Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1915-06-03

our form of government but it is not
true.
l.. M. Bowers, a trusted represent
alive of the Rockefellers', in his tes-
simony before the Industrial Relations
Monday of this week, is
quoted as saying:
"lF i DIDN'T CARE FOR GOD,
MAN OR DEVIL, I'D BE HONEST,
BECAUSE HONESTY is THE BEST
Now those of you who have been
reading about this man Bowers Will
agree that, if he is honest, his idea
of honesty disagrees with the gen
eral understanding of the word. Bow
ers was the directing genium OF the
Colorado strike, so far as the Rookie
fellers were concerned. 1t was with
his approval, if not at his direct sug-
gestion, that rapid fire cannons were
imported into the state. 1t was also
with his tacit consent, If not IN ooe-
dience to his direct instructions that
hordes of inhuman fiends and outlaws
were turned loose in the state district.
1t was Bowers who as a prominent
churchman saw to it that suitable
pastors were chosen for camp pulpits
(the selectio nof Rev. McCorkle for
Sunrise, Wyo., seems to have been an
oversight on his part. 1t was Bowers
who forced an eminent divince Of Den
yer to yacate his pulpit because the
divine had dared to question the JUS
tice Of coal control.
It was the same Bowers who, in
letter written to Rockefeller, written
during the heat of the strike and
brought to light by Walsh, stated that
"the miners bones would be bleached
like the snow" Cor to that effect be-
fore the companies would cease the
fight.
Bowers may be honest; if he is,
Providence forbid that this honesty
should prefail! Bowers is not honest
with his professions of following the
Carpenters footsteps. Bowers is not
honest in his relations with the mil
lions of his fellow citizens. If Bow.
ers was and is honest, it is solely to
the millions of Rockefeller, and this
we are not willing to admit without
substantial proof.
Bowers, although he played such a
prominent part in the debauchery of
Colorado, is only one of large army
who sell their very soulsto the pets of
privilege.
In the light of later events and the
slow but stealthy progress of the Pow
or of Gold which has entwined its
entacles around our government we
can better appreciate the injunctions
O fthose patriots of real democracy
who urged that eternal vigilance is
the price of liberty
We, the great common people of the
United States and the world, have not
been eternally "vigilant." In fact we
are only awakening at the eleventh
hour when we find the bulwarks of
privilege perched on the very sum-
mits of our social structure. We have
come to conscious understanding Of
our predicament only when the very
of our liberties are being
taken away rock by rock till the
structure is all but tottering.
While we have been patiently wait
ing for some one to bring us justice,
much as waiter would serve a
trencher of beef, many of these some
ones" have been busily casting. their
anchors deeper into our government
that their craft may not be so easily
orn loose by the waves of public op1u-
ion. One has only to see the anxiety
Of pulpit, pres sand government itself,
to serve the monied oligarchy to real
lie the death-grif they are taking on
our institutions. They are always ac-
tive in their efforts to secure better
hold on the powers of state.
They are all honest" as Bowers is
honest, but they are none Of them
honest with the people. They not only
defraud their employees but they
svade their taxes, tamper with legis-
alton, debauch the trusted servants of
he people and, over and above all
his, they hold themselves above the
aw. These are the kindly people that
viii build libraries, endow colleges,
nance religion but viii not deal just
y with their employees. will not be
aonest with the people.
The fight tor democracy in govern,