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Hellraisers Journal – Friday August 12, 1910
Robert Hunter on Laissez Faire, what the powerful claim to believe in.
From the Socialist Montana News of August 11, 1910:
LAISSEZ FAIRE.
By Robert Hunter.
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The above is the name of a politic that the powerful claim that they believe in.
It means, “Let Alone”. It means that the community must not interfere in behalf of the weak, nor in aid of the strong.
It is the politic upon which our government is said to be founded and it has been called the politic of “Everybody for himself and the devil take the hindmost.”
Those who are successful sat that it is a fine doctrine, that it means, unlimited competition, unlimited struggle, and the survival of the fit.
They say everyone should have freedom to battle and to win, if he can.
And they claim that Laissez Faire permits a free race in which the swift always wins. And so Bryan and Taft, Cannon and Aldrich, and nearly all the leaders of both parties, say they believe in Laissez Faire.
When the the judges declare unconstitutional laws limitting the hours of work, they speak in the name of Laissez Faire.
When the trusts want to escape the law they plead in the name of Laissez Faire.
When the rich fight socialism they say it is because Socialism would hurt Laissez Faire.
And who is this Laissez Faire anyhow that has become such a terrible bogie?
Well I’ll tell you. It is a secret, but I tell you. He doesn’t exist. He is just gas and wind. He is a goblin.
If Jack Johnson should go to Mr. Rockefeller’s estate and beat up Mr. Rockefeller and take his property away from him, Mr. Rockefeller would run to the courts not to Laissez Faire.
If the workers were to gain control of congress and do away with the protective tariff, the powerful would denounce Laissez Faire.
And so the rich not believing in Laissez Faire have built up about themselves every kind of protection.
They protect their gold with steel vaults and granite buildings, they protect their industries with a Chinese wall called the tariff.
They protect their houses and estates by private property laws, by police and militia.
They protect property by owning political machines and political bosses.
They protect labor loot through lying politicians, corrupt legislatures and corrupt judges.
They protect their interests by lying newspapers and lying books and false philosophies.
They destroy Laissez Faire to get rich and barricade themselves behind Laissez Faire to keep rich.
They fight for special legislation, special franchises and special grants, but when the poor do come they comfort them with Laissez Faire.
They protect themselves with rebates, by special favors, special education, special doctors and special laws.
They believe that for themselves there is need of every aid the government can give, but for those they oppose they believe in Laissez Faire.
They believe in bounties, subsidies, high tariffs, special laws, corrupt judges, political bosses, for themselves, but the poor, they are convinced, should paddle their own canoe.
They believe in loaded dice when they throw them; in marked cards when they play them; in stuffed ballot boxes when they stuff them; In corrupt judges when they own them.
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[Photograph and emphasis added.]
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SOURCE
Montana News
(Helena, Montana)
-Aug 11, 1910
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84024811/1910-08-11/ed-1/seq-2/
IMAGE
Robert Hunter, Painting by Sergeant Kendall, The Critic, Jan 1905
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=inu.32000000676975;view=2up;seq=14
See also:
Robert Hunter-author
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Hunter_(author)
Tag: Robert Hunter
https://weneverforget.org/tag/robert-hunter/
Poverty
-by Robert Hunter
Macmillan, 1904
https://books.google.com/books?id=BiciAAAAMAAJ
Laissez-faire
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laissez-faire
Presidency of William Howard Taft
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidency_of_William_Howard_Taft
Payne-Aldrich Tariff
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidency_of_William_Howard_Taft#Payne-Aldrich_Tariff
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Which Side Are You On? – Tom Morello/The Nightwatchman
Lyrics Florence Reese & Tom Morello
Bonus song:
“The Tower” for Stardust Family United – Tom Morello
Lyrics by Max Demers