New-York tribune., 1921-02-01
CONGRESS.


Congress does the greatest harm,
for Congress has the greatest power.
There is no member Of Congress
from SO remote part of our coun-
try, SO ignorant, or illiterate, that
he does not know that the votes of
the business men are relatively few,
and because their votes are few they
are made to suffer. The farmers
and workingnlen, having the votes,
can form any combination they see
fit, no matter how harmful that
combination may be, and they will
not be interfered with by Congress.
But, because business men have few
votes, they are bounded, pursued
and legislated against, have the con-
troll of their business taken away
and are taxed to the verge OF bank
ruptcy.
Wrecking the industries of Russia
meant the wYecking of Russia, and
il some way is not found of stopping
the members of Congress they will
wreck our industries as they have
wrecked the railroads.
! For votes, Congress passed the
1 Adamson law that has placed
heavy burden of unnecessary taxes
on the people, and has brought the
railroads to their present wretched
condition.
I For votes, Congress is ever ready
to tax the people to reimburse the
farmers for losses incurred through
the failure of their price fixing COM
binations.
4 For votes, Congress. passed laws
that drove our ships from the Pa-
cific.
\ For votes, Congress passed the
law setting aside $3o0,0oo to De
used against business men, no mat
ter how slight might be, their IN
4 fraction Of the law, when no part
+ Of itlcould be used against others
4 no matter how great might be their
crimes: thus dividing the people
!Einto classes and breaking down the
! equality of men before the law.
The ingenuity Of the legislators
| IN leyying new taxes seems never
to he exhausted. There is the Ma
tional Income Tax, State Income
Tax. Personal Tax, Property Iax,l
Inheritance Tax, and taxes OF other
/ kinds almost without number; and
new ways of applying taxes are con-
/ stantly planned. The necessary
taxes could be lightly borne by the
naonle. The strain is caused by the
/ billions of dollars that have been
sauandered by the legislators.
When great hordes of barbariars
swept down on settlements the peo-
pie were powerless to defend them
selves, but those who are overtaXihg
+he Deople are few; five hundred
fhirtv-one members of Congress, one
to two hundred legislators In eacn
State and. twenty to thirty Alder
i men in each city. Our population IS
i one hundred FIVE millions, but fifty
/ millions in round numbers repre-
/ sents those who are grown. Why
| do fifty million people let few men
iniure our country? It is because
thew have lost their mental alert
ness. The hearts of the people are
right. They would rather lift up q
man who is down than push him
further down, but their minds are
| dulled. Or, as one plan expressed
it, ssthe people of our country have
ceased to converse, they merely
calculate set phrases This is par
ticularly true of those called s'the
educated classes" A man proclaims
III do not believe in Capitalism.
Does he mean that money. should
not be spent for buildings i'll which
men are to work, nor for machinery
with which men are to work, nor fo1
materials on which men are to work
to make shoes and other things the
people need? No, he does not know
what he means.
Another says he believes in I'm.
dustrial Democracy. Industrial
Democracy means taking the contro
OF the industries out Of the hands od
those who have spent q lifetime
in building them up ard managing
them, and turning them over te
those who have had no experience
in their management. This Woule
bring industrial chaos.