Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 20.pdf/31

 SNAKE RIVER IN HISTORY

23

that capital has invaded the rights of the individual, together with the socialist propaganda during the past 40 years, have not been barren of results. Class hatred is

The charge

being advocated without restraint and the doctrine of a league of nations has already diverted our attention from WashingOur population statistics, when comton's solemn warning. of Church Statistics, indicate, appallBulletin with the pared ing as

it

may

appear, that the increase of church communicants

compared with the increase of population is falling behind at the rate of nearly one million per year. (Reports for 1915-16 as

published in 1916-17).

Open

attacks

upon the rights of prop-

erty have been made with such persistency that the paramount feature of the next national election will probably be the federal ownership and operation of all public utilities, including railroads, telegraph, telephone and power plants in the United States. Tliis bewhiskered quarrel between labor and capital should be settled before the two form a coalition and crush the great middle class whose rights are seldom mentioned. The signs

of the times point to this very thing. The Snake river offers a favorable opportunity for the test. Capital, operating under the protection of the state, and without competition, doubtless,

would seek an

alliance rather than decapitation. At any rate wealth of Snake in is river, power my opinion, destined to Let us indulge the hope that precipitate the final settlement. this picturesque and powerful river, with a name fraught with

the

so

much

historic beauty,

in history

and that

its

may, ultimately, occupy a high place unmeasured wealth may tend to solidify

rather than undermine, the principles of government which have made us great in the eyes of the world.