Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1922-08-04
THE EMPIRE
By John Bush

We live in a most extraordinary
age. Events so various and so i'm
portant that they might crowd and
distinguish centuries, are in our time
compressed within the compass of
single life. When has it happened
that history has had so much to re-
cord in the same term Of years, as
since the World War began?
The most important of these vari-
Gus events, though quite apparent,
may never be recorded in the nations
history.
The laying Of the foundation of the
American Empire, in view of the fact
that an Empire has been established,
will receive no quarter in the realm
of history.
The statue of Liberty guarding the
great port of entrance to America
symbolizes the spirit in which for
eigners and natives alike, in the
main, think of her as the champion
of the weak and the oppressed, the
guardian of justice and the standard
bearer of freedom.
This spirit of America is treasured
today in the hearts of millions of her
citizens. To the masses, perhaps the
majority of the American people, the
nation stands today as she always
stood. They believe in her freedom,
they boast of her liberties.
When persons embued with the love
OF the true principles of American
ism pause for moment to concen-
trate their thoughts upon govern
ment which functions according to the
views of its founders as set forth by
them in the preamble that precedes
the Constitution of the United States
which reads, "We, the people of the
United States, in order to form a
more perfect union, establish justice,
insure domestic tranquility, provide
for the common defense, promote the
general welfare and secure the bles-
sings of liberty to ourselves and our
posterity, do ordain and establish this
Constitution for the United States of
America" then turn their thoughts
to the present conditions it is like
awakening from peaceful slumber
to find that while they were sleeping
thief had entered their household
and stolen all their earthly treasures.
1t is perhaps fact that there is
no man in the United States who can
be styled an Emperor, but it cannot
be denied that the owners of Ameri-
can wealth have been nodded gradu-
ally into ruling class. They have
conquered territory, people have been
subjugated or annihilated, an imperial
class has established itself. Here are
all the essential characteristics of en-
pire. The government of the United
States at present is a foster child of
the special interests. The organiza-
tion of business has become more CEN
tralized vastly more centralized than
the political organizations of the
country itself. An invisible empire
has been set up above the forms of
democracy. We are all caught in a
great economic system which is heart
less. The masters of the government
Of the United States are the COM
bined capitalists and manufa:'ul-:
of the country. AS proof, supp 5se you
go to Washington and try to get at
your government. You will Away
find that while you are politely list n
ed to, the men really consulted ale the
men who have the biggest stak IS, the
big bankers, the big manufacturers,
the big masters of commerce, the
heads of railroad corporations and of
steamship corporations. Every time
it has come to a critical question these
gentlemen have been yielded to and
their demands have been treated as
the demands that should be followed
as a matter of course
The propertied class, because it
owns the job, the industrial products,
the social surplus, the channels of
public opinion and the political ma
chinery also enjoys the opportunity
that goes with adequately assured in
L.