Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-02-22

measures would not only lnVe
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
Gals 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;
it is tyranny.
How long are the people to submit
to such high handedness?
How long do those out of work
propose to stand, without protest, the
senseless wrecking of the nations in
dustry?
Less Czarlike Action.
Apparently, even the Department
of Justice, busy though it be striving
to sweep back economic tendencies
strong and inevitable as the tide, mas
had time to ask itself whether certain
of the new bills would not fall foul
of the Constitution.
If our political wiseacres can not
effect beneficial reforms-and there
are some calling for enactment-wlta
out trampling upon the birthright oil
every American citizen, then let them
pack their trunks, collect their tal
/, mileage" toll from the taxpayers anu
rusticate at home until they have hau
opportunity to evolve Legislative
measures more in harmony with rea-
son and less czarlike in character
We have had about enough gov
ernmental bungling for the present,
The Governments handling OF the
income fax 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
NAV Providence save the unhappy
UniteS States!
give Brothers" Bills.
If the income tax chaos is talr
specimen of the Governments use cf
few talents, why, in the name o.
common sense, invest the same pouY
with many talents?
The drawing of the. five brothers
bills is another sorry demonstration
of political stupidity of a falIure 70
grasp even the elements OF freedom, u
constitutional ri ghts, to say not hihs
of economic principles as @mmutaole
as the earth itself-to expect an un-
derstanding of economies from tns
average politician now doing tI.e
swa shbuckler act were to write one )
self down fool The latest news IS
that the bius are to be "restamped.
They need il. Then to add TO WASH
ington's responsibility for the hedIt-
breaking prevalence OF uheihPIoS
nen+ and distress, another ineXcusa-
HE thunder was committed last week
The Interstate Commerce Comnls-
g n gave out a hazy statement, Whlch
conveyed the impression that no a.
tion would be taken on the appIled-
for advance in Eastern freights untH
September u. The inference is drawn
too, that this was tantamount 70
shelving the whole question;
Rate Decision Damaging.
So much Importance 1t attached TO
the rate decision that this develop
ment Immediately threw the security
markets into confusion, demorallZed
railroad ordering Of steel ana other
supplies, and sent cold chlH down
the spine of the general financial com
munity Different treatment had peet
so positively assured by the highest
Washington circles that the commits
SION 5 DluHL dUIOuIlhtiiAtAiL 'DhA4N 49,
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 commission's
mind than to dwadle over the oues-
ton until September. Not at all! Why,
decision could be expedited with
every zeal the commissioners could
muster.
But why, oh why, did the commits
sion not issue clear-cut statement
to begin with? Why did it needless
ly aggravate a situation already I'M
settled enough?
Lack of Prudence.
Merely because men are given Jobs
for which the public pay the salaries
surely they ought not to be excused
without a word of censure for fail
ing to perform their duties with a
reasonable amount of prudence. Just
because a man is selected for a po-
litical position, he is not exempt from
responsibility Even the Justices of
the Supreme Court do not arrogate
to themselves such privileges.
And it IS about time the politicians
and officeholders in general get into
their heads that they can not cava-