The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-12-10

towards private capital and in order 10
give force 10 what ! shall say in TINS
regard. / would place before YOU. the
oLinion OF one OF the ablest bishops the
church has ever had In this country, the
late Right Rev. james 0'Connor, ID. D..
Communists and socialists are at one
iii their views of private capital. They
consider il the most fruitful source of
the poverty and crime that have al
flicted the world. and the chief obstacle
in the way OF that millennium to which
they would lead modern society. Capt.
taitsts. they tell lis, are a class who
reap where they have not sown. who
live in idleness and luxury corrupt
themselves and corrupting all around
them. They are parasites. that draw
life and sustenance from society. with
out giving 1t anything in return. They
are Insurers, extortioners and robbers,
who. in a thousand ways deSpoil the
laborer of the fruit Of his toll and con-
denim him to lifelong want and suffer
ing This is the burden Of the charges
brought against capital by socialistic
writer's and orators, and which they
emphasize with that cheap. explosive
rhetoric with which we are all familiar,
and which seldom fails Ia dazzle and
excite the selfish and minimizing. who
are brought under its influence. The
socialist, then. would suppress the
capitalist. and would do So by with
factories, workshops, raw materials,
machinery and the capital necessary TO
employ them. from the control Of pri-
yate individuals. and make them the
property of the state. or the commune.
But does the capitalist merit the OPP
probrious epithets heaped upon him by
socialstic writer's and orators? Is he,
really. the hostis humani generis, they
represent him? He may, indeed. be
drone he may gather where he has not
sown, he may be sensualist: he may
be an extortionef, uSurer who Will
take his pound of flesh when he can
get it, but is he necessarily such2 Is
he such because he is Il capitalist? 1t
We're simply absurd TO say SO Wealth.
it is true is a very dangerous acquisi-
tinn For many have heen brought TO
fall for gold, and the beauty thereof
has been their ruin. Ii is. nevertheless
no crime 10 be rich. solomon exceed
ed all the kings of the earth in riches,
vet he loved the Lord. walking in the
preeepts Of David, his father 1t is for
hidden to amass wealth unjustly. to love
Ii Unfortunately, 10 spend ii wastefully,
or for evil purposes. But To acquire
and enjoy it without injury To others.
or oneself. is no sin. II 1t be, where
does the sin begin? Ar fifty, or hun
bred thousand? At a million. or at ten
millions? Your soeiaistic moralists
would | fear, find ii no easy matter
To name the guilty figure. Good and
bad are to be found in every class of
society, among the poor as well as
among the rich, among Workmen rs
we'll as among employers and capital
lists. But can the capitalist, even when
he receives what is generally considered
only a fair and just return on his in
yestments, be said to do an injury To
society and especially To the working
man? Certainly not He invests his
money and by so doing produces wealth,
which pays taxes, thereby helping the
government to pay its debts. and pri-
yate corporations TO commence and car
ny on business. Does this aid, which
they solicit and receive from him, give
him no claim to his interest and his
dividends? He lends il To individual
merchants or manufacturers, who, by
business talent. tact or thrift realize
on ii 20 per cent. and who give him
half this amount. Must he be deemed a
robber because he accepts this interest !
III so he must DE a strange sort OF rob
Der indeed lie is robber whom very
many persons like To meet, and are gen.
orally the better for having met. lie Il
a robber whom thousands go In search
OF every day in our cities and towns
He is a robber who helps men to fortune
instead OF depriving them Of il, and
who by developing the interests OF the
community and the resources of the
country in which he lives, establishes q
claim to the gratitude and respect ot
both rich and poor. There are, IL seems
to me, very few cities in this or any
other country where distinguished rob
beers of this class would not be welcome
to spend their booty in adding To the
number of their mills and factories.
If ii be impossible to elect honest rep
resentatiyes and judges, would II not be
the height of folly TO place the vast in
In linn a ha
mercy Of men who are said 10 he ir-
reclama bly, corrupt? But il is urged
that wealthy individuals and powerful
corporations corrupt our Legislators and
debauch the peoples representatives
! This indeed, is most serious charge
! Think of it, our manly, pure and spot
/ less representative men, whose integ-
rity and honesty are as immaculate al
a virgin, are led astray by the agents
] OF corporations. so that they become
| forgetful Of the peoples interests an6
are willing 10 barter them for "A fe"
/ paltry pieces of silver. Really | don
/ know what punishment should b.
meted out to the corporations and mel
of wealth who soil the pure and spot
/ less doves that compose our city coun
! Gil. and average state legislatures
1t must be n n awful power that thes,
/ men Weld. that men who never tarriet
in the primrose path Of dallianee.
should suddenly forget their Sunda,
! school teachings. and for a bit Of shin
ing gold betray themselves their stat
and their country
/ + But what are the facts in the case
| The facts are. that generally speaking
| corporations are forced, in self-defense
To keep legislation within proper limits
| and defeat the schemes of unsefupn
| lous lobbyists and wire pullers. Who's
main object is 10 fleece both the pnbli
and the corporations II corporation
have their agents to ward off legisla
ton in their affairs that may be pro
! ductive of serious consequences, II mus
not he forgotten that Legislators them
| selves have their agents and go-be
| tweens. who serve the purpose of carry
| ing the Doodle to the lamb-like am
spotless creatures whom. we are told
| capital debauches and corrupts.
Every session Of the average stat
| legislature witnesses the Introduction O
bills of a purely "hold-up' character
! bills that ara introduced solely for tn
] 1iIrnaSts ~ ttTrariying capital corpora