Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-09-16

|of capital fourishes through govern
ment aid or without 1t, for. my friends.
you must see that any Industrial enter
prise which dominates the market
without aid from the government must
do SO through cheapening the product,
or. as IT is commonly called, by under
selling competitors. An industry which
at one and the same time reduces
prices and sMells its own profits must
accomplish that result by increasing
the volume OF its production. On the
other hand, an industry which domi-
mates the market by the favor Of gov
eminent, direct or indirect. can not. If
it could dominate the market by un-
lderselling competitors in an open field
without favor it would not need the
government favor
The speaker said. there were three
ways in which the government inter-
feres in the trade of industrials in this
country. One was by patent laws and
another by the tariff. He said he
would not waste time discussing these
questions, which could not possibly be
settled by the conference and upon
which the conference would have but
very little effect He believed the tariff
operated in favoring trusts by restrict
ing competition in the production of
any article to those engaged in it in
this country.
There is still third and serious
question: Mr.. Cochran continued,
with which think we can deal, and
which believe is vastly more extensive
in its results than this tariff in favor
of trusts And ] refer to those favors
which are extended to certain indus
tries of great corporations enjoying
government franchises, which are none
the less government agencies because
their stock is owned by private individ-
uals. And here we are face to face
with serious difficulty. First, must
assume ii serious difficulty because
BIT is almost impossible to describe it. II
is surrounded by secret. That it Is ex-
listing and does exist everybody be-
lieves. But, my friends, you must re-
member that no person can enjoy g
favor at the hands of any company en-
joying public franchise except at the
expense of another. 1t is true of ev-
cry instance where the government
favors an Individual. / have said in
many places. and l say here, that the
government cannot at one and the
same time be a fountain of generosity
and of justice. Government cannot
create anything. Now, If government
cannot create anything it has nothing
of its own to bestow. If it undertakes
to enrich one individual the thing that
lit gives to him it must take from am
Iother. A government cannot be just
and generous at the same time, for, if
| it be generous TO one ii must be OPP
pressiye to another.
The most that YOU can expect 10
make of a perfect government is a just
lone. That is 10 say. an impartial gov
ernment. A government is always just
4 and always beneficent when it is abso-
lutely impartial. The agencies that i,
empowers to discharge functions essen
italy public must be Impartial in thai
service to every human being within
the limits of the state.
Now, | have said that these favor.
]are extended by the common belief, ant
/ l have said and acknowledge that /
one person attains rates that are ex
cessively favorable. II his goods ar,
transported at a loss, why other mel
Iusing that same facility, must max
good the loss. If goods are transporte,
from Chicago to New York for anybod,
for less than they cost. why that mus
be made up by the commerce of hun
, dreds of others who pay too much.
The remedy is simply to define
practical penalty, a serious one. an
then provide for the publicity and tn
proper statute of publicity, and yo
need not enforce the penalty An off
Ger of a corporation granting specie
favors TO any person who has RICH
to use that possession on equal term
with everybody else, ought to be hel
guilty of serious felony. No fines. n
judicial rebukes, no Pronunciation frof
platforms. no legislative enactment
declaring things are reprehensive, wi
i touch the subject but the specific en-
actment that the special rate granite
to any one is not enjoyed by Others
felony. and the proper means to punis
II it viii do something towards checkin
Il it. and, my friends, that is not an
tnconsiderate statement, 1t is a Grim
i of the first magnitude. A public off
cial in control of any great public frar
j chise who gives to one man opportun
: ties at the expense of another robs TIL;
+ other party, ii not of property in h
possession, of the opportunity TO a,
: quire property
My friends, the remedy for all evi
( in my Judgment is the original remed
: which ggested-publicity publicit
A statute which would modify bl
/, slightly, if al all, the existing laws
{ every state, would make this species
fraud impossible, and while / belize
! that it is possible that this conferen
7 may reach an unanimous conclusio
because every person who has spok'
+ upon the subject has agreed that pu
: Lefty is the remedy for unfair and u
4 just discrimination.
What objection can there be to !
They tell you it's private business. !
: honest man ever yet discharging
: duty for another, claims the cloak
secrecy. That is a badge of fraud. J
corporation anxious to perform hone
> services to the public and its stoc
: holders will seek secrecy on will insi
: upon it. We have but to provide
simple statute that any stockhold
shall have the right to examine t
e books of a company and know ever
thing about its concern, although
y owns but one share.
ie "ln addition to that. every corpor
ton should be compelled to file WI
= the secretary of state, when it orga