The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1919-01-17
Remove the Real Cause.

We believe q p0lltlcGl revolution
is either about to take place or is
now taking place in the United
States. A considerable Bolshevik
sentiment is cropping out in many
places, and number of papers are
undertaking to deal with this senti-
ment. The St. Louis Republic and
Post-Dispatch seem to be taking a
more sensible Wow of the matter.
They reason that there is cause,
and that the most effective way to
eradicate Bolshevism is to remove
this cause, neither to take up arms
nor to ignore the propaganda. The
Republic is publishing some very
startling editorials, and they smack
of what a few years ago might be
termed the most radical demagogy.
The substance of the articles is to
the effect that the wealth of the
country is being absorbed too rapid
ly by few capitalists and organiza-
lions of capital, and that unrest
among the masses will continue un-
til these conditions are changed.
Years ago l was impressed with
the democracy and continued to be-
lieve in the teachings of Bryan-not
in free silver, but in o general way
with his ideas that government
should begin with the people-the
popular elections, tho referendum
and recall, etc. The Brycn idol has
been shattered, and to-day l am
moved to ask the grace and pardon
of those who first tried to prevent
the election of Bryan in 1896. l am
in favor of free elections, referendum
and recall, but not in the present
movement to libcralize bureaucracy
and vest the organized government
with the ownership, the right and
title, to public utilities. There is no
such thing as democracy without in
dividualism and private ownership.
There is too much of this thing of
carrying everything to the Govern
ment, and of rewarding with lavish
hand those who serve the Govern
ment. President Cleveland saw in
his day the trend of these things and
undertook to stem the rush of reck-
lessness. 1t was then that democrats
pilloried the Republican party on the
block of public extravaganza. Now
organized Democracy seems to treat
with ridicule those who mention il.
But the people, democrats and all,
thinking. We are beginning to feel
that when Grover Cleveland under
took to cut down public expense he
was doing work that was not recog-
nized by a majority of the people at
the time. They failed to realize its
Importance, but preferred to follow
and socialists. Now it is almost
treason to criticisc liberties of gov
eminent officials.
The other day the English govern
ment handed down few earldoms
with some hundreds of thousands of
pounds by way of reward to it's mill
tary leaders. Good thing to remem-
Der the men who made victory pos
sible, but is there no limit to the
tax imposed upon the people to pay
for government and for it's military
establishment.
Mr.. McAdoo withdraws from the
dictatorship of the railroads and Mr..
Gregory from tho cabinet because
there is not enough money in serving
the Government. If there is no hon.
or and no patriotism in serving ones
country hadn't we just as well to
entrust our fortunes to a single ruler.
Is government service to be measured
by dollars and cents alone. If SO the
republic is failure. No government
under the sun can stand the pressure
of rewarding with lavish hands every
man who docs special service. If
this man has no more respect for his
own people he doesn't deserve it.
Now this is a reference to the
absorption of wealth by the govern
ment. That is where reform should
begin, if we are to expect cessation
of agitation from Bolshcvik and 9th
er sources. The greater evil is the
capitalism of non producers, what
Mr.. Roosevelt termed predatory
wealth. Men are absorbing wealth,
not thru what should be known as
legitimate channels, but thru water
ed stock and the use of industrial
and railroad Sc urities for the kind
of speculation that should more prop
erly be classed as gambling. 1t is
the speculation in which nothing is
every really bought or sold, but
which comprises ninety per cent of
the operations of the exchanges of
the country. 1t was thru this line of