Atlanta Georgian., 1914-02-22

dominion over huge corporations
mate business affairs immune
from continual interference by
officeholders. The laws as now
drawn do not cover only con
Germs suspected of wrongdoing,
but give minor government Off
cials a free rein to pry into and
expose the affairs of even the
most law-abiding, irreproacha-
BILE firm or corporation.
The whole thing is not government;
Il is tyranny
How long are the people to submit
10 such high -handedness2
How long do those out OF work
propose to stand without protest, the
senseless wrecking OF the nations In
dustry2
Less czarlike Action.
Apparently, even the Department
OF Justice, busy though II be striving
TO sweep back economic tendencies
strong~and inevitable as the tide, has
had time TO ask itself whether certain
Of the new bills would not fall foul
OF the Constitution.
II our political wiseacres can not
EIctA DtNtUNlAl anu AthtAN
are some calling for with
out trampllng upon the birthright OF
every American citizen, then let them
pack their trunks. collect their tat
'.mileage" toll from the taxpayers and
rusticate at home until they have had
opportunity TO evolve legislative
measures more IN harmony with rea-
son and less czarlike in character.
We have had about enough gov
- 10 ha
The Governments handling OF the
income tax has afforded the world as
inept and idiotic an exhibition OF mis-
MANAGEMENT as the average brain can
conceive. Unless slightly more Wis
dom were exercised In administering
the extraordinary additional powers
now sought by the politicians, then
may Providence save the unhappy
United Statesl
"Five Brothers" Bills.
II the income tax chaos Is a falr
specimen OF the Governments use cf
few talents, why, in the name OF
common sense. invest the same body
with many talents?
The drawing OF the ave brothers
bills is another sorry demonstration
OF political stupidity Of failure TO
grasp even the elements OF freedom, oi
constitutional n Shts, to say nothing
of economic principles as immutable
as the earth itself-to expect an un-
derstanding OF economies from the
average politician now doing the
swa shhuckler act were to write one s
self down a fool The latest news is
that the bills are to be "restamped
They need e.. Then to add TO Wash
tneton's responsibility for the heart
breaking prevalence OF unemploy-
ment and distress, another ineNcus9-
BILE blunder was committed last week,
.t.,s. .,0saa
sion gave out hazy statement. which
conveyed the impression that no ac-
tion would be taken on the applied
for advance in Eastern freights until
September 12. The inference is drawn,
too. that this was tantamount toI
shelving the whole question.
Rate Decision Damaging.
So much Importance It attached to
the rate decision that this develop
ment Immediately threw the security
markets into confusion. demoralized
railroad ordering OF steel and other
supplies, and sent cold chill down
the spine OF the general financial COM
munity. Different treatment had been
so positively assured by the highest
Washington circles that the commis-
sion's blunt announcement could not
be believed by the well informed
President Wilson called Chairman
Clark TO the White House and then
came an explanation that the com
missions meaning had been wholly
misunderstood. Bless you. nothing
was further from the commissions
mind than to dwadle over the ques-
ton until September. Not at all, Why.
q decision could be expedited with
every zeal the commissioners could
muster.
But why. oh why did the commits
sion not issue a clear cut statement
TO begin with? Why did IL needless
ly aggravate situation already un-
settled enough2
Lack Of Prudence.
Merely because men are given Jobs
for which the public pay the salaries.
surely they ought not to be excused
without word of censure for fall
ing to perform their duties with a
reasonable amount Of prudence. Just
because man is selected for po-
litical position, he is not exempt from
responsibility. Even the justices of
the Supreme Court do not arrogate
to themselves such privileges.
And Il Is about time the politicians
and officeholders in general get into
their heads that they can not caya-