The Washington herald., 1915-05-30

From an address delivered petore
the Chamber of Commerce OF hoche1-
ter, N. Y.
In nv Judgment this question OF
Government Ownership is not one ina
is agitating the minds Of our peopie
at this particular time The Postmas-
ter General of the United States no"
ever, and one of the Representatives.
in Congress from Maryland, Mr.. DaHio
J. Lewis, seem not to agree Win me
in this, for the Postmaster Ieher
has but recently recommended ina
the Government acquire the WIRES anu
the Honorable Congressman at the
close of last year had inserted IN INC
Congressional Record a so-caleo
sneech. COMPRISING some one hundred
thousand words and numerous taples,
advocating this great change in the
policy of our government.
The American policy has always
been that the individual should do
everything that individual enterprise
can do. When compared with the Eu-
ropean policy, which is that the Gov
eminent shall do all things that the
Government can do, this policy stands
out as the policy that has made for
a progress and a rapid development
of the Nations resources such as have
never been known elsewhere.
The Mayor Of one of our great cities
the Mayor of Clepeland-at con-
ference of Mayors recently held In
Philadelphia is reported to have said
that the public utility corporations
were deliberately carrying on a cam
paign of false statement in order to
prejudice the public mind against Gov
eminent Ownership. This I not only
deny in so far as the Bell Telephone
System Is concerned, but I charge that
some Of those in the Government
service who are advocating this great
change in the Nations policy are at
least careless in the statements they
have made and are making 1t seems
clear to me that when men in public
life, either in the Cabinet. in Congress,
or in collision with the public pay
roll at some more obscure point, find
it necessary to attack fundamental
principles in order to make political
capital. their utterances should be very
carefully scrutinized.
Difference. Are Trivial.
Our two great political parties are
not in disa greement on great consti-
tutional questions, and rarely have
been. They disag gree today as to how
the revenues should be obtained. one
party holding that the custom house
is the place to get il, the other pre-
ferring taxes on incomes and on our
everyday business transactions to Sc
cure the revenue with which to keep
the wheels of government turning;
but no one can find that either party
ever seriously and scientifically at
tempted to make economies in the
service. though each continues to
charge the other with gross extrava-
Eances Let me quote briefly from
party platforms of recent years. Hear
the Democrats speaking through their
platform thirty years ago:
The frauds and jobbery which
have been brought to light in
every department of the Govern
ment are sufficient to have called
for reform within the Republican
party. vet those in authority. made
reckless by long possession of
power. have succumbed to its cor
rupting influence"
Now listen to our Republican breth-
rem speaking through their platform
in 1896. at the close of President
Clevelaud's second term:
For the first time since the
Civil War. the American people
have witnessed the caIamitous con-
sequences of full and unrestricted
Democratic control and govern
rnent. 1t has been a record OF un-
paralleied incapacity. dishonor and
disaster. Every consideration OF
public safety and individual In
terest demands that the Govern
ment be rescued from the hands
of those who have shown them
selves incapable to conduct IL
without disaster at home and dis
honorya broad. and shall he restored
to the party which for thirty years
administered il with unequalled
success and prosperity.
In 1908 the Democrats. grossly out
ragged. speak through their platform
as follows:
The Republican Congress in the
session just ended has made APP
preparations amounting to One Bill
lion Eight Million Dollars, leaving
deficit of Sixty Million Dollars
for the fiscal year. We denounce
the needless waste Of the peoples
money which has resulted in this
appalling increase. as a shamefui
violation of all prudent considera-
tions of government. as no less
than a crime against the millions
of working men and women. We
demand that a stop be put to this
friEhtful extravag ance, and insis,
upon the strictest economy in
every department. compatible with
frugal and efficient administra-
ton
Parties Promised Reform.
In 1912 both the Democrats and Re-
publicans promised reform, for we find
in their platforms of that year the
following:
The Republican platform. brief
but to the point, was:
We commend the earnest er-
fort of the Republican administra-
tion to secure greater economy
and increased efficiency in the con-
duct of government business. Ex-
travagant appropriations and the
creation of unnecessary Offices are
an injustice to the taxpayer and
bad example to the citizen"
The party was defeated at the polls
and in consequence we know not how
II would have proceeded In Its desire
not to set a bad example to the citi-
zen"
The Democratic party. victorious at
the polls. went into power on a plat
form containing this beautiful gem:
We demand return to that
simplicity and economy which be-
fits democratic government and
reduction of the number of use
less offices, the salaries OF which
drain the substance OF the people"
I like the way they put IL. 1t is
brief, simple and convincing. but what
happened to IL? Here, two years later,
we are informed through our old
friend. the Congressional Record. that
the appropriations for 1915 total the
largest for any year in the history of
our Government-a total Of One Bill.
lion One Hundred and Nine Million
Four Hundred and Eight Thousand
nollarRi Here we are enterip0 ,,non ,