The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1902-03-18

the most abject subject or serf the world
has ever known.
1t requires neither imagination nor
genius to see this. The veriest dolt may
understand it. If every mile you travel
and every commodity you transport, you
do it on the terms and at the time and
in the manner one man shall name; If
every particle of that most useful and
necessary of all metals you use, you use
only upon the terms, at the time and in
the manner one man shall name; then
that mans benefcence alone stands
between you and slavery or the return
to primeyal conditions. Centuries ago
man learned that the beneficence of an
autocrat was not safe foundation for
liberty, and out of that lesson grew the
doctrine that call government derives
it's Just powers from the consent of the
governed"
But is this danger but fantasy of the
mind, a creation proceeding from the
heat-oppressed BRAIN" or is it a sober,
thoughtful, conservative conclusion Wis.,
ible in all the signs of the times? If
the control of these great industries by
single individual or small group of
individuals, is possibility, then all but
the very innocent will appreciate the
danger. No believer in popular govern
ment would consider for one moment
the substitution of autocracy for the
rule of the majority, however beneficent,
however generous, however kindly that
autocracy might be. The time for the
consideration of that subject has long
since gone by; representative democracy
is firmly established In the minds of the
American people as the ideal form of
these great industries is a possibility,
depends upon the wisdom, patriotism
and forethought of those who are en-
trusted with the discharge of public
duty; to understand how it is threat
ened, is at least to be armed to resist it.
The pursuit of wealth to the exclusion
of higher purposes, undoubtedly de-
stroys the foundation of our manhood.
Francis Parkman, calm, conservative
and most thoughtful among all of Amer
ica's historians, has said that this great
republic is safe from every enemy except
that most dangerous of all foes, herself,
and declares that to permanently endure
she must orally her powers from the
race for gold and the delirium of pros
perity to make firm the foundations on
which that prosperity rests and turn
some fair proportion of her vast mental
forces to other objects than material
progress"
The danger lies in the abuse of that
creation of the law which we call cor
poration. This artificial creation has
grown with our civilization; it's origin
is shrouded in the mist of distant an
tiquity; we see it in the dim dawn Of
Roman history, and trace its growth and
development through the history of
civilization. 1t has been the vehicle of
modern progress, and it is absolutely
necessary in the commerce of today.
But we must not lose sight of the fact
that this artificial person is not vested
with all the rights or powers of the
natural person. To so invest it makes
it as dangerous as it is necessary. Many
principles of the law which apply with
out limitations when applied to this
artificial person, and as the ingenuity of
man in the pursuit of evil converts this
artificial creation of the law into an
engine of oppression and tyranny, its
limitations must from time to time be
re-established.
Here, then, lies both the danger and
the remedy. The business of this day
could no more be done without corpora
tions than a bird could fly without
wings; but in the economy of healthy
commerce no useful purpose is served
by such corporation as the Omitted
Metal Selling company" or the "North-
ern Security company" If the doctrine
is to obtain that there are to be no
restrictions placed upon corporations
other than those placed upon natural
persons, and that the principles of law
and equity are to have the same applica-
ton to these artificial creations that they
have to men. in their individual trans
actions. our thralldom has already been
accomplished. 1t is the insidious incul-