The Washington times., 1915-05-17
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vidual voter feels that he
IL could run the nation better
than those appointed to do so
oy himself and thousands Of others
just like him. One voter would put the
tarin higher than It ever was be-
fore; the next would abolish It. But,
whichever type of thinker gets his
candidates into power, there remain
always in these United States mil
lions of people who have to be poor.
dirty. and discontented.
From this even a child would con-
clude either that a vast majority OF
people are doomed to unhappiness by
the God who made them. or that a
vast majority Of politicians are in
capable governors. AS to the first
conclusion, We know nothing: but az
to the second, we are certain beyond
peradventure. With mighty few exE
ceptions, those whom we put over us
to govern us are the most Incompetent
lot Of legislators and administrators
in history, For the most part they
are men vaguely trained to the law.
They talk better and oftener on q
greater variety of topics than the
average man who is making or trying
to make an honest living. They make
1t their business to be conspicuous. tn-
stead of the opposite, and SO get
themselves elected. AS a body Of men
they know practically nothing about
their small minds are SO tangled with
the little law they know that they are
unable to see through the tansle into
the heart OF law, which Is Justice. II
lawyers could be counted on to do
right the pawnbroker down the street
hn oh knr N0rnar
would not have to be called away
from affairs. important to them, to
cit on juries and do justice.
But the thing goes deeper. What IN
thing that is wrong with these United
States? There would be almost a.
many answers as there are votera.
t've asked lots Of men. and no two
Z lot. He said: The chief trouble
with the country is that Its citizens
have to pay taxes when they ought
TO be receiving dividends. And this.
he said, would be the case II from
The start We had been governed BY
our best minds. instead Of by our
worst; II as a nation we had been run
from the beginning the way the Stan
dard OIL. for instance, has been run
as q trust"
am not standing up for the Ameri-
can rapaciousness Of trusts. only for
their efficiency. AS q nation we have
been more rapacious and dishonest
than any trust that ever lived. This
being so, and blot upon us that can
never be wiped out, wrong OF our
own doing that can never be righted.
1t Is ten thousand pities that we
haven't been efficient, too.
How many billions Of dollars was
this country worth. as land. coal.
oil, forest, gold. silver, iron etc, ETC..
Only astronomers think in big enough
figures to answer that. Anyhow, as
q nation we grabbed. stole and cheat
cd It all away from the people who
ducks and brakes with IT. If from the
start our resources could have bon
handled by a Rockefeller newell he
might be thousand times richer than
be poor. And our house would be
clean and efficient from garret to
cellar, and not gutted and creaky and
full Of vernin and half the ceilings
Think of a whole country run as a
trust. with employment at moro than
fair return for every able bodied
man. and fat dividends for everybody
In good years! In such a state by
force Of public opinion even a Bryan
might be made useful. Even in Uto-
pia there are Offices which have to
be swept out.
II there Is salvation ahead Of us, in
stead Of ruin. something Of this sort
VIII nave 10 Do WORKED out from what
Is left to us Of our natural resources.
Failing this those of us who are
rich enough and contented enough as
individuals will be pulled down from
our high places and trampled by an
Qnreasoning mob until there Is no
Santented. The air Of this great city
Which we breathe is 10 per cent air
aQd 30 per cent revolution.
The onlv man with sufficient mind
- O. l.
yourself. But If you personally were
to preach the gospel of efficiency
people would think you were working,
TO put It bluntly. for your own pocket
This gospel then ostensibly must not
come from you. 1t must not come
from the rich. From whom then? From
the poor, you answer. But alas, my
friend. even the champions of the
poor are open to suspicion.
This gospel then. must come from
where? Why, from heaven. OF course,
whence all good gospels have come.
And. seeing that we are in America,
where the women are given the best
of everything. our heaven-sent mes
senRer must be n woman.
see your gesture Of horror. But
phe shall not be as you see her. She
shall be young and beautiful and good
and sincere She shall not speak her
will believe In her. The classes may
and II they don't they Will have sense
enough to pretend to.
with you to help. believe. upon my
word of honor, that can make this
thing happen. VIII you help? What
DO you think?
Yours as ever.
MILES STILLITER.
To this letter Prof Stilliter re-
eeived the following answer by return
messenger:
Dear Stilliter:
I'll help II you can answer one thinl
satisfactorily. To be a successful gos
peiist the woman. as you Intimate
must be sincere. She must believe
what she breaches. II she is sincere
how can she tell people that she comes
from heaven? You say she must come
from heaven In order to believe. II Il
quite a rigmarole. know that yo,
kAvs been thinking and experimenting