Evening star., 1924-08-17
Use of the Term 'sProgressive''
Has Become Almost Meaningless

ters. plasterers we are going to take
them over IL they do not reduce
their scales? Why not give the
bakers to understand that unless the
price OF bread comes down one
bak Why not, in view of the
mad craze for bobbed hair, demand
of BARRIERS that they cut the price of
hair cuts. under penalty of being put
out of business by Government
benefit of American women? Oh, IT
may be progress to threaten Govern
ment ownership and Government con-
troll as an attempt to reduce prices.
but It is not new. 1t is as old as
the hills. And it has always failed
and Ger will fail.
*x !. X
1t has not been mary years since
political speakers in addressing the
gum boot districts of Indiana in
variably referred to the opposition
as the silk stocking crowd" But
the assaults on silk stockings and
their wearers accomplished nothing
If the politicians had assaulted the
gum boot brigade" time would
have vindicated them for with good
roads and improved drainage gum
boots have almost disappeared while
silk stockings are to be found on all
feet except those Of few persons
rich enough to laugh in the face of
style and dare to wear the cotton
stocking our grandmothers wore. So
long as ambition to get along iE the
world exists and desire to get more
OF the things that the world calls
luxuries continues, just that long will
1t be idle and foolish to assault lux
uries and those who crave them.
If we are really going to be pro-
gressive. l would suggest that we
quit jumping on men and on wes'th.
Let's begin our reform not with Gov
ernment ownership nor with Govern
ment price fixing, but by Government
abolition Of the things that are not
essential to the life of the republic
Let's abolish the sleeping car Men
may believe that they must get some
place in hurry and travel in comfort,
hut business was successfully con-
Quoted before Pullman cars were
automobiles. particularly the expen-
sive sorts A standardized inexpen-
siVe car will get any one anywhere.
Let's abolish the telephone. We have
the United States mails. which may be
slower. but just as sure. Let's go
and abolish everything that is not a
necessity or decency. Let's build
no more good roads, abandon our
parks. convert our art galleries into
something useful and close our places
OF amusement.
We could get down to paying
basis easy enough if that was the
idea But that is not our desire. We
know that would not be wise thing
for US to do. We cannot look the past
in the face and say. Notwithstanding
the grievous inequalities of Ameri-
can life. that the present average OF
living is not higher and not constant
ly being raised. 1t is going up all the
time because of a free play of oppor-
tunity which every citizen enjoys to
make and to do without interference
by his Government We are COM
paratively free of the threat that II
We do not do the Governments way
1t will put us out of business.
The real progressive" from my
viewpoint is the man who would move
forward to the point of the least gov
ernment consistent with the common
good. who insists that the honest
man shall. be allowed to make all the
money he can and that dishonest men
be confined in our penitentiaries. We
have had a rather successful and sat
isfactory career as people. Things
are not all right. of course, never
have been and probably never will be-
But more and more we are advancing
and approaching clearer sense of
our responsibilities. one to another
Let us not re-experiment upon ex-
periments that hitherto have proven
failures lest like the base Indian we
throw away a pearl, richer than all
his tribe"
Copyright, 1924, by 21st Century Press,)