The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1902-10-07

measured by justice and tnat the
same consideration should be given
to the one as to the other. 1t should
not be our aim to destroy capital, but
to teach capital it's duty; TO deprive 1t
of it's power of usurpation; TO equal
Ire the powers and influences Of labor
and capital; to suppress that spirit
which tends to make our government
one of plutocracy and have ii really
and truly a government of the peo-
pie. for the people, and by the peo-
pie
THAT corporations have assumed
greater powers than they are rightful-
ly entitled to, and that these powers
have not been used to the best inter-
ests of the country and its people has
been very clearly demonstrated in The
past. AS an illustration of this, look
at the conditions that exist at pres
ent in the anthracite coal region;
here we see powerful corporation,
in defiance OF law, controlling both
the miuing and railroad properties
of the state This most arrogant cor
poration which enjoys such profitable
public privileges, defiantly informs the
public that it has no right TO In any
manner interfere with its business or
its dealings with its employees; but at
the same time 1t demands that the
public shall, at an enormous cost, pro-
tect its property against a menace
which its own arrogance and disre-
( gard for justice has brought upon it.
1t is right and just that the property
of the corporation should be protected
iron, violence.
But, is not the labor of the miner as
much his property and his capital as
the mine is the property and the capi-
tai of the operator? This being true
should not the law protect the labor of
the miner against the more subtle, yet
none the less disastrous depredations
Of the operator just as it protects the
property of the operator against the
violence of the mob? Until the law
does this it will not be treating all men
equal. know that many will attempt
to make this appear a fallacy; but 1t
is only by a perverted system of rea-
soning that any one can refute the
logic of this contention.
We are told by the leaders of the
predominant party that we must be
careful not to enact any legislation
that might injure the trusts for fear
of causing distress in the business
world. Those who find fault with the
trust and its methods are condemned
81 ,,,lt1 ,I.z L.,
an apologetic manner to be patient and
we will soon begin to look upon the
trusts as being good things l myself
would not favor any radical action that
would tend to cause revolution In the
world Of commerce and industry.
In dealing with this question eau
ton, wisdom and moderation should
be used. But 1t Is adding insult to in
Jury to tell the American people that
they must allow those arrogant corpo-
rations to continue unmolested in their
subtle depredations; that they must
be patient while these corporations de-
prive them of their rights, add to their
already outrageous powers and encir-
Gle the people with the heavy and
oppressive chain of their unjust power
until they will not even have the pow
er to offer resistance to the mandates
of the corporations.
There can be, should be and will be,
If the American workmen assert them
selves at the polls, legal restrictions
placed upon the trusts that will abridge
their powers and compel them to re-
spect the rights of labor and the peo-
pie in general. There are now on our
statute books, laws which, in the be-
lief of many, are substantial enough to
properly restrict the corporation; but
those whose duty 1t is to enforce these
laws declare them inadequate instead
OF attempting their enforcement. Then,
1t Is evident that we must not only
have laws that will protect the people
against the corporations, but we must
have public officials who are not the
minions of plutocracy or in any man.
ner obligated to serve the trusts to the
detriment Of the people
The corporations are no longer sat
isfied with unsurping and controlling
all the powers of the civil government;
but they now claim divine right" to
pursue their merciless and autocratic
policies. As an instance of this, take
the statement of President Baer, of the
+ Philadelphia and Reading Railway
company who. in response to q citizen
who had protested against the methods
employed by the operators in the an
thracite strike, classed himself and
colleagues as:. Men whom Almighty
God, In his infinite wisdom, has given
control Of the property interest of this
country"
/ a..