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Newspaper Page Text
THE PUBLIC FORUM . FUNDAMENTAL THINGS. The little Day Book is an epitpme of the desires, the opinions and beliefs of those who read it. The variety of these displayed by the people who write for it is an index to the chaos of public opinion in the world at large. And yet upon this public opinion rests the fabric of governments, laws and institutions that make for the weal or woe of all humanity. In it there is much that is good and much that is bad. Whether the good pre vails or not depends upon the choice made by the controlling element; in the great body of the people. This may be less than a majority, as col lective action is governed by the greatest unit of opinion in the whole. This unit is often wrong, but in spite of obstacles and mistakes it eventual ly finds the right and is at the bot tom of all progress. It strikes a fundamental chord and wrong flees before it Constitutions, Laws, institutions and customs in fected with wrong may block prog ress for a time, but whenever the public opinion of the greatest unit finds the right chord it moves the whole world and wrong flees before the right. Co-operation, temperance, abstin ence, economy, diligence, benevo lence, honesty and many other things are held up as remedies for social and individual evil conditions. They are good, but do not reach the wrongs, because they are superficial and not fundamental Co-operation is a good thing to re lieve the poverty and destitution of the few. It fails to reach the bot tom and the mass of people continue to. suffer. Carried to its extreme limit, other things remaining as they are, it becomes a monopoly that preys upon the great body of man kind, in common with other monop olies. I1& continued existence depends . upon its combination with funda mental monopoly. Fundamental monopoly lies in the ownership of the earth and its natural resources. Until this is captured and harnessed and made to serve all the people equally there can be no permanent improve ment in social and economic condi tions. Its power increases with ma terial progress and it sows the seed of national death and decay with every advancing hour. George V. Welk. EFFETE, OLD-FASHIONED AND WORN OUT. In the current efface ment of the old social disorder all believers in evolution must see the dawning of a new epoch. Bunkology is kicking the bucket. That is so clearly evident that he who runs may read. No one can delineate the transfor mation nor clearly anticipate the final results. There are plenty of mythical and legendary stories from which men have tried to establish a foundation upon which to erect su perstructure. You will find them all a misfit. , Philosopher and fool are equally competent in the' present emergency. Perhaps the philosopher will be found the greater fooL The signs are very cheering. Royalty is being blown to smithereens in Eu rope. King dollars got a dig between the ribs at .home on Nov. 7, which (means his quietus. It is to be hopjed he will turn up his toes more quietly und gracefully than Europe is doing, that the mass of lis may observe proceedings with calmness and an abiding faith that we are on the way to something bet ter. We know that the old systems are far short of our present needs and that their continuance only in tensifies the tragedy. All should "wish for their departure and thank God for deliverance from such death in life. There are indications that we of the U. S. A. who are not crystallized ,bjr long subornation to the ancient