Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-03-30
FALSE GODS.

ship Is before congress in seVefa'
forms at the present time and IN such
shane that congress must needS ga
on record in general way on the
proposition. Both sides OF congress
have already voted and with different
results so that on the real issue-goF-
eminent ownership-the decision IS no
nearer than before.
In the senate the problem came up
In connection with bill to establlsh
a government armor plate factory.
The senate voted in favor OF such
factory. In the house the matter came
to an issue on the proposal to establish
q government owned plant for taking
nitrates out of the air so that THIS
country would not be dependent, in
time Of war, upon the supply or nj.
trates from Chile. The mouse Votec
against the measure, apparently soleiy
because of opposition to government
ownership. On the face OF the vote
it looks as though the senate is 1ot
and the house against government
ownership.
The senate was far from unanimous
in it's vote however and 1t IS dououo'
whether there would have been
majority on any project other than the
very one voted on. Senator McCuill
her argued against the bill and gave
real facts when in the course OF MS
speech he said:
Mr.. President, in all ordinary indus
trial pursuits that which can be done
lust as we'll by the citizen as by the
government should not be ABSORBED by
the government. Just to the extent
that the government projects itself
into the industrial field just to that
extent does it limit the opportunity TOT
its people. And if there would DC
justification for entering into any pure
" private industry there would be the.
same justification for taking posses
sion of all and conducting a purely,
naternalistic government, with one
employer and hundreds OF millions HE
denendents. hopeless, ambitionless.
There is the fallacy Of government
ownership in nutshell. Government
ownership sounds the death knell to
hone and ambition. Government own
ership leads to state of affalrs whece
Il Ia "pulr' and not push that brings
ohout advancement for the employe.
Government ownership stops the en-
n,ovment of labor and cuts down the
wages Of labor just as surely as II
hinders in the development OF indlvld-
nal wealth. Government ownership
has hut one justification-the stoppase
~ nrofit making. Just as surely as It
does that, 1t stops the growth OF indus
try because capital STANDS 1ole when
It cannot make pront. 49,
Further on in his speech, Senator
tho government is the only consumer
of an article of production. IN sucn
case, he admits that the government.
might well be the producer OF sucll
article. Whether he Is right or wrong
in that assumption, is OF little mohen.
because the list of articles useo ohiy
by the government. is so small as u
be almost negligible.
It is not necessary for the govern
ment to make it's own armor plate III
order to keep from being roboed. non
est and efficient methods OF ouyins
arnor plate would make it Impossible
for the government to be robbed legal
w and there are plenty OF laws 20
keen the government from being roo
he'd illegally. In voting to establish a
Government owned armor plant the
senate did nothing to aid in the pros
perity of the nation or to help increase
its defensive possibilities.
On the other hand, the lower house
performed only half it's duty in voting
against a project to make this country
independent of the Chilean supply OF
nitrates, This country should have It's
own supply-it would be helpless with
out m Independent supply In case war
came with a first class naval power.
The lower house need not have voted
for a government owned plant-lt
could have made provision in another
way. BY a proper arrangement OF the
tariff, American capital could easily be
induced to establish nitrate production
plants. With protection against the
ruinous competition of the outsider,
there would soon spring up enough
plants to assure nitrates for this coun-
try in case Of war.
The whole difficulty in the United
States is that the demagogues and NAL
contents have preached trust bust
ing" and howled against big bust
ness" until great many otherwise
sensible people see terrifying DOGGY
in every big corporation that shows
an honest and creditable ambition to
increase it's output and it's income.
The sooner this country realizes that
it has been made great by the men
who went out and did big things in
order to win big rewards, the sooner
will come the downfall of the false
gods-government ownership and demi. /
WINNING OVER MEXICO.