New-York tribune., 1919-08-09

which all enjoy. Thus the world goes
forward. The mechanism is vast, but its
principles are simple.
Now, take away the return to capital
and what happens? Lacking incentive
to save, every one would spend all he
received on present qualifications There
would be no fund for Improvement In
dustral progress would stop and there
would be impoverishment of the masses.
The future would be robbed. There
would be no betternent of the earth as
place of human habitation.
In guarding against this supreme evil
two, and only two, methods have been
successful. One is the Pharaoh system Of
regimented and enforced slave labor and
the other is the free capitalistic system.
A third method, consisting Of a will
ing and spontaneous cooperation which
would lead some men to work for the
future while others.sustained them at the
task, is conceived of by some, but thus
far has ignobly failed wherevertried.
A denial to the owners Of the credits
called capital of any part of the fruits of
industry not only robs the future and
stops progress, but the denial is@iolative
of moral right. The man who works has
a just title to that which he creates. If
he elects to spend it all to meet his inn
mediate wants that is his privilege. On
the other hand, if he elects to save some
thing his ownership Of the saving is
absolute. 1t is part of the wages for his
toll, and to take it away from him is to
conGscate part of his wages With re
many things in the way Of regulation,
just as it may do many things concern
ing the regulation Of personal conduct,
but q right to regulate does not imply a
right to seize. The money man puts
in bank out of his wages should be as
sacred as the money companion car
ries in his pocket until he reaches a
motion picture house.
In other items M Plumb betrays
himself. He would give the railroad
owners only money actually invested
in the railroads. If right OF way cost
but so cents an acre he would pay but
SO cents an acre. lie would allow moth
ing for subsequent good faith invest
ments Manhattan island was sold by
the Indians for G24. Mr.. Plumb's argu-
ment with respect to the railroads
would lead him to say thc present own
ers of the island would be Justly treated
if $24 were placed to their credit. But
why allow the railroads even the orig
inal acreage value? What did Columbus
pay for America when ne discovered it?
Nothing So why pay for the 'water'
since injected?
Of course, os q matter Of fact, more
than $4,000, 100000 has-gone into the
railroads. But if this were shown doubt-
less Mr. Plumb would ehift his ground
and say thai in making inc appraisal
the replacement rule o. some other rule
should sometimes be applied.
But not sympathy for railroad owners
generates the chief opposition to Nr.
Plumb's ideas. What ne advises re-
lates to deeper and more vital issues.
He proposes nothing less than an impov-
crishment of The masses Of America.
We have built up an Industrial organ
ism that brings to The average nam
more Of comfort and leisure than any
population ever before enjoyed. The
Republic has been devoted to the ad-
vanccment Of The general welfare SO
it vas founded and so it exists
Nh. Plumbs ideas, logically applied
would start US back to longer hours
Of labor, poorer rations and heavier
toll. HIS basic principles ere anti-demo-
cratic and anti-sociaI, and as such are
to be resisted by lovers Of manlinF