The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1934-08-14
"American industrial leadership

planted it's own dynamite and set
it, off. The worlds greatest eco
nomic and scientific geniuses,
with merciless logic, pointed to
the inevitable cataclysm that they
were preparing, but the answer to
their warnings was, invariably,
that these warnings were the
,mouthings of idealistic theorists
whose theories never worked out
in fact. When the results justify
the predictions of these "ideal-
lists" our american industrial
leadership" always finds that our
monetary system has slipped it's
eccentric or that our agricultural
hayseeds threw a monkey-wrench
in the machine and plugged the
safety-valve; that all we need to
get us on the way rejoicing is
the right kind of money. Here is
an extract from one Of these re-
current periods Of augmentation
about our monetary system that
was written during the so-called
cleveland panic: "The reforma-
.tion of, our currency is pre-emi-
nently the question of the hour
the rock upon which the democ-
racy has been rent in twain, the
lion in the path of the COP. 1t
is engrossing the attention of the
entire people, who realize that
upon intelligent solution of it
largely depends the general pros
perity. An imperfect medium is
not the only cause of our CONNER
cial ills, but it was probably the
chief factor in producing the in
dustrial depression from which the
world seems to be suffering. The
economic M.D.'s have been in con-
sultation anent our valetudinar-
ian currency and, like most doc
tors, have agreed to disagree. The
homoeopothists insist that our
monetary, system is simply suffer-
ing from hysteria produced by the
silver shock and needs but little
medicine; but the allophats would
give it drastic dose of white dol
lars--in accordance with the SIM
ilibus curantur theory; the eclect-
les recommend the bimetallistic
bOlus, while the experimentalists
insist upon the fiat faith cure.
When doctors disagree the patient
usually dies. And while the learn
ed M.D.'s debate, every omno-
nescient animal that can straddle
about on two legs volunteers his
opinion-adds to the confusion
worse confoundedp" That is Just
43 years old, but it sounds like
today's "stuff."
The George Clarks who mount
ed gum stumps in the economic
wilderness of 1893, as Nehushtans
and who implored those troubled
with financial snakes to look upon
them and live" have their coun-
ter-parts in the radio socialists
representing our american in
dustrial leadership" of today.
They are singing the same old
songs and playing on the same
old harps. What American indus
trial leadership" does not seem to
understand is that both the music
and the instruments are obsolete !;
that science and invention have
brought, not only the United
States, but all of western civiliza-
ton to the crossroads. where we
must solve the riddle of vast pro-
duction by a few and distribution
among the many or perish.
men can live among and amid
the Injuries created by science
and at the same time war against
its intellectual life and spirit on
the one hand, and on the other
hand refuse to apply either its
findings or its methods to the man.
agement of their social and polit,
zeal affairs. Yes, it can go ON for
time, but it will SOON bring its
own end" declared Wiggam, au-
thor of the New Decalogue of
Science, in his Next Age of Man.
All the material needs of
mankind can now be supplied bv
an ever decreasing number of
workers and under our existing.
system the countless millions who
are being released from toll have
no consuming power at ALL" de-
elared H. G. Wells. philosopher,
historian and scientist. And what
these men have said is the CON
sensus of opinion among all the
great sociolcgists and scientists of
today. y
notwithstanding errors that
may have been made or which
might be made by the radical
and -socialistic gang" and the So
called t"brain trust" at Washing
tom it is at least clear that they
understand that we can not 90
back to the Harding Coolidge Hoo
Ver-American- Industrial Leader
ship regime and long survive. 1t is
uead-Sure clnch that a system
that has eliminated in the absurd
paradox that millions of our peo.
PIE are hungry because there is
TOO much bread and meat, hog and
hi,omlny to eat; naked because
there is too much cotton, wool,
nemp, silk and rayon to make
homeless because there
y too much lumber, brick, stone,
lime and cement to build homes, is.
at or is about to be at an end,
eltner by solution of the great
est economic riddle in human MIS-
tory or by cataclysm transcend
ing the collapse of the Roman
Inplre: *American industrial
leadership -. can produce but
cannot distribute" says the "com- /.
mittee for the nation" and Then
asks "Sha1l wa co1vo IT.