The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1892-04-08
Friday. April 8. 1902.
Artificial Persons.

Artificial Persons.
An artificial person is a creation OF law
Of the State, corporation. A corporation
is defined by Webster as, IA body polite,
formed and authorized by Law to act as
single person, and endowed by law with the
capacity Of perpetual succession; society
having the capacity of enacting business as
an individual" II may be said of corpor-
ations they are giants in these days. They
are invested with the power of transacting
business as individuals. It is apparent that
these artificial persons are veritable giants.
They are exempt from punishment by death
or imprisonment, and being endowed with
the strength Of many individuals, they can
set at defiance the might of the natural
person, the citizen. Again there is no limit
to their growth or age. except BY that which
they feed Oh. Some of these artificial per-
SOUS have attained the colossal strength Of
governments. We have in this country
many of these corporations or artificial per-
sons that WELD more power, and are many
times Weather than many of the European
Kingdoms, and they exercise fully as much
power and control over the persons in their
employ. They are infinitely stronger than
any of our State governments and deny the
right Of control or supervision Of the govern
ment. They have mostly been created by
States and have rapidly out grown the
cover OF their creators.
In view Of these dangers and rapid in
crease in power it is apparent that the strong
hand Of government, their creator, should
be kept on them to restrain and regulate
their actions. The citizen, who has no
more chance against such gigantic power
than the Liliputs had against Gnlliver,
should have the shield of government al
ways held over him. A corporation which
has neither soul or body but is endowed
with superhnman power, should never be
let loose to do its will among unprotected
citizens. They all should be under the
rigid supervision and control ofgovernment
This is especially true ofthose corporations
which haye been granted franchises which
make them natural monopolies.
lfgovernment has been ordained for any
purpose it is for the protection of The citizen,
the protection Of the weak against the
strong. The strong seldom need protection
other than they have in their own power tc
use. The corporation is blind force
directed by two or more persons into whose
hands has been placed BY the act Of govern
ment. the power to use unlimited amounts
of capital, which may be multiplied at will
and often is fictitious. This dangerous
creature, the corporation, IS granted priv
ileges that are denied the citizen. TheJ
take al will his property and encroach upor
his freedom ofaction, under the claim
which is often fictitious, of the public good
The benefits flowing from these corporate
prerogatiyes are appropriated by few per-
sons who use these grants Of power to levy
tribute on their bretheren which is offer
many times more injurious to them than all
the promised benefits conferred, for which
their charter was claimed and granted.
If il were not for the public benefit prom.
ised no such prerogative as corporate priv.
ilege would ever be granted. This being
SO, those privileges should ever be jealousy
guarded by the power which grants them,
and a strict supervision Of the State oyer
them maintained. The State should main
tain control or careful supervision of every
corporation, fully as much as the officers Of
the institution, demanding frequent reports
of lis business. The State owes protection
to the citizen from any possible danger OF
imposition from the result OF its action. In
place Of this, however, we behold the reck-
less procedure ofthe State dispensing hum
dreds Of these dangerous privileges with no
concern for the use that may be made Of
them.
There is no other means except BY cor
posate methods that production can be null
tiplied so vastly and products so cheapened
The aggregation Of capital in combination
with The labor-saving machinery of the age
and the natural forces which have been
brought under control of man. can in nc
other way, conveniently. fiat all. be utilized
save by The corporation. To entrust such a
powerful force as this in the hands Of a few
persons to abuse if they see fit, and to ap-
propriate all benefits derived from the ex-
ercise oft without control and with nc
protection for the citizen from it's probable
abuse is crime on the part of government
equal in enormity 10 any that despotism
ever inflicted. The United States is the
worst corporation cursed Of any nation or
the globe.
The Philadelphia Ledger is one Of