Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1873-04-05
stunning seyIIa we fall into
ChRrybdtn.

immense aggreRatlons OF capital does I
nenace the rights II not the liberties Of
,ur people is not to be denied, since we ,
rave seen them control the Legislatures
which make the laws, the Courts which
interpret them and the officers who exc
ute them IN commonwealth with the
Internal history Of which we are all
familiar, and the Investigations Of the
past winter have revealed the
fact that they have exercised a
potent influence upon, II they have not
aetuslly controlled the legislation Of the
Congress itself.
The reason why this Is so Is readily
enough seen. The power CT the great
corporations Is compscted and dlsci-
pllned. under the guiding hand OF some
able man chosen by reason Of his tltpess
to WELD such rover tffectuelly for the
accomplishment Of the purposes sought
by himself ard associates, and served by
men afo chosen on account Of compe-
'ency for the performance OF their duties,
loyal to their chief and the Interests OF
their road. On the other hand, the gov
erning power, which Il Is propo. ed TO In
woke to remedy the dangers to which
We have adverted, is widely dffused
amongst those who do not feel airy very
het y sense of responsibility for the
fraction failing TO each, and who are
represented By men not chosen from con
Solicitations Of competency to WELD the
powers entrusted to them, and who are
5y no means sure to be the loyal and
j evoted servants of those they represent.
Hence we aud the compact, alert, lntelll-
gently directed lesser power of the cor
por alton able TO successfully cope with
an defy the greater, but less thoroughly
organized power of the State or the
Notion.
What Is the remedy7 The easiest and
most common answer Isl Destroy the
corporations which have thus outgrown
the power OF their creator, the State.
But the wo'k these corporations perform
Is not only useful, at an absolutely
necessary work. Regulate by statute,
then. their charges for transpo ting pas
sengers and freight is the next answer
But capital Is very sensitive 10 control Of
this sort, Is she obvious reply, and such a
policy would have tendency to drive
It into other channels for Investment
scarcely consistent with the country's
acknowledged need of greatly increased
railroad facilities. Then let the State,
or rather the nation, build and run the
railroads Itself, Is the reply.
We do not doubt that the existing ex-
element will be artfully directed with a
view to Just this conclusion, and we be-
lieve that II ever It Is reached aud acted
upon, the remedy will be found infinitely
worse than the disease. The railroads,
doubtless, greatly resemble the tabled
Scylla. We at least WOO them as tenderly
as though they were gentle maidens IL
their youth, but when greed and the in
soleuce Of power have turned them into
monsters, with lnnumerable feet aud
mouths, and, worse than al, iDnumerab BILE
grasping hands, We start back from them
In horror aud alarm. Let us not, how.
ever, in stunning scyla, fall into that
Charybdls, the whirlpool of political
corruption as We should do If We
attempt the experiment of State con-
troll of railroads. The people ought
TO know too mnch of the way in
which government service lie performed
and OF 'be Influences and considerations
which control the appointment of gov
erument servants TO be willing TO invite
the government to take charge Of ser
vice IN which lives as well rs property
may pay the forfeit for lneompeteucy Oh
neglect, while i: there still remains 8
vett'ge Of the Jealousy Of placing toe
much power IN the hands Of the govern
nent which animated the founders o.
oar Republic, the vas. addition 10 tn,
POWER ard patronage Of the Stat,
'uch change would make will be enough
to prevent it.
Nor do we believe we are fighting win,
NILS Of m,n of straw IN thus attempting
, 10 crate IN advance in the communit,
we address, d feeling OF opposition 10 an,
such scheme. The tenor OF The article
IN SO l. any newspapers declaring tina
war against monopoles is 10 be one Of th,
, aiuTes OF future political campaigns
the peTsisi,nt advocacy in and out o
Corgitss Ct the scheme fer tie govern
4 ent taking possession Of the telegraph
> lines, the bitter feeling aud growing ex
citemeut Ell gtrdered il tie agriculture
communities Of the West, by the extor
! flows and unjust Determinations Of til,
Re way companies, aud the terribl
temptation such a scheme present
10 politicians to perpetrato tlei
pow. by giasp'ug a patronage hesid
A Which that they already have, and abuse
shrink Into inslgnacance, all poh. {,
i the dagger Of Just such conclusion "a
Z We suggested IN tie beginning of lhl
4 article being reached and carried out
! and no one who believes in free ant
honest government, can raise his voic
n too soon or too earnestly sgsinsth No
, Government control is rot the people,
remedy against the dangers ard opprss
# slons - railway moropoIlts, but rathe
toe encouragement Of private tnterpris,
, and correction through free railioa,
4 laws. With possibly restriction as {,
A POWER Of companies t. rowbeyond thei
q original power aud limits through con
solldatiou and Absorption.