The San Francisco call., 1897-07-07
R0SS LEc7UhES AT HIGHLAND
Corporations Put in the Wdy of
Public Men

WRIGHTS, CAL, July 6.-Professor E.
A. Ross OF Stanford University gave a
lucid exposition at the Highland Grange
Hall this afternoon OF How Economic
Changes Are Putting New Strains on Pub
lie Men," There is first to be noticed, he
said, the rise of natural monopolies where
in the nature of things there was no
chance for competition, as in the case of
railroads, telegraphs telephones. express,
streetcars, gas and electric lighting and
water supply. These all had 10 do, he
said, with transportation and communi-
cation, and were all due to new modes.
Industry had come to be organized on a
great scale. There had come bout a con-
centration of capital, as in the production
or manufacture of coal, steel, ermor plate,
oil, sugar, salt, wire nails, whisky and
jute. The coal com bination had $500, O0O.-
900 of capital under one control. Other
similar com bin ations on a vast scale were
in progress.
There had necessarily arisen on the
other hand, the organization of labor to
meet on more even terms organized
capital. Vast organizations of hundreds
of thousands OF men had sprung up. We
had then the necessary struggle between
labor and capital.
There was less honesty, he said, in cor
porate than in individual management.
Now the state or community stepped in
with public regulations. There was none
of this formerly. The state has assumed
a new role. Where in former times there
were no monopolies and there was no
necessity for the interference Of the state
there had now arisen an absolute neces-
sity for he state to step in between the
monopoly and the public. 1t must as
sumo the role of arbitrator These oues-
tions were thus thrust upon public atten-
tion and the attention of public officials,
The emergency calls for the making OF
new laws.
At this juncture, said Professor Ross.
we came TO con sider the effect OF the con-
centration of vast property interests under
single management upon the passage and
execution of laws affecting these conceu.
trated interests. The difficulty of carry.
ing out the law had been increased. There
had been breaking down of the human
instruments OF law-making and execu-
ton.
The man who had anything to do with
the making or carrying out of the law was
confronted at every point with the con-
centration OF immense private interest.
What II was worth to the railroads, he
said, 10 control the railroad com m ission-
ers, running up into vast sums, would
represent TIC Vi elliott tue rail-
road would make TO get control OF them.
This led to corruption.
And thus were new strains put upon
public men. Numerous exam Piles were
cited to show how they have succum bed.
Men, he said, were going to smash" in
the presence of great temptations.
Professor Ross showed the various meth
DDS of public corruption from large con-
tributions to cam paign funds to direct
fod
three things. First, TO get the very best
and strongest timber known in the COM
munity to put in Office, and in this con-
nection the primaries must be cleaned;
second, the public official must be given
the strongest and most continuous and
active backing of the people. even going
to bitterness toward concentrated capital
as a dangerous and ever watcnful enemy.
and third. better tim Der for public office
must be developed. A spur must be given
to men by tn, moral forces of education.
public opinion and religion.