Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-10-02

ne SuFeSU way TO prevent lne poS- !
sibility of curing any of the evils is to
approach the subject in spirit of
violent rancor, complicated with total
ignorance of business conditions, and
OF fundamental incapacity or unwill-
ingness to understand the limitations
on the power of all law making bodies.
Intelligent Action Required.
No problem, and least of all so diff |
cult problem as this, can be solved
If the qualities brought by its solution
are panic, fear, envy, hatred. and ig-
norance. And there can exist in a
free republic no man more wicked. no
man more dangerous to the people,
than he who would arouse these feel
ings in the hope that they would re-
dound to his own political advantage.
Corporations that are handled hon
estly and fairly, so far from being
an evil are natural business evolu
tion and make for the general prosper
ity of our land. We do not wish to de-
stroy corporations. We wish to make
them subserve the public good All in.
dividuals, rich or poor, private or cor
porate, must be subject to the law Of
the land; and the government will
hold them to a rigid obedience there
tC.
The biggest corporation, like the
humblest private citizen, must be held
to strict compliance with the will of
the people as expressed in the funda-
mental law. The rich man, who does
not see that this is in his interest, is
indeed short sighted. When we make
him obey the law we insure for him
tho ahcpl,Ifo ,,rpt +bo low rba
savings banks show what can be done
in the way of genuinely beneficient
work by large corporations, when in
diligently administered and supervised.
They now hold overs 900 10000 of the
peoples money, and pay annually
about $100,000.000 of interest or profit
to their depositors There is no talk
of danger from these corporations; yet
they possess great power, holding over
three times the amount of our present
national debt; more than all the cur
rency, gold, silver, greenbacks. ETC.,
in circulation in the United States. The
chief reason for there being no talk
of danger from them is that they are
on the whole faithfully administered
for the benefit of all, under wise laws,
which require frequent and full pub
LEGATION of their condition, and which
prescribe certain needful regulations
with which they have to comply. while
at the same time, giving full scope for
| the best enterprise of their managers
within these limits.
Now of course, savings banks are
as highly specialized a class of cor
porations as railroads, and we cannot
force too far the analogy with other
corporations, but there are certain con
ditions which think we can lay down
as indispensable to the proper treat
ment of all corporations which from
their size have become important fac
tors in the social development of the
community.
Ineffective or Mischlevous Remedies
Before speaking, however, of wha,
can be done by way of remedy, let me
say word or two as to certain pro
posed remedies which in my judgmen
would be ineffective or mischievous
The first thing to remember is that i
we are to accomplish any good at al
it must be by resolutely keeping il
mind the intention to do away witt
any evils in the conduct of big corpo
rations, while steadfastly refusing t.
assent to indiscriminate assault upor
all forms of corporate capital as such
The line of demarkation we draw mus
always be on conduct, not on wealth
our objection to any given corporation
; must be, not that it is big, but that i
behaves badly. Demogogic denuncia
ton of wealth is never wholesome
:. and generally dangerous, and not
few of the proposed methods of curb
ing the trusts are dangerous chief
: because all insincere advocacy of tn
, impossible is dangerous. 1t is an ur
healthy thing for community. whe,
y the appeal is made, to follow a cours
which those who make the appea
either do not or ought to know canno
be followed and which if 70
lowed would result in disaste
I to everybody. Loose talk about DE-
: stroying monopoly out of hand will
t out hint as to how tn
t monopoly should even be d,
S fined offers a case in point Nor ca
}, we afford to tolerate any propose
y which will strike at the so-calle
y trusts only by striking at the genera
l. well-being. We are now enjoying
period of great prosperity. This pro
e perity is generally diffused through a
| oSCtlOlS anu dH CldSSS
: Doubtless there are some individual
h who do not get enough of it, and thel
20 are others who get too much. Bl
II this is simply another way of sayin
II that the wisdom of mankind is finit
j. that even the best human system cal
IN not work perfectly.
: Must Avoid Common Disaster.
d "The men who propose to get rid I
e the evils of the trusts by measure
which will do away with this gener
well-being advocate a policy whic
would not only be a damage to tt
@ community as whole, but whic
It would defeat it's own protested objec
10 If we are forced to the alternative
" choosing a system under which mo
ii of us prosper somewhat, though fe
le Of us prosper too much, or else sy
8. TEN under which no one prospe
enough, why, of course, we will choos
&c the former. If the policy advocate
II. is SO revolutionary and destructive ;
20 to involve the whole community in Il
IN crash of common disaster, it is as &c
80 tain as anything can be that when Il
20 disaster has occurred all efforts to re
~, ulate the trusts will cease, and tn