Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-06-21
WHO'LL GET THE COAL BARoNS
SOME CAPABLE PRESS AGENTS?
Apoloelsts for the Profteerine Combines
Are ManIfestins signs Of hys.
terIa and Brain Faq

RI is extremely difficult to believe that the
l. violent and disordered tumult created by
lobbyists in opposition to Senator Frcling-
huysen's coal stablization" bill reflects
any heartfelt sense Of threatened injustice or
impending wrong.
Nothing could be milder or. in the long
run. safer for the coal men themselves than
the measure now before the Senate. The
bill docs not even provide punishment for
social sins that range in the higher circles
Of the coal industry from ignorance and
gross incpttude TO systematic conspiracy in
restraint Of trade.
II does provide for one thing which profit
GERS hate and fear.
BY giving to the Department Of Com
mercc, TO Mr.. Hoover or other agents Of the
Government. right to look into the coal
business and to let daylight in upon the
weird mechanisms by which cxtortionate
prices arc maintained. it gricvously oHcnds
the soul Of every practiccd monopolist. 1t
may mean alien feet in the sanctuary, vo.
laton Of the holy of holies
The Senate is asked merely to expose
abuses and crimes in the coal business and
thunders and lightnings from the publicity
bureaus maintained by the coal men, the
public is informed that the Senate is taking
to bolshcvism.
A propaganda bureau maintained by pri-
vate and anti social interests is much like
n good burglar alarm system. 1t goes off
with terrific clatter; it goes off automat
icslly at the first approach of danger. So
the wires are burdcned. the bells are toled,
hands are wrung and speeches are made to
spread tho dreadful tdings: The Senate is
turning Red,
Reading that announcement one can only
feel that IL tho coal combines are taking
money unjustly from the people they in turn
arc being swindled by their press agents.
Scaremakers who cannot find something
newer than bolshevism to shout about aren't
worth their keep. That theme is dog cared,
outworn. utterly and wretchedly futile.
IF now or in the future a man tells you
that the Senate is going Boshevist. If he
even suggests that any tinge of real liberal
ism has penetrated its steely crust. call q
policeman to feel his pulse and see to it that
he isn't permitted TO wander nt large.
The Senate is not Red. Indeed it mani
tests the old. persistent tendency to look out
cautiously for the friends who have always
been near and dear to II. For IL Mr.. Fre-
linghuyscn stabilizing bill is passed by Con-
gross it certainly will forcstall far more
drastic schemes Of regulation aud control
contemplated BY few radicals from the
Wcst and the South.
Tho coal men ought to call Mr.. Frcling-
huysen their bcnofactor. Perhaps they nc
tually regard him as a bcncfactor. Their
lamentations and their shouts will seem to
really sophisticated observers to bc little
moro than stage business. Yet you never
ran tell. The first rumorS Of an Interstate
Commerce Commission caused riot Of
furious objection among the big and little
combines. The new bank laws were viewed
as a menace to tho country.
When the coal operators and distributors
say that the Government should keep its
hands of business they say what is logical
and right. Bur if wc are TO have less OF
government in business we ought to have
less Of the business man who attempts
10 create and exercise in bis own interest
something OF the power and authority which
ought 10 be and must be exclusive to govern
mcut.
r. for example. group OF men plotted
to monopol!ze the water supply or 10 get
complete control of the food supply and if
they then used their power to the detriment
discomfort or actual danger Of society. they
would be usurping authority of a sort greater
than that which belongs to any modern gov
Crnment
Coal, too. is necessity Of life. and il the
Senate has come To feel that its distribution
must be supervised from Washington it is
because there has been tendency IN some
quarters to incorporate in business too many
OF the privileges aud powers Of government.
The coal combines have been seemingly
disposed TO set themselves up as super states
within this country. They need policing.
II they do not accept it in the form proposed
by Senator FrelinGhuyscn, they will have to
accept it in more painful forms later on.
And if by bolshcvism you mean the mega
ton Of logic and wild rule by minority, it
is necessary to admit that the bolshevism OF
which the Senate lobbyists are talking now
is more apparent within the coal rings than
outside of them