Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-01-21
GOVERNOR CUNM|N&.'
INAUGURAL ADDRESS.

lHllUuUllllL IlUUllLGU.
Senators. Representatives and Fellow
Citizens:
/ gratefully acknowledge my deep
appreciation of the confidence and
good will of my fellow men, and l am
solemnly conscious of the obligations
! have undertaken and the RESPONSE
bilities 1 have assumed.
The honor of the Office I now enter
Is outranked by but one of all the
places of trust and distinction known
to the Institution of the republic; and
II it's duties were as difficult as it's
honor is great, l would have little
hope of discharging them either to
your satisfaction or my own, but,
happily for you and for me, govern
nent In this state has attained a
Climax OF steadiness which gives me
courage to begin the work so gener-
pnsly committed to my hands. While
the problems Of organized society are
not less Intricate here than else
where, and while law-breaking is not
unknown among us, it is still true
that the ease with which the laws
are executed In this state is superb
Testimonial to the sound character
Of its people. The men and women
Of Iowa are. believe, beyond all their
felaows. either of this country or any
oshes lAwahiamg; yielding that I'm
ausTtsat end instructive obedience to
the ordinefees Of both God and man,
Which makes the enforcement of
statutes. the preservation of peace and
the maintenance of order a task SO
light m comparison with the labor at
tending the duties Of the chief execu-
tive In many parts of the world, that
one may, With confidence and hope,
take UP the work incident to the Of
ace with which I have been invested.
Industrial combln ations.
The fspid accumulation of wealth
ana its Unparalleled concentration
we're the distinguishing Characters
tics Of the nineteenth century. These
cAAsdetefsstlcs have propounded a
new inquiry for governmental investi-
Cation. The subject has, by common
eoneent, received a name which,
tncpsA appropriate. is now altogether
fpista&fne. Commercial combina-
Tons and Industrial trusts have pro-
Noafed much thought which, as yet
has produced little result. Originally
they were. as the names imply, con-
certs Of Independent companies acting
through agreements controlling the
business Of the several constituent
para. In that sense they have sub
stsuMsiN disappeared. and there have
hsau Substituted for them incorpora-
tfons that have become the absolute
owners Of The property and business
affected by them. I shall not pause
to inquire whether these vast incor-
porations are wise or unwise. The
extinction Of the independent trader,
meschent and manufacturer may ulti-
matsly impair the standard of man.
hond 50 essential to free institutions.
II this 81 0u be it's effect, we may de-
piore the tendency; but If 1t be wholly
overcome 1t will not be through the
prohibition Of government, but by that
impercepttple warning which changes
the currents of the world and teaches
humanity to avoid approaching dan
ger. I do not believe that the govern
ment can safely deny the right of
association under established forms;
nor am ready to concede that indus.
trial organizations, however large
their capital or extended their opera
tions, If competition remains, consti-
tute a menace to the prosperity and
welfare Of the people. The motive
which underlies the so-called trusts
and combinations is apparent; it is
the ordinary selfish desire to make
money, coupled with the belief that it
can be more readily, surely and large
ly made In that manner than by any
other. l do not criticise the motive;
for it is the handspring of material
progress, and to eliminate it would be
to paralyze the arm of industry, fatal
alike to ambition and Improvement.
The most manifest evil of these ire
mendous aggregations Is their affect
upon competition. Competition is the
paramount law of industrial life. 1t
may. and very often does, destroy;
but in my judgment it must exist In
full vfgor if we do not desire the gov.
eminent to assume the power of fix
ing the prices of Industrial products
1t must clear that if single corpora
ton owned and controlled all the
transportation facilities of the United
States, 1t would be absolutely neces-
sary for the government to prescribe
and enforce the rates for transporta-
ton. 1t is equally clear that if a
single corporation controlled the manu-
facture of the important commodities
required by modern life, and the mon.
opoly was likely to be long continued,
1T would be necessary for the govern
ment to fix the price at which such
commodities should be sold. 1t can
not be successfully denied that every
consolidation, even though it does not
draw in all the products in which It
deals, narrows the field Of competi-
ton. There may be sharp and effec-
tive competition with two competi-