Omaha daily bee., 1902-08-24

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they must work far more largely by means
OF combinations among themselves than
when they live Isolated from one another.
Now. i suppose hat most or us prefer on
many count the old conditions OF life,
under which the average man lived more
to himself and by himself, when the aver
age community was more self-dependent,
and where, ever though the standard OF
comfort was lower on the average, yet
in worldly conditions which we now see In
our great cities.
II e not true that the poor have grown
so very much richer that where muititudes
OF men are herded together In a limited
space the contrast strikes the onlooker as
our people earn more and live better than
ever before, and the progress Of which we
are so proud could not have taken place
had Il not been for the great upbuiiding
OF INDUSTRIAL centers, such as our CONNER
cial and manufacturing cities.
Both Good and Evil.
But together with the good there has
come a measure OF evil. Life Is not SO
simple as 1t was, and surely both for the
Individual and the community the simple
life is normally the healthy life. There Is
not In the cities the same sense of common
underlying brotherhood which there is stu
In country localities, and the lines Of social
cleavage are far more clearly marked.
tended ST npon 81 the she CHANGED sM "H condlt hens S We
can at. present see no complete remedy.
For others, the, remedy must. come BY
capacity, whether merely as individuals or
by combination, one with another. For yet
others some other remedy can be found In
legislative and executive action, national,
state or municipal. Much OF the. complaint
asStfnsst 9f%S1 Ia Is entirely pnwar.
necessary to have corporations In the bust
ness word as It is TO have organization
right TO ask in each case that they shall
do good and not harm. Exactly as labor
and in a spirit Of justice and fair play, are
of great service, not only to wage work
sTs, but to the whole community, as the
conclusively shown, SO wealth, not merely
Individual, but corporate, when used Alright,
as a whole, but indispensable to The up
building Of the country, the conditions of
not only to accept, but to demand as
This is so obvious that 1t seems trite even
from arguments advanced against and az.
tacks made. upon wealth as such, II is a
tact worth Keeping In mind.
Not Always a Menace.
A great fortune, II not used Alright, makes
us possessor in a peculiar sense a menace
great intellect does II It is unaccompanied
by developed. conscience or character. But
for ,condemninE wealth than It does for
condemning intellect. Every man OF power
by the very fact of hat power Is capable
of doing damage to his neighbors, but we
cannot afford to discourage the develop
possibre ;h sTcn NAV me use mercy aseily n1 SeesT u.s. vy II Is
ends.
II we did so we should leave our history
men, soldiers or merchants, no great men
OF arts, OF letters or of science. Doubtless
fellow. citizens is apt to be given what the
riches, but the great captain Of Industry.
bination with his fellows, drives through
our great business enterprises Is a factor
sibly maintain rs present Industrial po-
though mR9 o SSO BUSINESS tTG% en tes Piians q P2o e. Tsa tSs
most serious harm resulting to us, the
people Of moderate means. Is when we. let
the DARK and evil vices of envy and hatred
toward our fellows eat into our natures.
Trusts Creatures of the State.
stli. there is other harm OF a more evil
duty to try to eradicate IL possible and in
any event to minimize. The corporations
and therefore those great corporations con-
tanning some tendency to monopoly which
we have grown to speak of rather loosely
as trusts are the creatures Of the state, and
the state not, only has the right to control
them. but is in duty bound to control them
wherever the need for such control is
There is clearly a need of supervision
need to exercise the power Of Regulation
on the part of the representatives of the
as In our " country at
work and for work that Is not always
need for such supervision. A sun1cient
warrant for 1t Is TO be found over and
over again in any OF the various evils re-
SSauniSnhg trom the present system, or rather
There e in our country. a peculiar DIM
vision and control because 81 Inc neciiiiar
vision OF, governmental power. when the
indnstIial conditions were simple very
was lodged under the constitution. Now
which shall be adequate, While as 'e q matter
entirely Insufficient and in ali human nan
prSpa6ility cannot, or will not be made
to meet the needs of the case.
II would be well Indeed to have enacted
BY the national legislature. But the Wide
certainty Of the power to enforce, which
In insufficient control.
Nation Must Assume Power.
believe that the nation must assume
ms power OF control by legislation, and
II IL becomes evident that the constitution
amendment. The Immediate
need in dealing with trusts Is to place them
under aH the real not nominal, control OF
the trusts shall owe allegiance, and In
whose courts the sovereign's orders NAV
with certainty be enforced. This is not
the case with the ordinary so-caiied
trust" today, for the trust Is a LARGE
corporation, doing business In other
states also, and often with a tendency TO
monopoly.
such a trust is an artificial creature, no,
wholly responsible to or controllable by
any legislature, nor wholly subject to the
Jurisdiction OF any one court. Some gov
ernmental sovereign must be given full
power ovsr these artificial corporate beings.
In my Judgment thfs sovereign must be the
national government. When II has been
given full power, then this full power can
be used TO control any evil Influence, ex-
actly as the government Is now using the
power conferred upon 1t under the sher-
a antitrust law.
Even when the fun power has been con-
ferred IL would be highly undesirable TO
attempt too much or 10 begin by stringent
IegislatiOn. Tn mechanism OF modern
is as delicate and complicated as
Is vast and nothing would be more pro-
OF evil to all of us, and especially
% those least well of In this worlds Goods.
han ignorant meddling with this mechan-
ism, and, above all, II the NEEDING was
lone In a spirit Of class or sectional rancor.
1t is desirable that this power should be
by the nation, but 1t Is quite as
desirable that the power should be exer-
clSed with moderation and self-restraint
The first exercise OF that power should he
he securing OF publicity among Ali great