Newspaper Page Text
♦
Editorial
Page
Week Ending
Dec, 30,1913
We Learn By Trying
The Hearst newspapers, year after year, talked and urged
parcel post—which means government ownership of the coun
try’s express business.
Some said that parcel post would be criminal. Nearly every
body said it was bound to be a failure.
The express companies explained that the people were not
intelligent enough to do what the express companies did.
But parcel post is here AND IT EARNED FOR THE GOV
ERNMENT ABOUT THIRTY MILLIONS OF DOLLARS THE
FIRST YEAR.
AntJ as a result of parcel post, the postoffice of the United
States is now on a paying basis for the first time since 1883.
To put government work on a paying basis is, of course, not
the most important thing. The most important thing is good
work and ECONOMICAL SERVICE FOR THE PEOPLE.
The people could afford parcel post because of its conven
ience, usefulness and economy, even if it didn’t mean a profit
to the government.
But the fact that the government makes millions our of par
cel post and now runs its own express business in such a way
as to make the whole postoffice profitable ought to convince some
of the doubters.
We are through advocating parcel post, for it is here. We
are still advocating government ownership, and municipal own
ership of other things. And municipal and national ownership
will come.
THERE WILL BE MISTAKES MADE, BUT WE LEARN
BY TRYING.
Some things are done by private individuals, spurred on by
love of power and money, a little better perhaps than the gov
ernment will do those things at first. But the government WILL
DO THEM.
It would be foolish to send a little child out to walk in a
crowded street at first, but it must learn to walk some time. And
eventually the crowded street will not frighten it.
It would be a mistake, undoubtedly, for the government,
national or municipal, to try to run every public service AT
ONCE, but the government, that is to say, the people, must
learn to do these things, and will to them.
The people will own and manage for their benefit all of the
NATURAL MONOPOLIES that have been misused by private
individuals for private benefit.
And you may make up your mind to that.
The government will own and run railroads, telegraph—and
in time many other things that need not be suggested at present.
Meanwhile, observe that the first thing actually tried, the
parcel post, is a success.
And get over your pessimism about the power of the people
to do things instead of having them done.
The combined intelligence of the people in the long run is
better and abler than the individual.
The New Banking
Because the new currency law might have been better it is
not necessarily bad. On the contrary, it is so decided a step in
advance of the present system that the country is to be congrat
ulated upon its final enactment.
The Georgian has agreed with those students of the cur
rency, like Mr. Vanderlip, who believed that a strong central
bank controlled by the Government would prove a more efficient
agent for adjusting the ebb and flow of the currency to the needs
of business. Congress thought otherwise, but Congress may be
led to recognize its error and a measure which is essentially right
in principle can always be amended when experience has shown
amendment to be desirable.
It is quite evident that the measure is going to be accepted
in good faith by even the forces that have been fighting it. The
President referred to this indication in his speech on signing the
measure, and expressed the hope and expectation that this “con
structive Democratic’’ measure would usher in a new day of
prosperity. The hope will be shared even if the expectation is
not. #
The President should remember that the currency bills is not
and Currency Law
the first great measure of his administration. The tariff law
took precedence, and under that law, which opened American
markets to foreigners with no reciprocal concessions from them,
business is staggering. That a currency law, however excellent,
can wholly undo the evil already done is unlikely.
The Republican leader in the House, Mr. Mann, has claimed
that the Democrats intend to bring business out of the stupefac
tion into which the tariff law plunged it by administering the
stimulus of an inflated currency.
The charge is unjust. The Glass-Owen bill provides for no
inflation of the currency. The notes issued under it will be based
on gold and gilt-edged commercial paper, and their retirement
properly provided for. If the method of utilizing credits and
distributing the notes were more scientifically provided for by
the creation of a central bank, the law would be above criticism.
But it will not correct the faults of the tariff bill either by
unhealthily stimulating trade or in any other way.
The President declares that the only satisfactory reply to
criticism is in action. What action does he propose in reply to
criticisms of the new tariff? *
Is it possible that that measure is held sacred beyond tho
thought of amendment?
I T was 136 years ago that
Washington’s army began its
terrible experience at Valley
Forge, an experience that was
well calculated to “try men’s
souls.”
It was the gloomiest period of
all the long struggle for inde
pendence. The Continental mon
ey was so depreciated in value
that an officer’s pay would hardly
keep him in clothing. The men
were encamped in miserable huts,
through which the searching win
ter winds whistled in cruel mock
ery. Barefooted, the men left
upon the snow their tracks in
blood. Few had blankets, or even
straw. Their bed was the bare,
frozen earth. Medicines were
scarce, and for many of the sick
death w r as the only relief.
The great-souled man upon
whom all the responsibility rest
ed suffered more than the rank
and file, for, besides all the perils
of want and famine which he
shared with his soldiers, Wash
ington was called upon to suffer
from envy and calumny. Cun
ning intrigue was busy, trying to
destroy his reputation and influ
ence in order that another might
succeed to the high command.
The infamous “Conway Cabal”
worked like a demon against the
American commander, and the
conspiracy was so far successful
that it had him censured in Con
gress by members from Pennsyl
vania and Massachusetts.
But through it all the fires of
-'atriotic devotion burned bright
ly. The noble Washington bore
the ordeal patiently and with all
becoming grace, and the men of
the rank and file suffered in si
lence the worst that came to
them. The scoundrelly plotters
tried to bribe General Reed to use
his influence against Washington,
only to meet with the immortal
rebuke: “I am not w r orth pur
chasing, but, such as I am, the
King of England is not rich
enough to buy me.”
Such was the spirit that nerved
the patriots throughout those un
speakable sufferings of the win
ter at Valley Forge. In silence
and in hope, with courage unabat
ed and their love of country un
dimmed, they endured all—until
the time might come for them to
strike another blow for freedom.
LAFAYETTE’S DEATH.
K. A. H.—Lafayette died in
Paris, May 20, 1834, at the age of
77. He died, not violently, but
naturally and beautifully, sur
rounded by a company of loving
friends. The “friend of America,
and of liberty everywhere,” left
behind him a reputation without
a flaw. His character as a man
w r as almost perfect.
THE RICHEST COUNTRY.
F. G.—The “richest country in
the world” is this one of ours—the
United States of America. There
is no other country that can hold
a candle to this. France ts rich,
Great Britain is rich, but the
United States is richer than
France and Great Britain com
bined, with many billions to
spare.
WHY CAESAR.
T. H. S.—For twenty years the
republic had been desolated and
crazed by the strife of contending
factions, and the cr-V of the peo
ple was for peace. There was
needed a strong central power
embodied in the will of a single
man, ruling with absolute and un
resisted sway. Of factions the
people had quite enough. Of
course the people could have pre
vented the establishment of the
empire, which to them meant
peace.
THE PRIMROSE LEAGUE.
C. J. R.—The “Primrose
League” was formed in 1884, in
memory of the late Lord Bea-
consfield, whose favorite flower
the primrose is thought to have
been. Beaconsfleld died on April
19, 1881, and the anniversary of
that day is termed “Primrose
Daj, when the flower is general
ly worn by his admirers and also
placed upon his statue in Parlia
ment Square. The joke of it is,
the primrose was not the great
statesman’s favorite flower. it
was, however, the favorite flower
of Queen Victoria, and when ask-
aavised sending “the -arim)
my favorite flower.” in some
the matter got mixed up, and
delusion sprang up that m,
nalized in the “Prim
League.”
WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES.
J - p F. Wedding anniversa
ries are as follows:
1st . . . Cotton
2d ... . Paper
2d . , , Leather
4th . . Flowers
5th , . Wooden
6 th . . . Sugar
*th , . Woolen
8th . . Rubber
&th . . Willow
1 0th .... Tin
75th
Hth . . . steel
12th , , , Linen
l 3t h . , , Lace
14th . . . Ivory
15th . . Crystal
20th , . , China
25th . , Silver
20th . , . Pearl
40th . . . Rubv
50th . . . Gold
• . . . Diamond