Willmar tribune., 1920-02-18

who have their average share of about
$4,000 per family. Daniel Webster,
the greatest constitutional lawyer
America ever produced, man thoroly
familiar with the history of nations
gone before once said, "No> republic
can long endure where there is ten
dency of wealth to accumulate in the |
hands of the few" Rome in her hap
piest and most prosperous state had
more than six hundred thousand prop
erty holders and when she reached the
lowest depth of degradation, some 600 |
men owned all her wealth.
Wealth is Labor InteIIisentIy Applied
Now all wealth in general sense is !
produced by labor intelligently direct
ed. If man were foolish enough to !
spend forenoon digging a hole in the
ground and then proceed to fill it up
again in the afternoon, no matter how
large force of men he might use or
how often the progress might be re-
peated he would not add another farth-
ing to the nations wealth. Rockefel-
Ter might use up his entire fortune in
this manner and the country not be
one dollar the richer. When thotful
and patriotic citizen alarmed at the
condition of affairs raises the ques-
ton, "How did it happen that the few
we're able to accumulate all of this
wealth. produced by the toll of many"
he is called ugly names and denounced
as a dangerous agitat0r intent on
breeding class hatred. could not in
a hundred articles of the length of this
one, name all Of the causes that have
| co-operated to bring about this state
of things in this land of. presumed
equal opportunity. But the two great
| underlying basic factors that have
tended to produce the condition that
now exists in this country are the ex-
ploitation of our great natural re-
sources and discrimination and exces-
sive transportation charges. The ex-
ploitation Of the natural resources, the
timber lands and minerals in the in
terest of the favored few with the con-
nivance and in many cases the active
assistance of government is, long,
long story. 49,
Big Fortunes Made inrRaiiroads
| A thousand volumes might be writ
ten upon the subject. Indeed, many
have been written and the surface
hardly ruffled. When the American
people we're encouraging by every
means at their command, the building
of railroads to be owned and operated
by private individuals for their own
profit, they little realized that they
were hugging a viper to their bosom
that might ultimately sting the nation
to death. They were so hypn0tiZed by
the railway promoters that they gave
! the latter everything they wanted, In
Guiding land enough to make more than
five states as large as Minnesota and
special taxes and donations galore.
The people literally built the railways
and then felt it was great favor for
the promoters to take them of their
hands as a gift. For forty years they
were permitted to charge all that the
traffic would bear and discriminate be.
tween towns and cities as we'll az be.
} tween individuals. Rockefeller got his
start largely thru railroad favorttism
The railroad magnates CREASED the po.
J litical machinery thruollt by virtue 01
. the most colossal system Of bribery
/ the world ever knew, the free pass "a
!. editors, lawmakers, judges and per
!, sons Of distinctfons given ostensibly aa
j Ia courtesy. It is more than likely that
] fully on0.half Of the great fortunes
1 Ethat have been built up III Amsrics
& lowe thar bFiis 81 Or h1yeAh great1y
.Iincreased by the pTfyate oWnerBhif
ilSnd control Or trannr Hon. TO TIN