The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1883-05-25

The San Francisco Bulletin, which
has been regarded as leaning in the de
rection Of corporate power, has a dis
passionate article on this question in
which il says that nine men out of eve
~ ten are Of the opinion hat the cor.
poration question will before long
become the main issue in American
politics. The views Of the parties To the
struggle are very wide apart. IL there
was an evidence Of drawing together,
there might bc hops Of an easy solu-
ton. On the contrary, the dragging in
opposite directions becomes more coh-
spicuous day by day. There are nc
monopolies now Of the pattern OF those
which existed in tho time Of Elizabeth
and later iD English history. The
monopolies which are now 10 operation
are practical rather than legal. They
are based, in the Grst instance, On large
sggregations Of capital, and in the sec
ond, on new inventions. They reach
out 10 transportation 10y land and sea,
70 gas, water, and many of the prime
uecessafiea Of life.
Nobody il compelled by law to ride
on any line Of rail caIS, or to take gas
or water. il be does not want to do so.
Bot he must travel or transport b7 the
railroad if he Is 10 keep pace with the
movement Of society, and he must have
water on top Of his house If be desires
to live as other people d.. The general
complaint il that nearly all corpora.
tons make use Of the power which they
have accumulated TO take all they can
out Of these with whom they have deal.
ings. AZ one time il was supposed that
capital was content with fair interest
on amount invested. When the receipts
exceeded that sum, the charges, whatev.
er they we're, were cut down. This
must have taken place in a corporate
golden age. But it is not easy to indi-
cate the period Of It's existence. There
is an idea afOat that it survives partial
ly in England. But, as a rule, few
traces of it are now anywhere obserya-
BILE. The ethical barriers to which ref
erencs is made, If ever set up, have
been generally broken down by unre-
strained power.
There is a difference between corpor-
atoms and private firms which tends
toward oppression. The private firm is
q commercial unit, responsible directly
to public opinion, while the corpora
tion is an organism carried on by agents.
The owners or stockholders need not
have any knowledge of the business. AS
a rule they DO not know much about
the details. They are interested only
in their dividends. They want 30 much
per month or per annum on the money
put in by them, and trouble themselves
very little how it is obtained. This
feature Of the corporation was first
strongly brought cut in the case Of the
great East India Company. The stock.
holders at hcme understood very little
of what was going on. They were for
the most part exeuplFy members Of
society, who regnraly attended church
and contributed to all charities. Warren
Hastings thoroughly comprehended
what was wanted of him.. tie plunder-
ed right snd left. The condition Of In
dia was such, according TO Macsulay,
that be had little difficulty in getting
all he wanted. The English We're few
in aunber, but the Hindoos were 80
demoraIized that they could nowhere
make stand against them. In almost
every State there was disputed sue
cession. BY making common cause
with one or the other claimant the
treasures Of India were opea t, Hast
ings: There is no doubt that he help
ed himself literally. But be paid the
dividends regularly. The good people