Newspaper Page Text
September, 1922
THE ATLANTIAN
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sort of irresponsibility that we see in small boys, and the
only hope of betterment now in sight is that the women
may show a clearer appreciation of public duty than the
men have done, and when that happy time comes the of
fice of Governor will become a pleasurable distinction in
stead of as it is now a vicarious punishment for the sins
of the people.
THE PRESENT CONGRESS
In all the history of our country we have never before
seen so stupid or incompetent a crowd in control at Wash
ington as the present Republican majority in both the Sen
ate and House.
The only thing at all comparable to it is the present leg
islature in Georgia.
There is a difference, however, when we undertake to
compare the two.
The Republican majority at Washington is with long
settled intent trying to serve faithfully its masters, the
exploiting interests of the country. The partnership is of
40 years’ standing and very intimate. This time the gov
ernmental end of the partnership is just a bit more brutal
and coarse in its work than in bygone days. And what
they are doing to the folks is a plenty.
On the other hand, the Georgia legislature is merely
an unexpurgated edition of plain jackassifiedness. There
was no malice in it. The members of that wonderful body
simply did not know any better.
Incidentally, it is but fair to say that all the blame does
not rest on the shoulders of the national or state legisla
tors, but fully half of it belongs to that great and intelli
gent public which after many years of recurrent brain
storms has simply indulged in one like an eruption of
Vesuvius, and picked the bummest lot of “statesmen” of
which history has any record.
In the language of an old-time philosopher, “May the
Lord forgive us, we can never forgive ourselves.”
FREE SPEECH—FREE PRESS—FREE CHURCH
The Foundations of Human Progress
In defense and advocacy of the three things named
above, oceans of blood have been spilled during the past
few centuries. We thought we had made some headway
and in this 20th Century of struggle for human betterment
we find certain elements undertaking to undermine these
foundations. One element would curtail freedom of speech.
Another assails the freedom of the press, and yet another
is so intolerant that it would bring back the burnings at
the stake for those whose theology is different from theirs.
- Thomas Jefferson prized as the greatest achievement
of his wonderful life that he was the author of the Virginia
Statute for Religious Liberty. Don’t forget that. For
America has produced no greater rnjhd than Thomfas
Jefferson, and no more truly Democratic spirit. V ,v .
What right haye. r we to deny to others that freedom of
thought and speech we claim for ourselves?. What right
have we to say to the press, “You may publish only what
pleases us?” What would become of our hardly won lib
erty if we had no fearless spirits to write and send forth
their arguments in our defense? What if they do have a
lot of stuff we don’t care for? Somebody else likes it.
Bear in mind this cogent fact: Human liberty has
traveled a greater distance in the last 200 years than in all
preceding ages. Why? The printed word is the answer.
Then there is a spirit of religious intolerance abroad in
the land which bodes ill for the country. You would fight
for your religion, as I would even, though neither of us
have, any surplus supply of it, and cannot we accord to the
other man that respect for his convictions that you and I
think we are entitled to, for standing by our principles?
The deadliest enemies of our institutions are intolerance,
bigotry, factionalism.
If we really have any religion, and will recall the Gold
en Rule we can see in a moment how utterly subversive of
all human progress, of liberty, of good will, is that spirit
which demands that our ’ism must live and the other fel
low’s ’ism must perish.
If our ’ism is superior, we can prove it by being so just,
so kind, so serviceable, that after a time the other fellow
will see it, but we can never bludgeon people into our way
of thinking, and in the attempt we create animosities which
breed disaster.
THE RAILROAD PROBLEM
Perhaps the most vitally pressing, as well as one of
the most perplexing problems now demanding solution by
the American people, is the rail road problem.
Every human being is dependent to a large extent on
a satisfactory transportation system and it is universally
accepted at the present moment that the rail roads fur
nish the best medium of transportation so far devised,
whether the thing to be carried consists of merchandise,
farm and forest products, live stock, building material or
people.
This being true, it is easily understood that every one
has a vital interest in the successful operation of this
great public utility. That the service must be efficient
and the charges moderate is self-evident.
At the beginning we did not have the wisdom to make
this utility a publicly owned and operated convenience. We
allowed grasping men to secure ownership and these
through the agency of stock exchange gambling have found
railroad stocks'the finest possible counters for playing an
unscrupulous game and toiilding up huge, unearned for
tunes.
All abuses die hard because behind every abuse lie the
sinister figures of the men who profit most by that
which is.
These men have almost persuaded the American peo
ple that public ownership or operation would destroy their
country, but in their zeal they have overshot the mark, and
so today a reaction is setting in against the policies of the
men who have turned our chief public utility into a public’