Kansas City daily journal., 1897-01-31

consist first of acts which are merely in
cidental to the two above described; as,
for example, those acts which are neces-
sary TO adapt remedial law 10 the peculiar
tiles of corporations. They consist, second,
of a series of acts which would be re-
garded as unwarrantable invasions of pri-
mary. fundamental, personal and property
rights if they had been directed in terms
at the individuals composing the corpora
tion. They consist of burdens and restric-
tions laid upon the corporation for the
benefit of the rest of the world. The law
does not favor men united together in
| corporate enterprises. but discriminates
against them. As long as men conduct
business as individuals or as partnerships,
| the law for the most part lets them alone,
| but as soon as they Unite in the form of a
| corporation the law begins to put restric-
| tions and burdens upon them. It taxes
them more heavily. 1t subjects them to
| public examinations. 1t assumes to say
how much of profits they may make. Tie
| state having made what it thought was a
concession in order TO render possible GER
tain large cooperative enterprises, has
made these concessions, slight and trivial
as they seem on the face of them, the pre-
text and excuse for imposing special re-
strictions and burdens which are very
numerous"
When the senator says that corporations
are endowed with rights which are wholly
different from those which are exercised
by natural citizens, he is in error. Men
united in corporation are not accorded
the full rights which are accorded TO the
natural citizens. When Colonel Harris
says that corporations are given powers
vastly in excess of those held by the nat
ural citizens, he is wrong. The law gives
corporations very limited powers. Corpor-
atiCns are held to their contracts lust as
strictly as individuals and there is not a
particle of doubt that corporations perform
their contracts with vastly more faithful
ness than individuals do. Mr.. Gleed saws:
Stockholders of corporations are per
sons who have had thrift enough to save
something. They are above the average |
in intelligence. They appreciate the value |
Of credit and the economy of prompt and |
faithful fulfllment of obligations. Further |
more, the very size of the corporation |
keeps its affairs in the light. Corporations |
act through trustees and representatives.
The president of a bank is less tempted 10
unfair dealing when acting for an instftu-
tion in which he may have comparatively
small personal interest than he might or
dinarily as a private citizen acting for
himself alone. There is no escaping the
following propositions:
cooperation.
''Second-One of the first forms of it is
the partnership.
''Third-A higher form of cooperation is
the corporation.
'Fourth-The corporation is only possible
anG can only be successful as people reach
high degree of intelligence and sound
moral development. There can be no sue
'essful corporation until the people have
become highly trustworthy.
Fffth-A corporation is a great labor
saving, waste preventing, economizing de-
vice just as much as a steam engine is,
The past fifty years have been the most
fifty years in the history of the
world so far as concerns the material well |
Being of the great body of the people
10 far as concerns the subjection of the
powers of nature to mans coptrol-and in
his wonderful fifty years of development
he corporation has played great and
'enetcent part"