The farmer and mechanic., 1915-07-06

~ ~ So properly. yet tneSe companies
are under the supervision OF commits |
sions whose duty it is 10 properly and |
adequately protect their property |
rights, but at the time to safeguard /
and conserve the interests of the peo-
pie.
| could extend this comparison in |
oennltely. but am aware that you are |
chiefly concerned with the attitude Of |
the American people towards private |
corporations honestly engaged in legi- |
innate business enterprises, as mani |
tested by legislation in the State and |
Nation. |
1 have recently read an address by
one Of Americas foremost men, a
great lawyer, a great statesman a
great secretary in the Cabinet of our
beloved McKinley-the Hon. Elihu
Root. delivered some ninety DAYS since
before the Union League Of Philadel-
phia. / greatly admire. what is more.
| greatly honor Mr. Root but with
all possible Difference, I differ with
him utterly. In this address Mr.. Root
sings the glory Of the Mckinley cam
paigns of 1896 and 1900, when big
business was in absolute control of
our country. He concluded that the
country has been going steadily to the
demnition-bow-bo since then
| not even excepting the time of Mr.
Roosevelt's administration.
Roots Point of View
To get his point of view you have
but to remember that he lives in the
great city of New York, that he was
the leader Of its great bar. that among
| his clients was the great Equita BILE
| Life Assurance Society, which along
| the story goes paid him an annual re-
| tainer Of one hundred thousand dol
| lars. To his everlasting credit be it
u.
| gave up this almost kingly practice
and when Secretary of State saw no
| necessity to practice his profession.
| Undoubtedly they were great days for
business. or rather big business, with
Nelson W. Aldrich, leader Of the Unit
ed States senate; Joseph G. Cannon
Speaker Of the House of Representa-
tives; Mark Hanna, chairman Of the
National Republican Executive Com
mittee, and friend and adviser OF
President Mckinley. This was indeed
the halcyon days of big business-it:
very hey-dey. More corporations were
, formed in a single year than had ever
been known in England from it's foun.
dation to the days of Adam Smith
4 corporation. Imitation in securitie!
, became the order Of the day. Stool
manipulation and stock speculation
was at it's height. It was the day O
r Jno. w. Gates, it was almost the day
of Jno. Lane and his we'll known Mis-
sissippi bubble. 1 can we'll under
stand how big business and Mr.. Root
e whose counsel he was, sing the glor,
| of those days, but what think you wa
: the viewpoint Of the great masses o
e the people? They were the days Q
:, great unrest, the days when whea
n was selling at 76c. bushel, corn TX
: meat at &c, cotton at 4 to sc. Thes
S were the days when an army of un
: employed (Coxey's Army actuall
e marched upon our country's capita
x There were countless people in thi
y country who thought they were nc
:. getting a square deal at the hands c
o their government; that governmeT
Y was organized and designed not onl
n to preserve peace and order at HON
u and defend against enemies abroa,
e but to advance the health, happines
x and general welfare Of all the peopl
n This sentiment found expression in tk
y South and West chiefly through tf
Y, "Granger Movement" or as it is be
n ter known to many Of us-the Farm
l. ers' Union or Farmers Allianc
is These men almost made war upon OF
d government, upon society, upon a
n other pursuits or callings, but this da
l. and this feeling has passed and no
~ the relations between town and coul
ic ness man is more friendly, more co
~ dial than ever before. The farm
IT has learned Of the great work dor
ct for him or rather in aid Of agricultu
es by the great Agricultural Departmel
oil at Washington and like departmen
I'd in every State Of the Union. If h
to cattle are sick, his hogs have diseas
e, his orchard languishes, his water ir
.s pure, his crops attached, there hast'
ir to his aid without cost the best e
ir perts that money can procure.
Of has learned of the s29,00O,000 appr
f. priated by the Smith-Lever Act to he
I'd increase his yield, to devise better al
ne cheaper means of harvesting his Gro
re and putting the same upon the ma
as ket He has learned at last that
,is government has made to aid and he
r him, and not he for the governme
IN to exploit: he has learned that +
n government is interested in his su
as cess for the wealth and success of t