The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1915-08-26

and helped to save them, thus becom-
ing a co~nservationist in animal life be-
fore Uncle Sam had undertaken such
a thing. Plainly it has been the duty
of the government to protect its ami
NAL and bird life, but usually it has
failed to check the wanton destruction
that has followed mans wonderful in
~ventive genius in arranging traps,
guns, powder and ammunition. The
government recognized many Of these
devices and turned them into instru-
ments of warfare.
Queen Isabella came very nearly be-
ing an original discoverer, since it is
claimed that she provided Christop-
pher Columbus with the proceeds OBJ
tanned from the pledge of her jewels.
representatives of government, who
have left the explorations Of later
days to the enterprise of private
individuals. No one would have ex-
pected the government to monopolize
the gold discovered in California in
'49, or subsequently in Alaska. Neither
was it expected Of Uncle Sam that he
would take over the anthracite coal
fields, for these riches belonged to the
men who made their development pos
sible. The pioneers who carried their
packs across continents and over
mountain passes, bent on wrestling
from Mother Earth her rich minerals,
were rightfully entitled to receive the
fruits of their industry and hardships.
From Gutenberg to the masters of the
art ~preservative" of the present day
the advancement in printing and pub
fishing has been effected through pri-
vate individuals. This question may
be properly asked. Is there any more
reason why the government should
take over railroads than the printing
cally classified in what the post office
department ~designates means of COM
munication?"
The government has its patent laws,
and under their protection the sewing
machine needle Melted its manufacture
ers millions of dollars. The Roent-
gen X-Ray, electric magnetism, and the
self-binding reaper created great for
tunes because of the protection given
by the government. But if the theory
of socialistic public ownership was
carried to it's logical conclusion, then
the energy and push that men put be-
hind these great inventions would not
be stimulated by the hope of reward.
The government has conserved our
natural so poorly that a
sort of worlds trust has been formed
in the production of radium. Plainly
it is the duty of the government to
prevent becoming a party to world.
wide monopolies, and in such instances
no one will deny the right of the gov.
eminent, or challenge the justice OF
taking physical control over such a
rare and valuable mineral, if thereby
humanity may be better served.
Although the government has ma.
chinery which reaches to the ends of
the country and to the extremes of the
world, it never could have brought to
success an institution like the Asso
ciated Press. The Associated Press
sells it's franchises, and had it not
been able to do this very thing. il
never could have reached the great
pinnacle to which it has attained. The
right of this enterprise to arbitrarily
choose it's customers has recently beer
brought into question. The PROPOSE
ton that the government should steI
in and open it's service to all alike
ought to be seriously considered as &
legitimate function of government con
troll. Government ownership" wher
tried and trusted has proven a fallac
ious doctrine. The history of all gov
eminent is that while it may excel il
acts of war and destruction, individual
achievements are responsible for the
great institutions or enterprises tina
have marked the progress of the world
When the government wrests from pri
vate ownership the great institution.
that have been built up by private
enterprise and capital, then these in
stitutions will begin to retrograde ant
perform a less effective service 70,
the people.
The Socialists in their platform o