The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1913-06-21

There are two theories OF govern /
ment that have been contending ever
since government began. One Of them
is the theory which in America is as
ISOLATED with the name of a very great
man, Alexander Hamilton. A great
man, but, in my judgment, not great
American. He did not think In terms
of American life. Hamilton believed
that the only people who could under
stand government, and, therefore, the
only people who were qualified to con-
duct it, were the men who had the big
gest financial stake in the commercial
and industrial enterprises of the coun-
try.
That theory, though few have now
the hardihood to profess it openly, has
been the working theory upon which
our government has lately been con-
Quoted 1t is astonishing how persist
ent it is. 1t is amazing how quickly
the political party which had Lincoln
for it's first leader-Lincoln, who not
only denied, but in his own person 80
completely disproved the aristocratic
theory-it is amazing how quickly that
party, founded on faith In the people,
forgot the precepts of Lincoln and fell
under the delusion that the masses"
needed the guardianship of "men of
affairs"
For, indeed, If you stop to think
about it, nothing could be a greater
departure from original Americanism,
from faith in the ability of a conf
dent, resourceful and Independent peo-
pie, than the discouraging doctrine
that somebody has got to provide pros
perity for the rest of US. And yet
that is exactly the doctrine on which
the government Of the United States
has been conducted lately. Who have
been consulted when important meas
ures Of government like tariff acts and
currency acts and railroad acts were
under consideration? The people
whom the tariff chiefly affects, the peo-
pie for whom the currency is supposed
to exist, the people who pay the duties
and ride on the railroads? oh, no!
What do they know about such mat
ters? The gentlemen whose ideas
have been sought are the big manufac-
turers, the bankers and the heads of
the great railroad combinations. The
masters of the government of the Uni
ted States are the combined capital
lists and manufacturers of the United
States. 1t is written over every init
mate page of the records of Congress,
1t is written all through the history of
conferences at the White House, that
the suggestions of economic policy In
this country have come from one
source, not from many sources. The
benevolent guardians, kind-hearted
trustees who have taken the troubles
of government off our hands, have be.
come so conspicuous that almost any
body can write out a list OF them
They have become so conspicuous tina;
their names are mentioned upon al
most every political platform. The
men who have undertaken the interest
ing job Of taking care of us do no
force us to requite them with anon
ymously directed gratitude. We know
them by name.
Suppose you go to Washington ant
try to get at your government. 70,
will always find that while you ar
politely listened to, the men reall
consulted are the men who have tn
biggest stake-the big bankers, tn
> big manufacturers, the big master
of commerce, the heads of railroa
: corporations and of steamship col
Iporations. l have no objection to thes
. men being consulted, because the
also, though they do not themselve
seem to admit it, are part of the PEI
pie of the United States. But I d
. very seriously object to these gentl
II men being chiefly consulted, and pa
Il ticularly to their being exclusivel