Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1924-08-04

AiiE w lsOlOHbAlNhts @AtftAAA AfAtia@Ss
could have done no better.
This writer, being an infatuat-
ed individualist, applauded hearth
ly.
lie applauded particularly
heartily because La Follettes
message was delivered to the con
vention SO superbly by La Fol-
lette's son, Bob, junior.
That young man has ms faIn-
er's fire along with comfortable
amused humor which his father'
if he has it, kepes carefully con
cealed within the recesses OF ms
most intimate family life.
Young Bob captivated the con-
vention. He read with such
spirit! He smiled with snch
charm! He was the perfect PIC
ture Of youth as gallantry ana as
fun.
He could have got many votes
in the convention i he mad an
nounced himself as a candidate
for Vice-President on the ticket
Of Ia toilette and La Toilette.
Yes, this writer liked that mes
sage.
He admits that in the course
of it La Toilette Endorsed the
Wisconsin State Republican plat
form, which approves pubic own
ersbip Of water-poWer and when
also approves government owner
shin of railroads as "the only
final solution Of the transporta-
ton problem
He admits further that Oswald
Garrison Willard approves gov
eminent ownership of railroads
not only as the final but as the
immediate solution of the trans
portation problem.
He notes, however, that pub
lie ownership Of public utilities
such as water-power and rail-
roads-is thoroughly consistent
with the highest and most active
individualism in industry itself,
that is, in all manufacturing and
merchandising.
He notes further that it can be
and, of course, is-claimed for
public ownership of public utili-
ties that through providing an alb
solutely neutral and impartial
service of transportation and of
power it will actually stimulate
individualism in industry.
He hopes it may. He certain
ly sees clearly that La Toilette
hopes it may.
In fact, he contends that it is
perfectly clear from La Follette's
message to the Cleveland con-
vention that in the mass of work
ing life-that is, in all working
life outside of the relatively mar
row area of the public utilities
La Toilette is not only an indi-
vidualist but an intense and ag-
gressive individualist.
His key sentence was: "To
break the power of the private
monopoly system over the econom-
ic and political life of the Ameri-
can people is the one paramount
issue Of the 1924 campaign"
But how break it?
BY transforming the private
monopoly power into public mo-
nopoly power?
Not at all.
How break it? By enforcing
says La Follette-the criminal
as well as the civil sections of
the antitrust laws.
Well, the criminal sections ex-
list. We can maintain that sec
lions which exist. Of a law which
exist, should not be enforced?
La Follette's central PROPOSE
ton in this campaign, really, if
one care to put it that way, is
simply law enforcement.
Wayne B. Wheeler and Gift
ford Pinchot, when you go to the
polls, do your duty! Sherman
wrote a law, as well as Volstead.)
So that's that. La Follette's
principal stand in 1924 is on the
Sherman law of 1890.
Note now, however, the charm
ing gap between the temper of
La Toilette and the temper of his
various and different followers.
his followers in the Cleveland
convention adopted platform
in which they demanded (among
other things) that "a direct
route from the farm producer to
the city consumer" should be
provided through the creation of
"a government marketing corp
Grafton"
This would mean that the gov
eminent would come along and
buy an egg. or cabbage from a
farmer and convey it "direct"
with the well-known directness
of all governmental operations)
to the wife of the workmgman
in her city kitchen.
A nice broad sweeping idea!
But does it occur, does anything
like 1t occur, in La Follettes
long comprehensive message to
the Cleveland convention?
1t certainly does not, and in
Tact, the contrary of it occurs.
The utmost play that La Toilette
IN his message gives to the gov
eminent in relation to the farm
er IS that the government should
aid, the farmer to organize and
develop national cooperative
L-..E.