Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-02-18
Murd0ck;S Especial PRIVILEGE"

Mu1dOckS especial privilege"
The following editorial, taken from the Kansas
City Journal, is a good one, and, while it aeals with
a local character, yet the lesson may be applied in
North Dakota and other states, and brings out good
points on general conditions. The Journal says:
Victor Murdoch varied his. formula a little lin
his recent speech at Concordia. when he said: NO
man or set Of men OF parties. can dam the new
sentiment back. It's the greatest thing in our coun-
try. Special privilege is a poisonous enemy and is
visible everywhere in its arrogant, sneaking manner,
and Is sucking subsistence from our system. l did
not come here to talk to Progressives, but to the
doubters. / have no apologies to make for what |
say, and parties or no parties, politics or no politics,
We are going tozopen the door against special priv
ilege and win He repeated this, in substance. at
the Topeka meeting Thursday.
Surely this is a fine and inspiring sentiment,
worthy of the vigorous denunciati0n the man from
Wichita gives it. But it would come more convinc.
ingly and in better taste from somebody else. What,
for instance, has Victor Murdoch ever done to curb
the %iniquities of special privilege? True, he has
talked a great deal, but it is not of record that Victor
ever contemplated giving up his share of special
privilege for his %country's good. Even as he is now
going about the state of Kansas seeking a new polit-
ical job, he is neglecting the work for which he is
receiving liberal pay. is Murdoch declining the mile.
age privilege which an overgenerous government. is
allowing him? Has Murdoch refused to avail himself
OF the special stationery privilege, the outrageous
Thanking. privilege or any of the other special priv.
ileges which, as q member of congress-, came into his
possession?
What other business concern under the sun
would continue the pay of an employee while he spent
weeks or months away from his duties Logging for
. another JOB, which he considered better? Would
0ny pmnloyor oxcent J1ncln Sam vhovo1 ont hr money
to a set Of hired men who were always after some.
thing else? The specter of special privilege no
longer scares anybody in this country, Tor special
privilege sas it once existed is practically extinct.
The only place where special privilege exists in all
its former glory and rapacity is in the congress OF
the United States. Congress has been pounding
everybody else to a pulp, but it has not taken the
first step to cut off its own gratis. For years Victor
Murdoch rode upon railroad passes. Did he ever
decline to- be a beneficiary Of this form of special
privilege?' And what ended that special privilege?
1t was the action Of a Republican congress and leg
islaturc.
"Tlle Wichita Congressman talks about the 'pois-
onous enemy being visible everywhere in its AFRO
giant, sneaking manner but can he point out just
where thA::: enemy is located, outside the walls Of
congress 4ax@sEven President Wilson and his friends.
who have been ardenQy seeking evidence of special
privilege have been unabl to locate It. The bugaboo
of the, money trust disappeared like the mist Of the
morning: the y~insidious lobby which was supposed
to direct LEGISLATION was found to be }nonexistent. and
even the trusts which the President had been led
to believe were SO arrogant and firmly entrenched,
were found to be tame and amiable enough to re-
spond readily to his suggestions of reform. Mr..
Murdoch is, %threshing old straw. He is going over
ground that has been combed by countless other
ambitious Politicians. It. sounds high and noble. this
arrangement Of Special privilege,'.abWta hassI IL more
bearing on presentday politics than denunciation Of
African slavery"
The labor leader WHOSE time is entirely occupied
in advocating strikes is sure to lose his influence.
New York women are planning u 1nanless dinner.
which is all right II it does not incidentally mean
The French aviators continue to demonstrate their
extraordinary fearlessness, but the demonstration in.