The Irish standard., 1920-01-24
Distribution of Wealth on
.sx,ssss sx,ssstsssgs tt:,sssg a Basis of Justice

Basis OF justice
the price is arbitrarily fixed. When the
armistice was signed the government
had on hand an immense quantity of
copper bought for war purposes at one
hundred dollars for x quantity. The
copper concern beat down the price
to fifty dollars for the same x quantity
and bought back from the government
for fifty, what it had charged the gov
ernment one hundred dollars for. "a
citizen who holds that he may do any
thing that he wishes to do, or has the
physical power to do generally ends
in riot and wreck" Can the fate of
the government that upholds our mod
ern trust-system, be different even ad-
mitting that it has the support of the
press?
And that talk we hear so much of,
that big business can turn out things
so much cheaper, in practice amounts
to sheer nonsense. That big business
can do it is no proof that it does. For
we have only to look at our present
high prices to realize what a menace
our trust system is. "The man who
utilizes his ability to produce cheaper
than his competitor for the purpose Of
exacting for his product as high q
price as is necessary for the least
efficient business man, is a menace
rather than a benefit to industry and
society,"" This telling us that we
have the ballot and that we can
set things right at the next election
does not stand the test of experience.
For the trusts have grown fat under
both Republican and Democratic ad-
ministrations and conditions are get
ting worse as seen from the ever
growing unrest. What is the difference
in practice between the Republican
and Democratic parties? Relief must
come through constructive legislation,
ment in running down what modern
phraseology calls radical" makes one
suspect that possibly the government
is afraid of constructive legislation.
And since there are many actions of
the government to make one suspect
that big business controls it, we do
not wonder at the government oppos-
ing anything that would tend to take
away the enormous profits Of big bust
ness. But the Fourth Of July speech
says that "The government is for and
by the people" and the people are the
over one hundred million plain Ameri-
can citizens, not the less than one
thousandth part OF one per cent that
sets the price,.
We must get down to business and
run our government on a business
basis for the best interest of the ma.
jority. Take our railroads for exam.
pie. How many million dollars Of
watered stock do we find in the rail-
roads that we are compelled to pay
interest on? Our press lays great EN-.
phasis on the failure of the govern
ment to make the railroads pay. But
let the government re-value railroad
stock and guarantee that even the
government, working the roads at par
value can pay the present high wages
and lower the rates at the same time.
And that is true Of nearly all business.
If business in this country of vast re-
sources, were satisfied with a reason.
able profit, men could be receiving
the high wages they are getting today,
while paying a lower price for the com
modities they use. But, since oul
profteering trusts have destroyed com.
petition, the only balance Of trade
this condition must be brought about
by constructive legislation. And how
to regulate prices without interfering
unduly with personal liberty IL the
problem OF today. We have to face
it not BY sneering at Denmark's con
structive example but by using oul
best ability In the up.building.
Yours truly,
]. II. MCCORMICK.
st. Paul Dispatch,
st. Paul Pioneer Press,
January IL, 1920.
Mr.. J. n. Mccormick,
Graceville, MINI.
| Dear Mr.. Mccormick: We N
Iobliged, in the interests Of fair pla.
to everybody, to limit mali bag letter
to 800 words. Your letter exceed
750. This would occupy moro than ,
column Of space, and We cannot De
vote 20 much to any mail bag letter
am returning It to you therefor
!. I'm tho hone that you Wiu reduce Il &