The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1919-08-02

Referring to the request of railroad
employees for increased wages. this
Senator said that increases in wages
invariably are followed by advances in
living costs, thus creating an endless
chain. 1T is impossible to see where
this endless chain is going to end" he
he said. Quite true. An endless thing
has no end. If great combinations of
rich men are to be permitted to raise
prices of food products at will, then
probably the more money a working
man receives the worse for him. He
might be better off to have no money
at all-and then the ~"upheaval" would
come rapidly enough.
The workingman is pretty well dis
couraged right now. He looks back
upon his patriotism of the past two
years and discovers to his dismay that
the ffty-dollar bond which he pur-
chased at the price of much depriva-
ton of himself and family, will not
now buy half what it would when he
acquired it. Where has the other half
of the purchasing power of the money
gone? he asks himself. And then he
things again of the endless chain
which is being allowed to operate
against the producer and in favor OF
the schemer.
Mr.. Lee did not spare his language
in addressing the national lawmakers,
and his remarks have been sent over
the country through the agency of the
Associated Press. Il will admit to you
gentlemen" he said, that we are all
going the wrong way. / admit to you
that 1t is time to call a halt; and /
admit to you that until we get to-
gether, until we ommenc together to
stop this, there will be hell in this
| ever knew it in my years of expert
ence.
unless my vision is most terribly
o%bscured, then there is something
coming to us pretty soon in this coun-
try that we had better take notice of.
We had something of peace in this
country prior to the war conditions.
We We're getting along fairly well
until ~profiteering became so notice
able everywhere and until the COM
modities that working people are
compelled to pay for were permitted
to be increased, doubled, and trebled,
without any question, and too often
seemingly with the approval of the
government
w are nearer war in this world
today. l believe, than when the kaiser
threw down the gauntlet. Our law
makers are to blame, in my opinion, |
because the masses of the people |
would be behind them if they attempt
ed to correct conditions, and surely
there is power to correct them; but
instead they are playing politics"
The trouble is just this: The law
makers whom people of the United
States elect are afraid to face the
issue against the predatory rich. That
is the kindest thing which may be
said of them-that they are afraid.
Other and worse things might be said
which they would have much trouble
to disprove. They are afraid, and they
do not know enough. The intellects
which Nevada. or any other state,
to represent it in the lawmak-
ing body of the land, are in no way
to cope with the trained minds
which, in favor Of organized greed,
oppose the laws made.
Unable to think further than the
evidence of their senses dictates, be-
lieyingfthe lobbyist or the bribe-giver
before them to be what his oily words
may imply. legislators willy-nilly lis
to arguments about harm to big
business" and forget that the human
they represent, or misrepre-
sent, are ne biggest business possible
this world.
The lesson which "the people must
earn-must learn!-is to quit playing
and voting for self or ma !
,hine-nominated candidates. The poll :
ician who comes out" for office is }
the man to vote for. The man Q
whom "the machine" or the party" :
for the next governor, the !
text congressman. or the next pound :
master, cannot possibly represent the :
'eople when he is elected to office.
dear sucker public mas long been
instructed that only lawyers can make
The people must learn some
hing better than this, or Mr.. Lees l.
'ision will prove sd prophetic that :
u~pheaval" may seem a mild word 4
n future.