The Gem worker and the Idaho labor herald. (Boise, Idaho) 1914-1917, 1916-05-11


tried to set up complete control and
ownership over this present Congress
of the United States, And they have
come mighty near doing it. They
will do it in the next few weeks if
the people, the workers and farmers
especially, don't realize mighty quick
ly that while they, the people, are
having their minds taken up by war
talk and preparation for war, vastly
valuable sums of the public wealth
are being grabbed off right under
their noses.
Not for ten years at least have
there been such bold attempts and
so many bold attempts to grab wealth
and power away from the people as
are being perpetrated right now in
the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of this present Congress.
And not for ten years at least has
there been a Congress with so much
of disposition to let the plunderers
get away with their plunder
This is not a guess. Look at this
record: First, look at two things bad
as they can be, that have been actual
ly done, one by the House and one
by the Senate:
The House of Representatives
adopted the Madden Amendment"
to the present Parcels Post Law linn
iting the weight of parcel that could
be carried by the United States pos
tai service to fifty pounds. That took
away the rightful authority which the
Postmaster General now has to raise
the limit of weight on parcels and
packages TO any amount the govern
ment thought fit. Only the express
companies and allied interests want
ed that limit to fifty pounds put on.
The people all wanted to extend the
public service of carrying things at
as near the bare cost of the service
as possible.
There was not any possibility oil
mistaking the issue there presented
because there were many speeches
and long debates on the floor OF ths
House As Lynn Haines says in his
'Searchlight on Congress" "Davit
Lewis of Maryland, father Of the par.
cells post, led fruitless fight to MAKE
this branch of the postal service on {
par with that of the leading Euro
pean countries.
Now turn to the Senate for anoth
er completed transaction as far a
the Senate could complete it, of wha
the special interests are getting, o
grabbing at, at the expense of th
public service and the public wealth
The indefensible Shields Wate
Power Bill, which has passed the Sen
ate and is now in the House of Rep
resentatives of Congress, will Civ
away, forever and substantially with
out any compensation to the people
all the water power of all the nav
gable rivers of the United States.
that remaining natural resource {
wealth and power were develoPe
rightfully, (if not directly by the gov
ernment at least by a leasing systeI
under direct government control an
with adequate compensation to II
people, the people would have va
source of public income, ard cite
states and the nation would have
splendid preventive of extortion
coal trusts, electric lighting and poy
er combinations, gas interests ar
manufacturing combines.
But the Senate would give TIL
away to the privileged financial inte
ests, to make them richer and mo
powerful and to make the peop
poorer and less powerful.
With those two instances as star
er to show the prevailing quality
both the Senate and House in thS
attitude of favor toward privilege al
special interests as against the pub
rights, consider the imminent dang
that, there is in these further iniqi
tous measures and enormous grab
wealth and power which committee
or other groups. Of the Senate 4
House are threatening to put aero