The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-25
BIackmaiIing and Sandba gging of
Both Corporations and Citizens
Laid to Lawmakers.
A DEFENSE OF CAPITALISTS
LABOR AGITAToRS BLAMED FOR IN
DUSTRIAL DIsCONTENT.
Tabor Grand Opera House, in Denver,
Packed to Hear the Eloquent
Catholic Clergyman.

DENVER, Col, Oct 24.-The Tabor
Grand Opera House was crowded 10 the
doors this evening with people to listen to
the eloquent clergyman, Rev. Il. H. Ma
lone, deliver his much-discussed lecture on
''Socialistic Fallacies' So great was the
demand for admission that hundreds were
turned away and for the benefit of those
who were unable to hear Father Malone to-
night he has consented to deliver the lee
tire again next Sunday night Father
Malone's criticisms of the numerous
theories at present advanced for the better
ment of mankind were well and favorably
received. In part he said:
The wild and senseless attacks which
the defnagogue makes on capital and leglti-
mate corporations IN behalf of the laboring
man are to be deeply deplored by honest
law-ab1d1ng citizens. 1t is unfortunate for
labor that irresponsible blatherSkiteS are
allowed to inject themselves into labor diff
hcUlties AID 10 msrepresent The position Of
honest labor towards capital The dema
Soguo would make it appear that class is
naturally hostile TO class that the rich and
poor are intended by nature to live at war
with one another. Both the rich and the
poor must be made to understand that cap
ltal cannot do without labor nor labor with
out capital.
Il am opposed to socialism because its
votarleS chiefly engage themselves In ur-
just, unreasonable and senSelesS attacks on
corporate wealth. and because it is unten-
dDlS from religious, philosophical and
economic point of view. Intelligent citizens
should firmly oppose a system that would
destroy established institutions solely for
the purpose of arranging more general
distribution of wealth.
In entertaining these convictions 1 am
not unmindful that great corporations, rep
resentlng as they do, millions and SCme-
times hundreds of millions of dollars, may
use the power this capital gives to the in
jury or particular classes of private in
div1duals or smaller corporations, but this
l am sausned, is the exception, not the
rule. When corporations have been given
uhJuSI privileges, then these privileges
should be curtailed. 1t is because the
masses of the people fail to distinguish be-
tween privileges that are just and those
that are unjust, that corporations in gen.
eral are confounded with trusts and monop-
ones and made the object of the dema-
Tree 1t is as senseless to rail at corporate
wealth as at individual endeavor. Corpora
tlons owe their existence TO the laws that
govern them. They are as amenable to Elk
isting laws as any individual in the land.
10 assume that those who execute the laws
are all dishonest and that the government s
servants, once the government has assumed
control of private industry, would be hon
est IN the administration of the govern
Mlsht business, is preposterous assump-
uon To argue that laws cannot be en-
forced against corporations is to argue that
the race is depraved and to admit that
there is no hope for civilization.
III 1t be impossible to elect honest rep
resentatives and judges, would it not be the
height OF folly to place the vast interests
involved in corporations at the mercy of
men who are said to be irreclaimably cor
rupt? But 1T Is argued that wealthy indi-
VluualS and powerful corporations corrupt
| our legislators and debauch the peoples
representatives. This, indeed is a most
serious charge. Think of it. Our manly,
pure and spotless representatives, men
whose integrity and honesty are as i'm
maculate as virgin, are led astray by the
agents of corporations so that they be-
come forgetfIi of the peoples interests and
are willing to barter them away for a few
paltry pieces Of silver. Really, l don't
know what punishment should be meted out
70 the corporations and men of wealth who
SOIL the pure and spotless doves that COM
pose our city councils and average state
legislatures. 1t must be an awful power
that these men WELD that men who have
never tarried in the primrose path Of dali
nance should suddenly forget their Sunday
school teachings and for a BIT of shining
their country.
But what are the facts in the case? The
Aacts are that, generally speaking the cor
pofatonS are forced in self-defenSe to keen
ttSsglslaton within proper limits and defeat
lie scnemeS OF unScrupulous lobbyists and
WlLe-puuers, whose main object is TO fleece
ooth the public and the corporations If
corporations have their agents to ward off
legislation in their affairs that might he
productive of serious consequences, 1t must
not be forgotten that legislators have their
agents ana go-DetWeenS who serve the pur-
pose or carrying the Doodle to the lamblike
ana SpotleSS creatures whom we are told
capital debamches and corrupts. Every
session or the average state legislature wit
resses the Introduction of bills of a purely
'hold-up characteristic that are intro
Cuced solely for the purpose of terrorizine
capital, corporations and private individ-
uals, so that they will give up money in
consideration of said bills being killed or
SmOthered by those having them in charge.
Bills are introduced to reduce the price of
the telegraph, the telephone, freight, pas
senger and other charges; the lighting of
our cities, the cost of riding on street rail-
ways, to increase excise taxation, to limit
the hours during which liquor may be sold
to hamper druggists in their business and
in a thousand ways to interfere with private
industry. These bills have their origin in
the minds Of the legislators themselves and
are intl oduced for the purpose of forcing
the parties in interest to dsgorge money
that the bills may be killed. In self-de-
tense and to prevent the utter ruin of their
business, individuals, as well corpora
tlons, yield to INSCRIPTIONS Legislators and
then the cry goes forth that wealth and
capital are synonymous with bribery and
corruption. When honest men are elected
to office and just laws enacted, then there
will be no 'sandbaggiDg' of capital nor will
corporations be given unjust priviieges
but all will be found conformable as well as
amenable to the law.
There is danger in the undue interfer-
ence of the state in private affairs / be-
lieve the time has come when honest men
should speak out, as their conscience die
tates, in reference to present economic con-
ditions. The modern agitators, who seek to
array the masses of the people against cor
porate wealth, should be made to under
stand that there is good, as well as evil,
in wealth, and that the good more than
counterbalances the evil.
1T must be understood by all that legiti-
mate combinations of capital are a neces-
sity of our individual development. 1t is in
the hands Of the people themselves to mini
mize the danger, when wealth has been
corruptly acquired or used to crush cornpe-
tition, as they have it also in their hands
| to increase the benefits that flow from cor
porate wealth. Whatever dangers may
come from capital or any source whatso-
ever win be solved in the best interests of
the country. To hold otherwise, would be
to imply a doubt of the capacity of the
people for self-government.
UNnTHED Die TDUCT