
thinks that the man who spends all
his money on drink, whiIe his wife
and children look out for themselves
is quite as worthy the rewards of life
as the man who has saved his mon
ey, accumulated some capital, and is
getting up in the world"
1t is not necessary to ask the
TimeSStar to explain what it means
by "confiscation gentlemen" IL
means those who want to put an end