The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-09-13
PERSONAL GOVERNMENT.

TEhSONAI GOVERNMENT.
U. S. Senator Sherman: Autocratic
power never rests. One demand
granted becomes the lever to lift its
lmpudent claims to further heights of
usurpation. The great climateric of
! civil government will come with the
end OF the war We must then decide
whether the American republic re-
MAINS a government of regulated in
diVldualism or be transformed into a
clViiian autocracy of interrelated
boards, bureaus, and departments
operating the chief instruments of
production, distribution, and com
munication of thought, including the
printing press. The newspaper is as
much within this subtle and malign
power as the telegraph or bank The
recent order curtailing news columns
under the guise of conserving paper
stock is an invasion of the right of
"a privately owned. free press, design
ed to control the avenues Of informa-
ton
Not one undertaking seized as a
war measure is intended ever to be
returned to their owners by tie Bur-
Lessons, the Bakers, and the Gompers.
They know as we do that the war is
handy pretense to embark the gov
eminent on their fantastic adven-
lures. Physical properties are seized.
They are used to exploit payrolls
dedicated to the alleged sacred cause
of labor. AT the very mention of
this complaisant congress falls
PROSTATE. Payrolls inevitably become
the potent rod of politics. Not a gov
eminent enterprise but will be re-
cruiting station to mold votes to con-
tinue such a government. 1t is politi-
cal, not governmental control 1t is
not government ownership, it is polit-
fcal nership. No one knows this
better than its promoters, who laugh
at the ease of concealing from the
public their real political purpose 1t
is so ridiculously simple they have
lost their caution. The sincere social
list is aghast at the rapidity of the
advance. The thinkers among them
deplore the speed of the movement.
They fear reaction. Their heads
are clearer than the power-drunken
part of the crew on the ship driving
potism of political control of essen
TALLY private pursuits. Call it what
you like. 1t is a political party bent
upon political ownership and control
of all private property. Government
control is a mere name. 1t lulls some
into repose. 1t deceives some II
misleads many, because it is always
easier to accept names than examine
facts. No such vast delusion ever
went so long uncha1lenged. Govern
ment control as now exercised by this /
administration is the threshold of |
political ownership and |
operation This administrations I
settled purpose is never to return to /
their owners any of the enterprises !
seized as alleged war necessities. 1t /
IS publicly stated by a cabinet officer /
associated with the execu- /
i've that such property viii never be /
to the owners without a 4
vote of the people in spite of the
mandate of every act of con-
yress authorizing the taking that
government control be limited to
liked time after the end of the war
let 1t be blazoned to the thinking
people of the country that govern
nent control after the war is undi- I
uted political control. On all cues
ions directly or indirectly related to
abor Gompers is practically presi-
lent of the United States. Burleson
controls the physical agencies for the
of thought. McAdoo
he railways and the country's
inances. The three can reduce the
Industrial world to servile obedience
# wearied disgust when they will
cquiesce in surrender of their
property as relief. The payrolls
7ill be unionized and the service and
oters used to maintain and perpe-
uate the political party that sub
cribes to the original prostitution of
overnment and it's subsequent usur-
atoms. In the deepest sense * Ia
eactionary and aff1rmativeIy so retro
ressive as to end in the decay of
nglo-Saxo American spirit. Strip off
ne mask of alleged government
and see behind it the re-
eaied political ownership and con-
-ol Of Gompers, BurIeson. and Nc
doc for partisan purposes. to be
sed relentlessly TO elect party can.
idates now and in 1920 a president.
medieval class government bv a
w who control the political party is :
hat it is, call it by any name you p
ease. A