The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-05-24
MIR. DILLON'S ERRORS.
James G. Clark Criticises a
Recent Magazine Article.
CORPORATIONS VS.. THE NATION.
Benefits OF Cooperation Illustrated by
Modern Trusts-Ths People Own
the Country. After All.

oRANTs Pass. Or. May 16.-The North
American Review for April contains an
article by Sidney Dillon, president of the
Union PACING railway on "The West and
the Railroads" As the source of this
article virtually makes 1t an authoritative
and official document. I presume that
fair and candid consideration of some of
lis most pertinent and suggestive passages,
based on verbatim quotations, will not
be disagreeable TO it's distinguished author,
nor uninterestng to your readers.
fully agree with Mr.. Dillon in his
estimate of the vast benefits derived, not
only by the West, but by the entire
country, from the railroads of the West.
and IN the high praise due to the original
projectors and officials for their prophetic
foresight, their courage and executive
genius-for all of which they ought to be,
and, as rule, have been most richly
rewarded. do not propose to criticise
Mr.. Dillon's logic. as viewed from the
standpoint of his premises, but rather to
call in question his conception OF situa-
ton and of theme whsh one so high in
Office ought certainly to he at least familiar
with. He does not, anywhere in bis essay,
seem to grasp the fundamental truth that
all useful, indispensable and growing
members born into and adopted by the
body polite of progressive civilization
like ours especially-almost invariably
outgrow original parents or projectors,
and there comes period of independence
of their early proprietors or guardians,
and of consequent absorption by the
people. which involves change In their
governmental relations.
Yet it is this important truth which un.
derlies the idea ami theory of Nationalism,
as proposed by one body of social reform
ers, led by such men as Edward Beilamy,
of the New Nation, and as opposed by an
other equally honest class under the lead
ership OF jour .ialists like B. o. Flower, ed
itor of the Arena, whose opposition seems
to inhere in undue fear that ''paternalism"
las embodied in Nationalism-will inter-
fere with individual liberty.
And yet there is nothing more harmless,
and less threatening to personal freedom
than this same idea touching the evolu-
ton Of corporations out of individual or
class control, into membership with and
control by the body polite, when consid-
cred, lirst, from the standpoint of its early
expression--its root or source-and logi-
cally followed to its only possible end.
For instance, great river may have its
source in a section or township of land
owned by John Smith, who is able, per-
haps. to step or jump across the stream;
who has perfect right within his prop
erty lines, to fence it in and use the water
exclusively for his own family and stock.
Yet this same river gradually expands un-
til ships navigate its waters, and until at
last it ioats the commerce of 8 world, be-
coming the common property of the state
or nation.
In other words, il has somewhere in its
course become too big a concern for the
John Smiths along its shores to exercise
exclusive control over for private gains.
And let me ask, has this great change in
the governmental relations and ownership
of the river oppressed any portion of the
community, or abridged in any OBJECTION
able sense, any persons individual free
dom to utilize its waters?
This figure applies to all the great rail-
way lines which, from small beginnings,
have come to involve the destinies of
states. 1t applies with still greater force
to the principal telegraph and express
syndicates whose currents touch every
state, city and hamlet in the Union, and
whose stock private parties have no more
right to manipulate, speculate on and
over-capitalize- Mr.. Dillon claims they
have-than they have to bull and bear the
price of postage stamps, as they certainly
would do if that great public necessity was
controlled by private corporation. Des-
potism naturally becomes necessity to
the existence of a system whose chief end
is private speculation or power. Hence
the modern aggregation-when allowed
by the government to pave its own way
is the greatest despot of any age, because
its llrst aim is to gain money, and its Sec
ond to obtain-throu3h control Of state
and national legislation-the power to
hold and increase its gains.
Thus il converts community into So
cialistic alf-preed-despotism backed by
standing armies of Pinkerton's detectives
and police squads on the one hand, and on
the other tine divided masses, who do the
work on half-pay. and whose crimes OF in
surrection, riots, theft and manslaughter
spring less from naturally criminal ten
denotes than from a mlsdIrected and half
blind instinct that they are wronged and
swindled, accompanied by an unwIse et-
fort to right that wrong and to collect
what is Justly due TO them.
This is the present state, if not the fu-
ture promise, of American society today.
There is but one radical and permanent
cure for it.. 1t cannot be accomplished by
legislative fooling and tinkering around
the railway systems and trusts, and by
ming up on all sides of them more
iawsOchieiy for the pront of
lawyers-to regulate something that
ought to regulate itself, and would if
legislators anu spectators would only cut
loose from it, leaving government 10 pro-
tect the people III the free use OF all ma
chipery and of every energy necessary TO
their convenience and comfort, at the
mere cost of wear and tear. This IS all
there is of those two buSbears-nationai-
ism and socialism-and all that the social
reforiners ask or demand. And lt IS the
only thing calculated 10 remove the source
and root of paternal oppression so much
feared by Herbert Spencer, b. y. Flower
and others. Our present system TENDS TO
a wholesale and enforced suppression OF
individualism on the part OF the many,
and 10 the undue and abnormal encourage
ment of it on the part OF Few whose de-
velonment has already travelled too far
along special lines for the good of them
selves. their neIghhors and the nation.
When we eliminate from any system the
| occasion for avarice and morbid acquis-
tiyeness. we remove all excuse for often
| siye paternalism and social despotism--
! the root of despotism being gone-and
| government readily adjusts itself TO its
| normal level and mission as servant-not
watch-Gog-ot the people. 1t Is as I'M
| natural for such system 70 evolve tyranny
| toward the individual who Is one OF Its
| creators and masters. as IT is Tor healthy
| man TO provoke civil war between Dis two
| arms or legs.
| The idea of human society is, of itself,
| socialism, in which liberty IN certain non
4 essentials is voluntarily exchanged Tor
| conyeuiences and advantages that cannot
| he realized by individuals when living
| anart from each other.