Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1902-10-06

means Of self existence in time Of
peace?
Suppose all the soft coal interests
were in exactly the same condition
as the hard coal interests now are, and
that all these interests were under the
control Of these same half dozen rail.
way managers. Would neither the
state nor the nation have any right to
interfere until an amendment could
be adopted to the Federal Constitution
authorizing the government by statu-
tory provision to enforce its inherent
rights? 1t would not be difficult to
imagine a condition of things in which
practically the whole soft coal inter-
ests, and certainly all the coking coal
interest would come even more COM
pletely under the control of three or
four men than the hard coal interest
is now under the control of like
number Of men.
The Pennsylvania Railroad now con-
trolls the Baltimore & Ohio railroad,
the Chesapeake & Ohio railroad. and
the Norfolk & Western railroad. These
lines control the great bulk of the
soft coal interest in the Northern
states, and the whole of the coking
coal interests in all of these states
Have the managers Of these lines
right to stop the production of coke
and coal in all Of these states by either
an active or a passive policy?
No corpora ton is ever granted a
charter to keep any industry, great or
small. in state of continued or en-
forced idleness. Every corporation is
granted chartered powers upon the ex-
pressed condition and for the express
purpose of prosecuting and carrying
on the industries for which 1t Is char.
tered. Every act done and every pol
icy adopted by the corporation con
trary to these provisions is done out.
side of its chartered powers and with
out any authority from the state which
grants its charter, and any and every
such corporal ton is entitled to no pro
lection from the state while acting ir
violation Of its charter Chartered
powers are supposed to be granted ir
the interest of the state or natior
which grants them. If for any cause
the corporation, to which such power
are granted. fails to serve the interes
of the state or nation which grant
them, what is to prevent such powe
under it's right of eminent domain from
taking charge of the corpora tions II
the interest of the whole public TO
whose benefit these charters wer
granted?
But it would probably be elaine,
that such course would be interfering
with vested rights. Everyone VIII
buys a railway security knows the con
dition upon which a railway or an.
other corporation is chartered. Their
can be no vested rights which CLAIM
to exist at the expense of the injur,
and loss of the whole community.
No corporation has any right or au
thority to keep the fuel supply of tn
hard coal fields or the soft coal field
away from the consumer. It is tn
right and the duty of the governmen
whenever such a state of things oC
ours, to step in and if necessary t
take charge, both of the mines and The
transportation Of this fuel.
Think of the helplessness of our owr
government with every warship, the
the national capitol and all the grea,
departments of the government al
Washington being shut down and clos
ed up for want of fuel because four OF
five railway managers say that the
government whose troops or the STATE
militia are protecting them shall moi
have any fuel until the terms which
are satisfactory to them are compiled
with-think of the position of the gov
ernment claiming that there is no rem
edy for this state of affairs until an
amendment to the Constitution can b,