The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1902-08-29

4 20 ' 1H-ll SoSoE llIL4 EaS \
of evil. Life is nos SO simple
as it was, and surely both for the in-slj
dividual and the community simple life
is normally healthy life. There is not
in cities the same sense of a common
underlying brotherhood which there is
still in country localities, and the lines
of social cleavage are far more clearly
marked. Fol some Of the evils which
have attended upon the good of the
changed conditions we can at present
see no complete remedy. For others
the remedySinust come by the action OF
men themselves in their private ,capa--t
city, whether merely as individuals or
by combination one with another. For
yet some others the remedy can be
found in the legislative end Of execu-
tive action, national, state or NUM-
cipal.
Much of the complaint against com
binationS is entirely unWarranted. I'm
der present day conditions 1t Is as nee
essary to have corporations in the busl-
ness world as it is to have organiza-
tons among wage workers. But we
nave the right to ask in each case that
they shall do good and not harm. Elk
actly as labor organizations, when
managed intelligently and in a spirit
of justice and fair play, are or very
great service, not only to wage work
ers, but to the whole community, as
the history Of many labor organizations
has conclusively shown, 81 wealth, not
merely individual but corporate. when
used Alright, is not merely a benefit to
the community as a whole, but indis-
pensable to the upbuilding of the couh-
try, under conditions, which at present
the country has grown not only to &C
cept, but to demand as normal. This
is SO obvious it seems trite even to
state it, and yet if we are to judge from
| cnn1a nf the arguments
against, and attacks made upon,
wealth as such, the fact is worth keep
ing in. mind.
Good, Not Harm, from Wealth.
"a great fortune If not used Alright
makes it's possessor in a peculiar sense
a menace to the community as a whole
Just as a great intellect does If 1t is
unaccompanied by a developed con-
science and by character. But obvious
ly this no more affords ground for con-
demning wealth than it does for con-
demning intellect. Every mans power
exists by the very fact that his power
is capable of doing damage to his neigh
bors, but we cannot afford to discour-
age development of such men merely
because it is possible they may use
their power for wrong ends. If we do
so we should leave u history a blank,
for we should nave no great states
men, soldiers or merchants, no great
men Of arts, Of letters or of science.
Doubtless On the average the most. use
full man to his fellow citizens is apt to
be he to whom has been given what
the psalmist prayed for, neither pow
ertya nor riches, but a great captain OF
industry, a man Of wealth, who alone
or in combination with his fellows,
drives through u great business en-
terprises is a factor without which this
country could not possibly maintain its
nracant ipal1Strial nncitinr in tho world
Good, not harm, normally comes from
the piling up Of wealth through bust
ness enterprises. Possibly the most
serious harm resulting to us people of
moderate means is when we harm our
selves by letting the dark and evil
vices of IVY n hatred towards our
fellows eat into our natures.
Is Need of Supervision.
STILL, there is other harm of a more
evident kind, and such harm it is our
clear duty to try to eradicate If pos
sible, and in any event minimize. The
corporations, and therefore those great
corporations containing some tendency
to, monopoly which we nave grown tc
speak Of rather loosely as trusts, are
creatures of the state, and the state
not only has a right to control them
but is in duty bound to control then
wherever need for such control is
shown. There is clearly need of super
vision-need to exercise the power OF
regulation on the part of the repre-
sentatfves of the public, wherever, as
in our w country at the present
time, business corporations become sc
very strong, both for beneticent work
and for work that Is not always benz
ficent.
1T is idle to say there is no need fol
such supervision. Sufficient Warrant
for it is to be found over anG
over again in any of the various evils
resulting from the present system, o.
rather lack Of system.
There is in our country, a peculiar
difficulty in the way Of exercising much
supervision and control because of the
peculiar division of governmental power
When industrial conditions were sim.
pie, very little control was needed ant
no trouble caused by doubt as tt
where the owe lodged under the con
stitution. Now conditions are compli.
Gated, and we fine it difficult to frame
national legislation which shall be AIDE.
quate. AS a matter of practical expert
ence, state action has proved entire.
ly insufficient n in all human proba,
bility cannot or will not be made suf'
ficient to meet the needs of the case
Some of our states have excellent laws
laws which it would be well indeed tt
have enacted by the national legiSla'
ture. But there are wide differences il
these laws, eve between adjacenr
states, and uncertainty as to power O.
enforcement results practically in al
together insufficient control
Nation Must Assume. Control.
II believe the nation must assume thi:
power of control by legislation. and l.
it becomes evident the constitution will
not permit of needed legislation, the1
by a constitutional amendment. TIL
immediate need in dealing with the
trusts is to place them under the real
not nominal, control Of some sovereign
to which as it creatures the trust!
lshall owe allegiance, and in whose
courts the sovereign's orders may will
certainty be enforced. This is not the
case with the ordinary so-called trus
of today, for such trust is a large state
corporation, generally doing business
in other states also, and often with {
tendency to monopoly. Such a trus1
is an artificial creature, not wholly re-
~Isponsible to or comfortable by any
Legislature, nor wholly subject to the
jurisdiction of any n court. Some
governmental sovereign must be giver
full power over these artificial anG
very powerful corporate beings. In my
Judgment this sovereign must be tht
national government. When it has
Ibeen given full power, then this full
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