Evening star., 1928-10-28

closed are carried to their logical con-
| cluSion 1t seems that this trust Il
greater than the Government and thai
| It will eventually control the Govern.
ment. I, myself, cannot understand
how any man who loves human liberty
who loves his country. can stand idly
by and remain silent while this attempt
to overthrow our Government and de-
strov our liberty is going on
These disclosures were all public and
were all known when the recent Re-
yet that platform contains not one
single word in condemnation. The
Democratic convention was in its plat
form likewise as silent as the grave
on this subject. When Mr. Hoover
made his speech Of acceptance he was
likewise silent and nowhere did he
utter one single word Of complaint or
condemnation of the shocking dis
closures that we're then public.
Smith Denounced Monopoly"
1T remained for Gov. Smith, with a
voice that reverberated from ocean to
ocean and from lake to gulf, to de-
nounce the activities of this giant trust
and to condemn in the most coura-
geous way the activities Of this great
monopoly. For his courageous stand on
this-the most important issue now
confronting the American people-ha
is entitled to the warmest praise and
commendation regardless of politics or
Of party.
The Importance of the question
tranScends any party consideration
Never before in the history of our coun-
try has there been such a startling dis
closure of a mammoth attack upon
the very foundation corner stone that
sustains our governmental fabric. Never
in history has there been anything that
will compare with it, and regardless OF
politics, regardless Of everything else
involved In this camoaign, 1t seems to
me the people of the country must
rise in defense Of our liberties, In de-
fense Of our common country. and they
must do it soon before we are helpless
within the clutches and the control OF
this giant monopoly.
Gov Smiths attitude on this ques-
ticn places him side by side with that
great father of national conservation
Theodore Roosevelt. Have we so soon
he advocated and the policies for which
he stood? He has many times called
attention to the dangers which would
beset us If we permitted monopoly to
control the water powers of this Ma
ton"
After quoting Roosevelt's speeches
and messages, Senator Norris said:
Now let us turn to Gov. Smith and
see how remarkably similar his utter
ances are to those of Roosevelt"
Senator Norris quoted from an Of
fetal message to the New York Legisla-
ture of January 5, 1927, in which Gov
Smith urged "the one basic principle
that the State must itself retain owner
ship and control of water power at its
source If the people and not private in
tereSts are to be the real bsneficiaries
by Its development"
Praises Development Plan.
He praised the plan for State devel-
opment submitted by Gov. Smith to the
Legislature, saying 1t was very similar
to the plan of Muscle Shoals in the bill
vetoed by President Coolidge.
These views" said Senator Norris
correspond to the best progressive
thought Of the day. They are certainly
in complete accord with the views sc
often expressed by President Roosevelt
and in all candor and fairness 1 want to
say to those who have sympathiZed with
and given support to the little group OF
Progressives in Congress, in their terri
BILE struggle to preserve for all the people
the great water power resources of the
Nation, that it seems to me we are led
on this question at least, logically and
inevitably to the support of Gov. Smith
Every river and stream that flows
down the mountainside through the
meadows to the sea is capable of reliev-
ing the drudgery of the home and the
farm. 1t is birthright belonging to
all of us, and the trustees of the people,
even in Washington or any State Legis-
lature, who give 1t away to private
corporations for their private gain are
untrue to the trust imposed in them.
And when gigantic monopoly has
undertaken to poison the minds of our
children, to influence our Legislatures,
to control our churches and our COM
mercial and social organizations in
favor Of turning this property over to
private monopoly, 1t Is high time that
those In authority should speak out.
Herbert Hoover has remained silent.
He has uttered no word of protest dur
ing all the time this has been going on,
and during most Of that time he has
held position of power and influence.
Any man in such a position does not
do his duty when he remains silent It
Is common knowledge, known by all,
and by no one better than the power
trust, that Mr.. Hoover is opposed to
governmental State or municipal own
ership of these God-giYen elements of
human happiness.
"Only One Avenue Of Escape"
1T is known by all men that this
great combination of wealth Is so
powerful that 1t has control of the po-
litical machines of both of the great
political parties, and that at the pres
ent time there is presented to the
American people only one avenue of
escape from the clutches of this trust.
That avenue is courageously and ably
held open to us by Gov. Smith, the
Democratic candidate for President
Shall we be so partisan that we will
place our party above our country and
refuse to follow the leader-the only
leader-who affords us any escape from
the control of the trust?
mo class of our citizens is more in
terested In this question than the
women of America We are living In
the dawn of an electric age. All the
drudgery of the home can be handled
by this unseen and but little understood
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