The Detroit times., 1916-08-15
The Price Of Self-Distrust
3Y Or. FRANK CRANE
Copyright, 1915. by Frank Crane)

A strike is the breakdown of govern
ment.
1t is confession of the ineaiciency of
the People.
1t is not caused by the weakness of
Democracy, but by the Peoples distrust
and fear of democracy.
Running n railroad or street car
service is public business, fully as much
so as carrying mail or teaching school
There are no strikes among postoftice
employees nor school teachers. The rea-
son is that in these two matters the
People attend to their own business.
There are strikes on railroads because
there the People are afraid to trust
themselves and get a middleman to do
their business for them.
Professedly democratic. we yet fear
democracy every step OF the way. Like
children. we conjure up all sorts OF bug
aboos TO scare ourselves AT Che sugges-
ton that the People manage their own
, transportation of men and freight, as
they now SO successfully manage the
transportation of letters, at once the
cries are raised of Socialism" Com
munism" Dirty poHtics.' "Inehi-
ciencyw Graft"
Almost everybody now, even the most
wooden. recognizes that ralroading is
quasi" public business We have our
railway interstate commerce. and public
3 l,,
logic Of democracy has forced on Us.
But why quasi Lincoln said the
country could not exist halt slave and
half free, as "A house divided against it.
self cannot stand. Aud these strikes
and rumors of strikes. this perpetual UNI
rest, this proven inability of tran. porta-
ton managers 10 serve three masters
the Stockholders, the Workers, and the
Public show that our business fabric
can nope for no healthy growth if it con-
tinue half Private and half Public.
II the People owned and operated their
own railways and interurhan traHsporta.
ton there would be no strikes.
There would he no more quarrels be-
tween laborers and employers, wherein
the People always suffer Laborcrs
never quarrel with the People. They
are the People.
There would be no more watercd
stock earning huge dividends on hcti-
tious capital
There would be no more powerful
class of lawyers and lobby ts, corpora
ton minded men" wh abilities are
turned toward directing legislation
and moulding" public opinion, that is,
f in poisoning the two very fountains of
democracy the lawmakng body and
the press.
The enormous profits of tansporta-
. ton would go toward the Public Veal,
and not toward the enrichment Of few.
The arrogant labor boss and the often
sive money boss would disappear.
Why don't the people attend 10 their
own business? Why do they need
/ guardian?
When the People turn their affairs
over to kings and kaiscrs they have war,
millions Of the poor boobs arc murdered
to pay for the abominabc pride stub
bornness, and ineficency Of the rulers
/ they trusted.
And because the People of the United
States are afraid Of themselves they
/ turn the vast transportation business
over TO men who assure them that poll
tics (the People, are too corrupt and in
competent for business. Things 20 along
until conditions become intolerable.
Then-strikes and violence! The whole
commercial life Of the People is par
alyzed
Chaos, anarchy, destruction-that is
the price the People pay for fear, timid-
lily, and self-distrust.
Democracy must go forward-or per.
Iish