Bogalusa enterprise and American. (Bogalusa, La.) 1918-19??, 1918-08-08


E- and yet, when we
8. stanwood IooA 49,; Uaon ~ "nd
consider how we
have met great problems such as
slavery, by a great war; tariff, by
fourteen bills and like number Of
panics conservation, currency, bank
ing, antitrust and railroad questions,
by making the same matters IF poll
i tics-it may be doubted whether we
are quite as great as we think we are.
In considering how we exercise our
| Judgment, we should remember the
extent to which we have devoted our
selves to the education of the young
and the large sums we have spent at
all times for public schools and for
colleges. When we look back and see
the mistakes we have made, 1t would
almost appear as if we had failed to
apply much that had been taught us in
school and college, or that perhaps the
school and college had not taught as
Row to solve great political measures.
Then, again, the thought comes to us
of whether or not we have not had
false leaders, and have not chung to
false gods.
Corporation Wronga
We all remember the outcry against
vested interests Of the capitalists.
There have been great wrongs done
by many corporations of their
franchises have been obtained by cor
ruption and theft and great injuries
have often been done to the rights Of
the people; and so, when we found
times hard and things going wrong,
we have vented our anger upon cor
porations and upon the capitalists who
/ controlled them. In many cases we
allowed ourselves to become angry
with a class or with certain individ-
uals and expended our strength on
our temper, rather than upon q study
Of the cure of the conditions about
which we complained; and in meny
instances we punished corpora tons
for the wrongs of their predecessors
In ownership, much as sins of parents
are visited upon their children.
Demagogues, knowing the public
mood, appealed to prejudice and ig-
| norance in discussing public matters
and made issues like currency, anti
trust laws and the railroads political
| footballs, just as If the question OF
whether money could be saved by
| joining together companies and pro-
viding for economy in purchases and
sales was political OF course it was
a matter Of economics (which is the
science Of commerce). Such matters
call for a conference between repre-
| sentatives Of farmers, Iaborers, SCI
entifc students Of world conditions,
and manufacturers and purchasers Of
goods, to consider and determine how
good can be produced with q fair
wage to the employee, fair profit to
the employer and the maximum bene-
at 10 the public.
Future ProbIema
n Europe they have taken these
questions up IN this careful way and
the result has been of great benefit
Now, and In the future, America win
have to deal with countries that are
short of resources through the exhaus-
ton Of war and have, Of necessity, to
get down to rock-bottom. The thrifty,
4 intelligent, industrious European ID
apt to be a good merchant, and we are
going to have a hard time competing
with him for commerce and for world
position, so we must consider all Of
our problems more carefully than ever
before and cast aside those men who
attempt to lead US away from .
thoughtful, dispassionate view Of great
questions.
Graft and neglect In local eommuni-
ties Of political duties by the average
citizen are responsible for the misgoy-
eminent that breeds disrespect, where
we should have pride because Of the
efficiency of our people. The first con-
Germ Of the citizen In every community
must be to see that 1t Is governed in
way that win assure the approval
/ Of clean thinking men and women.
The mechanics governing q city re-
quire the same kind Of clear thought
and careful work az that given to
shop work or farm planning, and every
good American must feel that at this
time there is nothing more worth
| while.
II we DO these things wen, We win
not have to worry about the foreign
born loving America, because living
| ,,ondi&,nns hare SvflI he an axaeIIars
that they simply cannot help It, esDe-
cially when they are given not alone
good government and healthy condi-
tions surrounding home and work
chop, but also education, opportunity
and charter of liberties which viii
mean happiness to them, II we pes
form our duties az cttizena