Evening journal., 1902-11-24

was simply n means OF attempting to
combine many purchasers and sellers
to prevent competition, res srict trade.
control wages, and raise or keep up
prices. Has it not in this and various
other ways used the very law which
legislatures have passed to assist in
carrying out the law of economies to
defeat some OF the principles that are
solidly implanted in the economic LAW.
They have justified their acts under the
claim that they are in accord with cor
poration law. They, and it would seem
public officers. and even the courts,
have overlooked the fact that their acts
are not only controlled by the corpora
tion law which regulates their power
to purchase, sell, etc, as corporation
in their dealings with other indivldu-
ais or corporations, but that there are
other principles of law applicable TO
them and their acts in relation to the
public or the state. That the right to E1
q corporation-to issue stocks a
franchise granted by the State, an1
that the stockholders must be held
responsible to the State. the grantor,
for the proper carrying out Of the OBJ
jects and purposes of the grant Progsr
limitations thrown around the corpora
tion laws. and the strict enforcement
of the principles of law applicable to
corporations in their duty to the State,
it would seem, might prevent the evils
that exist. That evils do exist seems
to be generally admitted. The public.
and legislative bodies acting fer the
public, have recognized these serious
Results, and in their endeavor to cor
rect the evils have enacted laws that
tend to regulate contracts, management
OF industrial enterprises, and generally
TO make Us paternal government
gradually moving toward socialism.
The mistake seems to be that they
have failed to recognize the great
source of the evil and direct their at
tention to the very root of the trouble.
They have attempted to meet the evil.
without remedying the cause. by leg
islative regulation of private enter
prises and general governmental con-
troll of industries.
If We would stop this tendency and
maintain that individual freedom
which is the pride of our country, cap
tains OF industry must recognize their
true economical relation to the COM
munity AS has been said:
THE concentration of capital. like
the concentration OF all power in So
ciety, involves the surrender OF GER
tain amount OF productive individual
ity in the community. This can never
be iusunable, nor will it permanently
be tolerated, unless it results in giving
to the community a full equivalent in
a.. .INanr .faar nfn
economic law of permanent productive
Indignation is that increased concen-
tration of capital and power in fewer
hands is economically iustihable and
socially tolerable, If at all, only ON the
condition of improved services to the
community, in better quality or lower
prices OF what is furnished. Profits
are the legitimate regard Of capitalistic
enterprise; but they should always be
obtained by exploiting the community
through higher prices. The failure OF
capitalists to recognize this principle
as the inexCrahle economic law OF their
existence is sure to bring social antag-
onism which will result in some form
OF arbitrary, unccurOmic restriction,
detrimental alike TO capital and the
community. Capitalists who imagine
that any amount Of accumulated wealth
can enable them t. defy this social law
are genelaliy msttken, and sooner OF
later will lave to pay the penalty by
the arrest oftheir progress, If not by the
entire disrcts, ssICn of their present In
dustrial opportunities
In some quarters there would seem
to be a denial of the right OF labor bC
combine Il Is the unQuestionable law
of the land that labor has the sam'
rights to combine that capital has. ant
capital has the same rights that labor
has. Tho purposes and objects Of the
combination OF each are lmitea by the
same well established principles OF law
Il is the duty Of the proper officers o
lthc country to see that each keeps
within these limitations. Capita
lshould not be permitted under the dis
lguisc OF corporate form to contro
TRADE. destroy competitions removl
Equality Of opportunity, and pray upol
\ the public generally contrary to thos
we'll established principles OF Law
which forbid such combinations. Labo
combinations should likewise be KEEP
within legal limitations
AS j said in the beginning, the glor,
of our country and the secret OF il
SUCCESS in attaining the lead OF tn
nations of the world is found in it
guaranteed protection to the inalien
able rights Of property, to life, libert,
and the pursuit of happiness. II capita
by destroying competition, by restrain
ling trade, and by making labor a sim
lple machine, make It impossible 70
him to have any say In the terms o
1.-THE contract other than to work at tn
terms offered. or go without work, /
will suffer the results Of antagonism L
economic law. The people ara tn
government in this country. Their in
dependence and liberty must be main
ltained that the standard Of citizenship
shall be sufficiently high to guarantee
good government Competition is ont
OF the strong guarantees Of this libert!
and must be maintained.
II we are TO have monopolies-an'
they do succeed in reducing the price
of reduction-they must be subjected
a. ,.,,-,,1o ts,p ond control hpeausn %