Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1920-11-24
0BSE AT IONS
(Bya Cornfield Philosopher)
The One. Bio Issue

IN my judgment, the one biz Issue
now before the people, an issue in
volving the perpetuity, indeed the
very existence of Republican form
OF government is embraced in this
question, How may we prevent the
further accumulation of the wealth
OF this nation in the hands of the
fewF The reactonary press, as
the professional politicians, il doing
It's level best to ignore this matter.
Statements taken from government
reports and statistics to the effect
that very small fraction Of our pop
ulation, less than two per cent, own
or control about two-thirds OF the
nations wealth, altho not denied, will
not be published by the editors Of this
class of publications.
The reason is obvious. The kept
press desire to keep the people in
ignorance of the facts. Otherwise
many would begin to ask, How ia it
possible in this land of Equal rights
and equal opportunities could such
a condition arise?" And il the fav-
ored few have already acquired near
ly all of the wealth what is going to
prevent or hinder their annexing the
balance, thus making us a nation of
millionaires and paupers? Would
that condition be desirable? Well it
might be for the millionaires. But
how about the rest of us?
Now all wealth is the direct pro-
duct of labor. Let that great undis-
puted truth sink deep into your minds.
1t must follow therefore that by some
means small favored class have alb
sorbed or acquired all of the surplus
wealth created by two-thirds of our
people, assuming that they all be-
long to the working class. The ques-
ton then is: Shall we allow this pro-
cess to continue longer or shall we
endeavor to put stop to the further
accumulation of wealth by the pri-
vileged classes?
The great majority of people of
this country are intensely patriotic.
They also desire to be honest and
just. No giant wrong when brought
into the imelight of publicity can
forever endure.
A little investigation will reveal
the fact that systematic and long
continued special legislation in the
interest of the few has been the most
potent cause OF the great disparity of
wealth.
The national resources of the na-
ton, the heritage of all the people has
been taken away from them and be-
slowed upon privileged classes who
in turn have largely financed politi-
cal campaigns.
The nation made q great mistake,
almost fatal, when it allowed private
corporations to get between the pro-
Queer and the consumer and control
the means Of distribution levying a
tax on both the parties in interest on
the theory of all the traffic will bear
instead of the true principle, 1.-THE
Cost of the Service"
This mistake" to use q mild term.
was confirmed and made permanent
through the wholesale distribution
of free railroad passes, the most ex.
pensive and colossal system of public
bribery that the world has ever
known. 1t was the seductive free
pass" that induced the law makers
to give the railroads donations of
public lands and other valuable gifts
and it was the same persuading in
f1uence that led our editors and polit.
ical speakers to dwell at such great
length on the generosity and public
spirit OF the eminent and highly res
pectable capitalists who risked their
hard earned money in creating and
providing q ready means by which
the people could reach the markets
! with their products.
An aroused public conscience final
ly destroyed the free pass system, but
| not before it had done it's fatal work,
| that is created the belief in the pub
| lie mind that private corporations are
individuals could build and operate
our lines of transportation, better and
| cheaper and in more satisfactory
manner than the people could do
these things themselves through the
| agency of their government.
AT least one half of the great for
| tunes accumulated in this country
that now menace our happiness and
well being as a people are the direct
| products of railroad discrimination
and favoritism in matters Of trans
portation.
Under government ownership and
operations on the principle of the
cost of the service, the same plan
on which the postoffice is being con-
Quoted, we would have plenty of cars,
| no discrimination in the service and
gradually reducing freight and pas
| senger rates; while under the pres
emit policy of operating railways pri-
marily for the profits Of their owners
| we have exasperating delays very un-
| satisfactory service and a constantly
increasing freight and passenger tar
iff necessary to meet a guaranteed
profit of from ~ to per cent on
their book value watered stock and
all. II the farmer Is forever willing
to sell his products at an actual loss
in order to pay liberal guaranteed
profits to our millionaires and rail-
way ma0nates, then there can be no
future for Agriculture In America
My brother tiller Of the soil, II you
are not willing to do this for all time
if you think you are justly entitled to
the profits of your own hard labor
then be a man and help agitate, tall
with your neighbors and friends. Lei
US make this supreme issue of the
hour when we can control the means
of reaching the ultimate consumer
with our products then, and not til
then, will we be anything more thar
, L