OCR Text |
Show DEMOCRATIC BLINDNESS. " It is a far cry from tho individualism of Jefferson and Jackson to tho socialism social-ism of Postmaster General Burleson and Franklin K. Lnnc, Sccrotary of the Interior. The fathers of Denioc-rac3' Denioc-rac3' in this country advocated unrestricted unre-stricted competition, ns few lawn as possible, equal rights to all and special privileges to none. They believed in a fair field nnd no favor. It was a stern doctrine of the survival of tho fittest. Nowadays, however, wo find Democratic Demo-cratic statesmen advocating government govern-ment ownership of telephone and telegraph tele-graph Hues, and of tho railroads. They propose a government monopoly of tho most important utilities. Their excuse is that .these aro natural monopolies, and, therefore, should not bo" left to private enterprises. Nevertheless, tho advocacy of those principles is a direct contradiction contra-diction of tho old Democracy. f The Democrats mny think that this change of base is desirable, but it is probable that they ignore one of the most important elements in the success of American civilization. Most of our prospority has. been due to individual initiativo and enterprise. Government ownership of tho greatest fields for enterprise en-terprise will chill tho ardor of competition. competi-tion. By removing tho prizes of competition com-petition the government will stamp out the spirit of competition, and when individual in-dividual enterprise slackens in this country progress will bo permanently checked. Let the Democratic statesmen states-men meditate for a while on this idea. Just as a player at chess thinks ho sees a brilliant move that will checkmate check-mate his .opponent and overlooks a countercheck the Democratic party is ignoring ono of its most valuable principles prin-ciples when it plunges headlong into socialism. |