Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1921-12-08
MARK EFT PROTECTION

MARX TT PROTECTION
The theory Of police protection of
person and Of property has long been
accepted as part Of the necessities of
every day life. OF later years the
public has been adopting such theor-
les as forest protection, game protec-
ton, fish protection, crop protection,
and fire protection, but who ever
heard of market protection?
Hoodlums still do go out for "hot
tines but if during the course of the
joy tour one Of them draws out his
"l5" and begins shooting up and
down the street, there is depart
ment of government to which a call
may be sent for protection of inno-
cent bystanders and store windows.
When the lumber hog or the fire
bug attacks the forest, when the
hunter hunts game, when the fisher
man fishes fish, when insects destroy
crops-thcrc are local, state, or ma
tioua departments for protection,
but when a wage Garner begins de-
sircl ing the labor market, when the
farmer begins destroying the grain
market, when the banker begins de-
stroying the interest market, when
the grocer begins destroying the
candy market, on when the manufac-
urer begins destroying the products
market; where is the department of
government TO which yCu turn for
protection?
Perhaps, not unlike other folk,
Your mind turns to cogtating "A
hoicc condemning of !hc Democratic
5r Republican party, dependent upon
which party is an control Of govern
mont at the time.
Every persds in the United States
S affected by markets. A change in
markets is followed by change in
he daily life and living conditions of
he people whose markets have
changed Great gains are followed
by great losses. All is a gamble.
Each and all are trying, striving to
ret some advantage Of others. Some
hing more then is due. Something
Cor nothing.
Such problems and uncertainties of
results often react upon conceptions
IF our daily welfare or the safety of
our future in a manner to compel us
INTO an unstaple mental attitude. At
such times we are ripe for picking
by the foreign agitator CT the rep
cCsentative Of an organization, the
guiding principles of which are
founded upon foreign doctrines. Very
often we become apt pupils for
awhile, but, sooner or later, we turn
away tired and disappointed; tired
# the tom-foolery that deceived us,
and disappointed that the good we
hoped to bring about is not to be ar
ivcd at by that course.
We are all and each essentially
American and though we each have
our weak moments, we doubt all have
hem a. the same time. SO it trans
2ues that though we blindly ignore
.he danger Of allowing private organ
cations to creep into positions of
power which enables their officials to
exercise police, judicial and military
authority to the purpose Of personal
interest; 1t not being and never hay
ing been our intention to approve or
export such doctrines, or their APP
p.ication, ii some way happens that
such societies disntegrate just
about the time their representatives
are beginning to serve notice on local
Americans to come join or get out.
Well meaning but misinformcd for
cigners conceive that we are nation
Of work slaves governed and oppress-
ed by band Of capitalists, whereas,
we are a nation Of wage earners and
as fast as we get our wages we are
capitalists Till our wages are ex-
pended Each endcavors to get the
most that may be had for his capital,
too; that is why there should be
tribunal, department Of govern
ment with regulative authority that
could protect the interest of both
wage earners and capitalists.
Those foreigners confuse the term
capitalist in America with the term
noble abroad. The shadow fighting
which they DO by manipulating the
fiction would not matter were it not
that they ontice trusting people in
to lending them support frDa which
they have power to do niu, mischief.
If he stops to think about it or
doesn't forget about it every Ameri-
can knows that capitalist is a wage
Garner who manages money; some
times it is his own money bat most
often It is other peoples money; and,
ne works just as hard to make a sue
cess Of the undertaking he is direct
ing and to succeed in accordance with
the established rules of the game as
he would to make a success of the
undertaking if he was guiding a pillow
or drilling a we'll
This holds true as regards the
farmer in the field, the merchant in
the store, the wife in the home, or the
official in the government.
Every last one has labor for mar
kct; every market for labor has pro-
ducts Of labor for market; and every