Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-31
Pointing With Alarm.


naturally, and apparently without ef-
fort, as others point with pride. Senator
George w. Norris Of Nebraska belongs
to the first group. Called upon to de-
liver an address at the unwilling of a
statue of Abraham Lincoln at Free
port, ILL.,, on the seventy-first ami
| versary of the great debate between
Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas, Mr..
Norris pictured the people in the grip
of economic slavery.
Economic slavery is as great an in
justice and as cruel as any political slav-
cry" the Nebraska Senator asserted.
He visualized great combinations Of
wealth enslaving the American people.
He urged steps be taken to prevent
further development of these combina-
tions and to rescue the people from
fate which, in his opinion, hangs over
them. Among the remedies he pro-
posed were progressive inheritance
tax, breaking up huge fortunes, taking
the profit out of war by having the
Government go into the shipbuilding
business and the manufacture of all
kinds of war munitions; the abolish
ment Of the use of the injunction in
labor disputes; the abolition of life ten
ure Of Federal judgeshps and the ap-
pointment of judges for fixed terms: the
abolition of the electoral college There
is nothing particularly new in the sug-
gestions made by Mr.. Norris. They
have been advocated by himself and by
others on numerous occasions. They
are, 1t is true, somewhat inconsistent.
For example. he proposes that the
Government go into the business of
shipbuilding and the business OF making
all war munitions while at the same
time he would have the Government
step aside and 'he workers and the
plant owners fight it out in industrial
disputes. These suggestions, however.
are both apparently aimed at private
manufacturers.
Mr.. Norris declares wealth and COM
oinations of wealth control the Gov
eminent. The greatest of these COM
binations, he says, is the waterpower
trust. No sane person wishes to see the
people enslaved, economically or other
wise. No one. except the most selfish
and most tyrannical, desires to see all
wealth combined in the hands OF a
small group Of men. But no group of
individuals could be as selfish and
coldly despotic as government into
whose hands has been placed the power
of employment, which means life and
death in this age. One Of the mistakes
Of men who, like Senator Norris, see
the dangers growing out of the enrich
ment Of a few individuals is found in
their demand that there be placed in
he hands Of the Government. ostensibly
the Federal Government. the tremen-
dous powers of control over all kinds of
human activities.
Abraham Lincoln, who debated with
Douglas more than threescore and ten
years ago at Freeport, was man of
singular balance. He championed free
dom and opposed slavery. He found an
In the end he overcame 1t. Senator
Norris finds the people in the grip of
an economic slavery. Millions of Amer
leans doubtless would disagree with him.
AS an antidote, the Senator from Ne
braska would have the Government in
large measure control everything. When
1t does, then indeed the American peo-
pie will achieve condition of slavery
a condition which they will have i'm
posed upon themselves, provided, Of
course, they do so.