The Washington herald., 1914-05-21
rR0PERfrM
Densessie Party Accused ef cros
Acts Of MaIfeasance

II H..
Denseys6e Parry Accused ef Grosl
Acis of Malfeasance.
The primary thought in every man 4
to acquire property. or 10 protect tha1
which he has. rhs dssire to accumuiat(
II y the most petsntial fsrcs acting q
the ensrsiss Of nan. The whole racd
10 made up Of riSals. Struggling for ~
posssssiop. when men seek this win
honor. he interests OF society are ad4
vancsd- The Intellect which. with id
! own hands. or thoss Of others, buiIdd
materially. is . benefsctor Of mankind.
Property. or securities In some form!
which stand for II, is always Represented
In Q material form. When property n
taken forcibly from . mans house, w9
designate It as burslary-a feioniouS
crime When separated from his perl
son. robbery; when stolen without asJ
sault. or breaking into q building, Il "A
the act Of thief The most sacred oblig
cations rest upon the State to guard the
individual rights Of property. When govi
ernment takes part in .diverting from
nghtful owners, directly or indirectlxl
that which has been built up and accum9
ulated by them, II becomes a political
robber-a despot
The constitutions Of the various Conn
monwealths. and that Of the United
States. guarantee that private PROPERTY
shall not be taken for the benefit OF ths
State. or for the benefit Of an Individual
without due compensation, according ID
Law. But this government has recently
committed such gross acts Of malfeasS
ance that. IL the same things were done
by private individuals. the law would b
invoked against them
law was recently passed in reference
to the collection of taxes on income for
revenue, and the designation of banking
corporations-without provision for COM
pensation-as agents arbitrarily desix!
mated to be collectors for the State. Thess
institutions. subject to the inquisitorial
powers of the government. were so ter
rorized that they have not dared raise
the question Of their rights against this
monstrous demand. Think. in modern
times. Of any king who would venture
to say to the bankers of his realm: You
are, without pay. under my orders. to be
the agents for the accumulation Of In
formation as to the collection Of nv
revenues. and are to do what I desig-
nate you shall do. I could create paid
agents I will not do so. I demand that
you perform this duty for me, without
compensation" Such a situation reveals
no condition Of liberty. but OF bondage.
Is this liberty. or Is 1t despotism. born
or an unbridled possession OF political
power? The government has made the
individuals thus compelled to make its
collections pay a double tax in the cost
OF the labor required Of them, which in
the aggregate has been estimated at
more than sl0.0oo.0o0 per annum, equal 10
about per cent of the total income de-
rived from the income tax
again, this political despoiler, craftIly
declaring itself arrayed on the side OF
the people. assails the property Of ths
railroads.. one Of the great civiIizing
and the greatest business agency OF
our country 1t has, in the name of the
people seized the facilities of the rail-
roads, placed its ruthless hands upoo
private property. and commanded. upon
such rates as it chooses to paw to the
and such rates as II choose.
TO ask from the people that the parcel
post shall be inaugurated. Is this honest,
But further. the great express conn
panics of the country are to be NUT
out Of business Their duties govern
ment now proposes to assume This
splendid industry, whose carriers. with
rail- or wagon. established connection
TO the smallest hainlets of q continent.
as pioneers Of q new busi-
ness through years Of determined efforts
at last to substantial but not exces-
sive prosperity. has had the grasp and
death hand Of government stretched
out to destroy its property. protected.
morally. at least, by the guarantees OF
the constitution.
The government has enlarged its postal
rAe
OF S2S5,516,Zu a year but il
has power to levy taxes, and make in
vestments upon which 1t pays no in
terest. and with that kind OF bludgeon
II assails the property of its citizens.
Call this a democratic government,
OF morality and fair play
and honorable purpose?
The law Is almost poweriess to helm
The government is immune from suit.
Property. the reward of the labor Of
the world. honorably acquired. under the
solemn obligations of law. is ruthlessly
seized. partly dissipated. and the results
OF the toll of others used in the opera
ton Of vast and costly political ma
chine.
The object is to socialize property. II
the property of the whole country were
divided up. real and personal. each in
iividual would have less than $500, but
Il IL were divided UP. civilization would
move backward. A few thinkers, a few
inventors a few aspiring spirits acting
upon the inert masses Of mankind have
ouilded the civilization of which these
masses are a part. from which they all
ierive benefits. You cannot deprive
genius or talent or industry of its nor
nal rewards and expect them to exist
among US. Nearly all Of that which a
nan achieves comes as a rightful in
ieritance, and when the State, with
bower in one hand and cupidity in the
,ther. seizes that which under law, has
become the property Of the citizen. It Is
criminal act.
The Democratic party today is the
Is II acting with justice
md integrity toward property in the in
stance designated? How far will its ex-
,erimental theories and its half sinister
POLITICAL aims reach?
In war. government compels service
~ conscription- In times of peace, II
las been a maxim of Civilization that
private property could not be taken by
similar method. In war, even the con-
cript receives his wages for services,
nut in the Industrial war which Is being
,ursued by the government il has made
10 payment for that which it has COM
nandeered. ''Oh. Liberty, what crimes
AVE been committed in thy name--
public Ledger.