Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-02-12
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WAY 20 "Get'' the Jieneys.
| OMAHA, Feb. Ito the Editor OF The
Bee; Speaking Of 'Jitneys" and the pos
siole effect they may have on the income
OF the Omaha Street Railway company,
l suggest that the street car company
call its employees together. give them a
nice heart-to-heart talk. and attempt 70
impress upon them that one Of the rea-
sons why people are knocking the street
cars Is because OF the overbearing man
ner OF many conductors and motormen,
and that the practice Of Just a little
courtesy might puncture the aspirations Of
the 'jitney" promoters quicker than any
thing else that could happen to them.
Also that the success OF the '.jitneys'
means less rotormen and conductors.
Humanity seems TO see its SHORTCOMINGS
quicker when presented through the me-
dunn Of the pocketbook IJ.C.
Thoughts ON Bfg Businenn.
Z WAHoo, Neb.. Feb. 10--To the Editor
Of Tho Bee: Nobody is going to be sns-
picious Of or afraid of any business
merely because It Is big. II my judy
ment is correct nobody had been sus-
picious Of any busipes merely because Il
was big, but they have been suspicious
whenever they thought that the bigness
was being used to take an unfair adj
antage."-President Wilson to the &c
trio Railway commission.
As a matter Of fact the real cause Of
suspicion against bushes of any kind,
large or small. is the politician. The
politician out OF office Is often found TO
be labcring in season and out Of season
to acquire one. Under favorable legisla-
ton extending from the adoption OF the
Morrili tariff law OF 1852 until the present
time. except the period embraced in the
last term 81 President Cleveland, our
businesses, large and small. had forged
ahead by leaps and bounds. until some of
them had become marvellous monuments
to the sagacity and the capacity OF the
men who managed and controlled them.
It Is fair to presume that under the
rules that obtain under the law of uni
versal competition that some companies
or corporations will survive and others
fail. The history of the pact proves IL.
For years tho war on prices between
rival concerns demoralized business and
drove the owners OF many costly and
otherwise valuable plants into bank
ruptcy. In the fnllnesa of time these
rival concerns awoke 70 the folly of
playing the game and took steps to pool
their Issues and this is where the modern
politician began to get In his work. He
was out of Job and In the language OF
George William Curtis, "he was hunery
ana as you may well believe, he was very
dry" 50 he began sowing anew the
seeds OF political discomfort among the
people, hoping thereby to secure a soft
snap for himself. The conditions COM
planned OF were said to be the result Of a
certain line OF legislation and the party
responsible for the legislation was held
UP for public execration. Another politi-
cal party composed largely OF politicians
opposed to this line of legislation was
constantly dinging into the ears OF the
people that the principles OF ''protec-
ton is an abomination ana the tariff is
a tax and robbery against the many
for the benefit OF the few. As a matter
OF fact undesirable results will sometimes
appear under any kind OF legislation and
with any political party in power. and
no one knows 1t better than the politician
who devotes his time ana energies 10
creating discomfort among the people.
The president takes cognizance Of the
differences In the mental and intellectual
equipment OF men to manage business
when he says Some men get beaten
because they have not the brains that
other men have" The wise politician
never uses the statement because it does
not accord with his purpose. But on the
other hand he is always asserting that
the dear peoples" rights and liberties
are being outraged. and then proceeds
no tel where and why. The president
Appropriated closely 70 the politician
or demagogue when he said some men
arc fitted only for employes-that they
have heads. but they are not particularly
furnished. Mr.. Taft was criticized when
he was president for saying that "A lot
OF people In this country are not fitted
for, self-govcrnment." but he evidently
told the truth just the same. This IL the
class OF people whom the professional
reformer takes into his confidence
Mr.. Wilson in the early days OF his
administration shed many crocodile tears
over the existence OF the powerful ana
wicked trusts. but he seems to possess
within himself monopoly on optimism,
and assures us that the country is about
to enter on are era OF prosperity and
escrtbes 1t 70 the work OF congress
Optimism Is one Of the grandest and
most useful OF human qualities and is 10
be commended whenever circumstances
justify IL. Ordinarily business does not
need to be told just when the sun Is
shining and IL will probably require more
than the presidents word to convince Il
that a free trade policy Is what they
need 10 become prosperous.
Under the time-tried policy OF .protec-
ton IT was not necessary TO be melting
out TO business a measure of political
or economic optimism. II was not neees-
sary for the president to degenerate TO
the level Of a stump speaker In order to
convince the wage worker that he was
mere prosperous than the wage worker
OF any other country. His head may not
be particularly furnished but as he
marches along the streets and thorough
fares OF his native or adopted country IN
unserried phalanx he can probably guess
pretty close as TO whether Il Is winter
without touching his tongue to the steel.