The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-09-06
ansrIcE RRowN,s SOCIALISM.

The New England Puritan commenced
his sojourn in this country with fixed
opinion that government and legislation
were the sources from which all good TO
men emanated. He believed that men
should be coerced by civil power into that
state of mind which measured up TO
his own idea OF what should constitute
happiness, and he believed in the princi-
pie that the citizen, instead of uphold
ing his government, should lean upon his
government for sustenance and support.
lie fixed the trend of public opinion
very thoroughly in this direction In his
bleak New England home, and it has
remained fixed there in that direction TO
this day. Not only So but New England
ideas were made to prevail in all the
nestes of the Northwest while they were
being settled and built up, and we con-
sequently find this socialistic cast of
public opinion very prevalent there now.
Justice Henry d. Brown, of the SUI
preme Court Of the United States was
appointed no that tribunal from The
Northwest, and it is not unnatural, there
fore, to find that his opinions are strongly
tlnctured with the old New England
ideas.
In an address which he delivered last
week to the National Bar Association he
used the following language:
L,gslating can do much to improve the
A,t,,r -
ers, and to palliate the evils OF the pres
ent sitt alton. 1t may fix The numccr OF
hours OF a legal DAYS work, provide tnat
payment be made at stated periods, pro-
tect tie life and health Of the working
an agains. accidents or diseases arising
from nl-cCnstructCd machinery II dan
gtrCus occupations, and may limit or pro
hibit altogether the labor OF women ana
children.
IL may 70 deeper still. Bearing in mird
that the most grieyous cause for com
plant lies I'm monopOlies ana combina-
lions, II may by constitutional amendment,
II nee ssary, forbid the cnarter Of bus!-
ness CORPORATIONS for any other purposes
tan those OF mini s. manufacturing,
irrurance, or tran spoItatiOn, especially
for farming or trading purposes. or traf-
hcking in any manner IN The neoessaries
OF Nfe
With the aid OF the judicial power 1t
may put an end to combinations having
for their object the control and monopoly
OF particular articles OF manufacture. or
may accomplish the same purpose by au-
tlorizing such articles TO be placed tenn
porarily upon the free list
1t may put stop to the vicious system
OF building railroads and other public
works through construction companies or
ganized by the directors Of the road in
hal Int 70 xyh al ba 10
and all the available stock is turned over,
and equipping the same through car
trust certificates. also issued to the di-
rectors. who thus retain 10 themselves
title 10 the rolling stock. most cum
ningiy devised scheme by which ,he stock
holders and creditors are first defraUded
for the benefit OF the bOndhOlders and
the bondholders are thus defrauded for
the benefit OF the directors.
BY the election OF competent and fear
less executive officers. the people may do
much 10 secure the management OF cor
porations for the benefit OF the stockhold-
ers and the public. and may throttle those
cooperative Frankensteins which. created
by the legislature, have misused their
powers 10 corrupt the will and paralyze
the arm OF their creators. Upon the
other hand, II is equally It's duty to pro-
tect the laboring man, whether union or
LOn-uilOil, III MS iltut 10 WoIh lOf WNofn
and at such wages as ne pieases, and 10
secure his person against violence.
In protecting the public against the
tyranny OF capital. Il is equally incumbent
upon the legislature TO guard II against
tho tyranny Of labor.
Here we have, TO perfection, the New
England idea Of government. securing
all good 20 the people while healthy teach
ings with sound morals amongst the peo-
Pile count for nothing. There IL but one
idea In the whole OF this extract which