The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1875-11-10
CORPORATE CONSCIENCE.

which the soul, or moral element of hu-
man nature, is not included. And yet
corporations are, almost uniformly, spe-
officially charged with functions demand
ing the exercise aud observance of the
highest moral duties and obligations.
Whence, then, is the moral sense, requi-
site for the discharge OF these duties and
obligations, to be derived? The pre-
sumption is, that these requisite moral
elements are to be supplied by the indi-
vidtials who combine to make up, or con-
stitute, this legislative creation.
This presumption is most just and rea-
sonable. And yet it is presumption
that almost uniformly fails of being re-
allied. If there were no moral sense
predicated of a corporation, then the
legislative power of government, when
creating body polite, would be en-
ployed in creating a wild beast to exist
and act in the midst Of society under
legislative sanction. The moral sense
is the distinctive and defining attribute
between. the human and the brute crea-
tions, Only man has it. The brute has
1t not. The man who, by misfortune,
has it not, is himself but brute. The
corporation that the law creates to act
by and with men in civil sociely is pre-
sumed to act under the same moral obli-
cations, and with the same regard to the
conscientious observance of right, that
bind mankind together in the social.
state. If this be not lawfully predicated
of corporation, then such corporation
deserves no place among the human spe-
cies, and must take rank with the brute.
Now, the history Of this country is be-
coming to be little more than the history,
Of gigantic corporations created by some
special enactments Of law. And the
history of those corporations is almost
one unbroken series of frauds, corrup-
ton, violence and wrong. Under the
promptipgs of avarice and ambition,
either or both, there is no public pre-
rogative that they have not invaded, no
private right that they have not over
thrown. They have asserted privileges
and exercised powers greater than the
government that created them dared to
exercise or assert. In their corporate
dealings with individual citizens, they
have discarded the moral guidance Of an
enlightened conscience; and, assuming
the right of their own might, they have
treated with the people as the lord would
treat with his vassals. e
And yet these corporations, so utterly
souliess, SO entirely destitute of con-
science, are frequently placed under the
directory of men, whom the people de-
light to honor-men against whom no
breath of censure as to their private
affairs has eyer been whispered, men
whose individual standing in society is
such that none names them but to praise.
And the great problem is, why such men
do not carry with them into the service
ofsuch corporations the law of conscience
that regulates SO worthily their personal
affairs3 Why is it, that, when acting in
their corporate capacity, these same
men regard the public as their proper
prey? Upon atprinciple, in the moral
economy of man, can be explained those
mnumerable and astounding frauds that
of late years have been perpetrated by
great corporations, sweeping away the
fortunes of innocent and confding VIC
TINS into the gulf of utter ruin without
Rwhimpey of compunction or even the
gemblance of shame; and yet under the
directory of men to whom the world at
tributes the possession Of the finest
moral sense? Is it indeed. impossible
that the private conscience Of men can
be carried into corporate body whose
movements and interests they direct?
If it indeed be impossible that there
can be any Conscience, any moral sense,
Infused into these corporate bodies, then
: are they in truth unit for human associ
ation, and unworthy OF a civil existence
Ifit be an absolute condition -cf theil
nature, that they are 10 be without 6
soul, and therefore without the sense o
right and responsibility, without con
science and therefore Without the sense
Of remorse, moved only by the anima
Instincts OF greed, at once ayaricioul
and cruel, then indeed have we anon!
us a breed of wild beasts, beasts o
prey, which it'were wiser for the law t.
destroy than to protect.
----------------sss-.-
WOULD it not be in order for the Trus
tees of our Southern railroad to rise u