Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1931-09-17
THE TEST

lOnged stress, tncIc appears q SChSioi DN
even among those who are not easily
thrown into confusion by extraordinary
conditions that the situation in which our
own country, in common with the rest OF
the world, now finds itself does constitute
a direct and inescapable challenge to those
largely responsible for the maintenance OF
our present industrial system. The always
sane and thoughtful Dr.. Nicholas Murray
Butler, president of Columbia, the largest
university in the world, states without res
ervations that capitalism must set its house
in order or make way for changes which
may mark the beginning of its passing. No
plan of human society which helplessly per-
mits millions of healthy, competent, willing
workers to remain idle and become objects
of an insufficient charity can be justified. 1t
does not matter that the proponents of such
a plan point out that even worse conditions
would certainly result from a radical change
to some other system. Great masses of
people, made desperate by long continued
distress, turn naturally to any program up
on the theory that their condition can not
possibly be worse and might conceivably be
improved. We are going to feed, clothe and
shelter, in some fashion or other, at least
twenty million people in this country dur
ing the coming winter. This will be done,
first, out of humanitarian motives, and,
second, in order that we may tide over a
lamentable situation as to afford time for
the working out of projects for the restora-
ton of more tolerable conditions. The fail
ures of our system left these millions of peo-
pie to seek in vain for work, and these fail
ures must be at least temporarily retrieved
by taking care of the helpless during their
period Of stress. If it be denied that our mod
ern industrial system is indeed responsible,
that very denial condemns it as the proper
agency for the conduct of human affairs,
since it is utterly incongruous that distress
in such proportions should go hand in hand
with an accumulation Of riches unparalleled
in the entire history Of the world. Another
question OF the utmost gravity becomes up
permost in the present crisis. Either the
leaders of industry must find work for the
idle or the leaders of politics will find some
means of providing them with the n~ecessi-
ties of e~xistince by legislative action which
will bear heavily upon the possessors of
great wealth. Senators and congressman at
Washington are not going to remain mac
tive in the face of piteous and threatening
appeals from their constituents for bread.
In their desperate anxiety to find the means
for hushing those appeals, they are certain
to look to the money vaults of the wealthy
and find ways of tapping those vaults to
cause them to bring forth a golden stream
for the nourishment of the less fortunate.
1t may be done in the name of and through
the agencies of the federal government, but
the effect will be the same as if they en-
ployed some of our numerous and expert
gentry of the burglary profession to do the
job in more direct fashion. Another name
may be given the process but, in the effect
it will be the dole, and once that system is
established, we may live through many a
weary year before it is changed. We do not
in the least fear any communist uprising in
this country. The great majority Of our peo-
pie are still employed and will remain so for
an indefinite future period. There is still too
much ~well-being, too much liberty and too
little actual oppression here to encourage
any project having for it's object the de-
s%truction of our government. The attack is
more likely to be comparable to that of snip
ers attached to a great army who, from pre-
cariously concealed retreats, take a deadly
toll of an unwary enemy. They do not win
battles but they do inspire fear which has a
demoralizing effect. 1t may be argued that
many Of our great financial and industrial
leaders are earnestly striving to meet the
demands of the present situation and they
should not be unduly harassed by criticism
while in the midst Of such labors. While
this may be true insofar as some Of them
are concerned II is untrue az resnects many