OCR Text |
Show THE CITIZEN f tounding. The application of electric and steam power as an aid to American man power is responsible for such accomplishments. workmen have more power at their command than the workmen of any other nation. This accounts for their high production and high wages. There have been ups and downs in American agriculture and manufacturing, but taken as a whole, it is safe to say that never before did the majority of individuals in the United States have as many of the necessities and luxuries of life as they do today. As one travels over the country he is impressed by the fact that new farm buildings are being built, old ones are being repaired, the majority of farms have garages, automobiles, modern farm machinery, radios and a constantly increasing number are being equipped with electric light and power. Naturally there are exceptions to this rule in some localities, but no one who takes a fair view of the country can help but say that it has been unusually prosperous. Never in the history of the world have so many homes been built by individual owners, as during the past two years in the United States. But in the face of such unprecedented conditions we find a small but active group that favors socilaistic experiments in America. It would fashion our government along more paternalistic lines, such as have restricted initiative, development and prosperity in many European countries. We can witness this agitation in all parts of our country. Of late, it has been manifesting itself most actively along the lines of public ownership of electric power. This has been noticeable in the campaign to retain development under public regulation. We have seen similar agitation for state development of electric power, in New York, in California and in Oregon. So far all these moves to inject the state into business at the expense and discouragement of the individual, have been decisively defeated. In Oregon, advocates of putting the state into the power business have just failed to get even enough names on petitions to submit the measure to a vote of the people. In North Dakota, however, league candidates have recently been victorious in a state election. This is the same league that a few years ago led North Dakota into a maze of socialistic undertakings from which the state has not yet extricated itself. How its old doctrines, no one far it will attempt to go in knows. There is some agitation in political circles in several other sections of the country to launch the state into various branches of the insurance business. And so it goes over the country. The agitations which annoy and vex the majority of the people, might be likened to the fleas on a dog they demand constant effort to counteract their irritating effect. All business and employment is interlocked, and neither the agriculturalist, manufacturer, capitalist or workman can profit at the expense of his neighbor. Putting the government into business simply piles up the tax bill which in the end is paid by the consumer. If wre are wise we will take stock of our exceptionally fortunate and prosperous condition today, and not be led astray by political schemes which experiment at the expense of business and industry, which means at the expense of the workman and the consumer. non-partisa- It is becoming more and more evident, says the London Daily that representative government is in a very serious danger. It has been destroyed to all intents and purposes in Italy, in Spain, in Russia and in Greece; both in France and Germany its future cannot be regarded entirely confidently; and even in this country and forces have manifestly increased the United States and multiplied since the war. There is food for serious thought in this paragraph. Almost every month now a new dictator takes over the reins in some European country; first it was Italy, then Spain, and Greece, then Portugal and lastly Poland. And it is equally true that in the United States the enemies of representative government were never more active than at present. One of the greatest dangers to representative government is the bloc system. It is in the countries infected with the bloc that popular government is in the greatest danger. In the United States and in Great Britain, too, to a lesser extent, there has been more regular anti-democrat- ic through great political parties, which gather into their member people from all walks of life. Where blocs of conflicting interests take the place of grtatj tical parties we are apt to get one of two things when popular ernment crumbles: the dictatorship of the autocrat, like MussojMs !0 or the dictatorship of communism as exemplified in Russia. ibo We want neither kind of dictatorship in the United States nn the best way to prevent such a state of affairs is to preserve representative government, by keeping our two great political pa?r clean and effective. Every thing which tends to destroy party A ernment in the United States and substitute the rule of the demagi1 toes or the minority bloc, is a menace to our system of government. me r eve om INCOMPETENT end To fill a vacancy on the U. S. Chipping Board, caused by relat al of a politician of one party who knew little or nothing about- - ping, another politician who is equally deficient in practical ledge about handling a merchant marine, is appointed. 0pr The shipping board law seems to require that its memb&nd selected from certain localities and to be divided up among tlieihe eral political parties. They are not appointed for their knowledge and experiekrini handling large fleets of ships from a practical standpoint, buManc 180 serve a district and certain political interests. This farce has been repeated so often that the American jhhe who would take pride in seeing our country build up a real marine, have become disgusted and indifferent. cra But that is the handicap on efficiency which attaches to polijkes ver. ly operated industries. 11 .umb n PARTY GOVERNMENT News, party government. It is our political parties which help sae what we have left of representative government, because represe tive government, as designed in our Constitution, can only floic leDC FAILURE The people are demanding better practical results for the r invested in higher education, or a smaller investment. The broad charge is made in a Middle West state, that tW university is not enabling men to get a practical equipment on to earn a living, in short that there is too much theory. Too many young men with four years college training they have taken a blind jump and landed on their faces. There is little doubt, about the greater need of a curril e better suited to enable students to face the per after-colleg- their lives. The school teachers trust has had things pretty much i: way. Higher salaries, more school buildings, and all the frill go with it, but seldom is the future of the student taken into (I eration. The average high school student of today is a good pif shovel man, and if he has to get out in the world and hurtle own, he is compelled to learn some trade or work digging ditch NOT FOR GLORY Some people may think that it is an honor to deliver calaureate address at commencement at the Utah Agrici llu lege, but a state official who is some orator thinks differen believes it real hard work, and considers $50 very chtMU I: address. What is the use of being a politician if he is not g some of the cream? ins TAX BOOSTER In nearly every state, in the course of a year, there ire commissions or experts appointed to investigate existing sy? taxation, and make reports. These investigations us all) in inventing or imposing new forms of taxation, rather tl an ishing or reducing existing burdens. The usual investigation of taxes, is by beneficiar es1 see the need of more revenues and little need of ret rend ntf AW |