Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1932-03-31
THE WESTERN NEWS, LIBBY, MONTANA

"a v
in many instances, criminal, financial and
promotional manipulations were quickly
overcome as the returns from large new en-
terprises such as tranScontnental railway
construction made easily possible the speedy
labsorption of the water poured INTO those
projects. The general public was not gley-
ously harmed since taxation WAS matter OF
but SLIGHT concern. and new opportunities
were 50 abundant and allurmg that oppres-
siye conditions in one business or section OF
The country simply called for a compare
lively easy change into some other Inc OF
endeavor or some new region Gaining lol
DEVELOPMENT. The end Of the process OF
transition from those conditions 10 those
which now confront lis may be said To nave
.ome with the settlement of Montana which
was really the last Of the frontiers. The
honesteadiho movement. which reached IT
height in this state about 1913-14. will, we
believe some day he fixed rs the end OF
one epoch III our nation history and the be
ginning Of another. Here the great trek
begun when intrepid adventures Of tho
Daniel Boone type started out across til,
.
ended. The toisQme but always hopeful
i journeys of millions of homeseekers west
ward was finished out here OIL the PLAIN
land among the foothills Of the Treasur
E state Defeated here, there was no new lam
intoawhich to immigrate With such oppol
tunities forecosed the great masses of OIL
e people were compelled to accept their cond
: tons as circumstances determined them an
to fight for existence without the tradltlont
opportunity to move into more favored Y
zion. This sterilization Of life along line
: rather rigidIv drawn completely altered OF
entire social and industrial outlook. All
made for changes 50 far-reaching thar nt
: even the most prophetic among us can pr
tend to forsee what state OF society we sha
have even ten years hence. nder sic
! conditions. the increasing mofopoHzatlo
of wealth became 4 matter OF vital concel
: to the welfare ct our country It placed III
imaginable power over the lives Of gre;
masses Of people III the hands Of relativpl
: few people While fully eighty percent I
l orr people were still able to enloy Il mca
IRE Of well-bcing not approached by al
comparable group Of human beings OIL Il
upon the remaining twenty per cent BEGAN
9 50 great as to arouse keenest apprehenslo
: in the minds Of all thinking people. It We
! not So much that the relatively small nun
y Der Of people controlled these vast reese
! yoirs of wealth and credit were using tn;
5 power in deliberately oppressive fashion
! but the constantly growing fear that the
q might do SO and that the people would !
t helpless to defend themselves that brougl
! about what may prove to be Il most serio,
II crisis IN our national affairs. The presel
e disturbance ri rUngrcSs Is, we believe fffef.
d " a reflex Of that fear rather than any d
Z liherate design to undo by the power 1T ia
e alton that which has been done by the a
II sencc Of effective restraints upon the acc
q Imnlation Of fabulous fortunes. We a
II frank to say that we view the situation vi
i some degree Of apprehension not that y
r cannot see the Justice Of taking some ste
to- TO eqlalize the burdens OF taxation and t
{. desirability Of preventing the practical 9
" failing Of vast estates, but because we fe
/ that the effort to effect change IN I'll
D. rather violent and. drastic fashion III;
t, transform our present decentralization into
q state Of utter Industrial and political cha,
id We would prefer to see the process Of 1
IL GENERALIZATION Of wealth through taNati
y worked out III Il more gradual fashion a
at with greater dcliberation and thoughtfl
e ness than is possible under the conditio
4, which now obtain IN our national capitol.