Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1913-02-27
SENATOR ROOT AGAIN.

heHsOu Dlll lhdhlhS llquOlS SubJSCI
to state law upon entrance into the |
state Tin effect prohibiting the ship |
ment of liquors into prohibition |
states), Senator Root of New York I
maintained that this bill is unconsti-. |
tutional. Only by the observance
of constitutional government can lib
erty be maintained, said the dis
tinguished New York lawyer. Just
such wisdom as Mr.. Root exhaled at
Chicago last June.
On the contrary it is important to
the plutocracy that Senator Root so
ably represents on all critical occa-
sions, both in his private and public
capacity, to be informed from some
source that they have confidence in,
that it is only by justice and fair
play that government in this intelli-
gent age can endure it all. In it's
patience with what Senator Root
calls constitutional government"
the country has waited twenty years
for the right to tax incomes, a right
enjoyed by every other nation and
actually used by this country for
more than a hundred years, until
fiyo judges declared it "unconstitu-
tiona,," these five being a majority
over five judges who declared it con-
stitutiona
That is only sample, satisfactory
to the plutocracy represented with
so much ability by Senator Root, but
exceedingly unsatisfactory to the
country, since it is a proof of the
failure of constitutional govern
ment" to perform a governments
proper functions.
We now hear 1t declared by the
same small element who dominate
the industry and credit of the nation
that the Pujo committee has COM
pietely failed in it, ATTEMPT to make
out case. and that such testimony
as that of ex-President Corey of the
steel trust, admitting that Gary din
ners" were, as the public in its com
mon sense never doubted, price-fix-
ing pools contrary to law, is the tes-
timony of "sorehead" who has been
put out" and further that the testi-
mony of President Reynolds of the
Continental National Bank of Chi
cago, that twelve men control the
credit of the country so far as great
enterprises are concerned, and this
financial concentration has gone
far enough" is the testimony of an
other "sorehead," who is about to
be put out" In short, there is no
reality to popular grievances.
In such ostrich blindness the over
lords of credit, finance and industry
demonstrate that nothing is able to
touch them nor to teach them. Only
physical violence probably is capable
OF ever awakening them to the truth
Warning upon warning of the unrest
of the people, protest upon protest
against discrimination, privilege,
overtaXation, oppressive capitaliza-
ton, rapidly rising cost of living,
pass through the ears of our modern
financial Bourbons unheard. Moth
ing changes them nor turns them an
inch aside from the way they go.
This is a dangerous condition, as
history has never failed to affirm.
And il Is this obtttseness of the coun-
try's money rulers that makes the
prattling about constitutional gov
ernment" an aggraSatio of their err
ror. In the present instance it is
the alleged obstruction by the consti-
tuition to the powers of the states to
enforce their liquor laws But it is
the same with other attempts to reg
ulate. When Mr. Root reminds us
that "only by the observance of con-
stitutional government can liberty be
maintained" he utters statement
oracular to the ear but contrary to
history. Does history teach anything
palmer than that as governments
and nations have prospered the
bone and sinew" of these nations
have been considered and justice has
been fairly administered? There
have been great ruling aristocracies,
but no corrupt aristocracy ever last
ed. No government ever has sur
vived class rule, with greed, self
indulgence and luxury at the top.
The evils spread outward and down
ward and poison the national life
These are the things that endanger
our republic, and not lack of pop
ular reverence and worship for the