The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1920-10-10
Editorial
of the Day
HOw'S EvERYBoDY's BUSINESS
(Muskogee Phoenix

(Muskogee Phoenix)
In one OF his best films WIN Rog-
ers, walking up to a gathering Of
"old hens" who had undertaken the
regulation OF the morals of Smith
vile, greeted the women with: Good
morning ladies', how's eyerybody's
business?"
or course, it got laugh. II went
over big. For the women, with the
industry that marks their kind had
attempted not only to make the town
dry but to fix the closing hours of the
stores. TO say what should and should
not be sold and how the girl clerks
should dress. They had not pro-
gressed so far as 10 attempt TO die
tate what the merchants should
charge.
The motion picture fans laughed at
WIN Rogers greeting and promptly
dubbed the women "old hens" Wen,
we are all old hens, We all have
undertaken within the past year OF
two to regulate everybody's business
The women of Smithyille began their
/
was being sold; We perhaps began
ours because prices were too high
But for whatever reason We began
it we have enjoyed a regulating de-
bauch for several months and are
now awakening TO the dawn of the
morning after.
Only the other day thirty-three
merchants were indicted in Oklahoma
City for violation of the Lever Act
The Lever Act was a war time meas
ure, passed at an hour when tht
country's salvation depended upon th'
regulation of every bit Of foodstuffs
AS a war time measure it was justl
fled As a measure for peace times
II Is not
We hear much less Of proflteering
now DAYS than We did few months
ago. Profiteering is a rather harsh
way Of saying that merchant charges
more for his goods than others thinl
he should charge. We all know tha
the merchant made enormous profits
when the market was at its crest
The student Of economic conditions
also is aware that a high marke
must tumble and that the trade
must make extraordinary profits will
the market at its peak If he is t
survive the losses when it descends
The Lever Act which many woul,
. have permanently on our statute
, books. would dictate to the merchan
how much he might and might no
charge 1t would regulate his busi
, ness. it would accomplish, in norma
times, just that which We would no
care to witness. The Lever Ac
would destroy competition.
Stung by the increasing costs o
rents while the country was on it
mad debauch many have cried TO
laws that would fix the amount
landlord might charge for his dwell
ings. New York has passed such
law and the stagnation of building
in that state will soon make New
York regret 1t.
The local democratic committee i
circulating as campaign literatur
J against Senator Harding the statemen
ltldN ilt NOAFh hhiiiHN Il JIM NAei
would make public all income tax re
turns, that would enable all eyes I
5 lool; upon the measure Of your finan
: cial success.
The great wave Of false prosperil
, is breaking on the rocks of the shor
| line now. We are getting back TO nor
NAL and consequently we hear les
and less of this desire to regulate tn
! business Of the other fellow. II is
? sign Of better, more stable times
I Regulations we must certainly hav
, but We need none of the ultra pro
1 gressve" laws that brand ma
= who succeeds in the business worl
as criminal and an outcast.