The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1904-11-29

orally supposed to be made of quite
the same moral stuff. They are cred
tied with different brands OF SINGER
ity and zeal. They sand for ideas
that differ in detail. without split
ing hairs about these particulars,
we may safely regard this quartet
of leaders as a sign of single strong
and growing popular bent. Under
meath all the unmatched planks in
their platforms is the radical ieda
that corporations are getting stronger
than the people. Their argument
is that when the people get their
eyes open, there will be only one is
sue. namely. Shall the country be
ruled by party of the corporations
or by a party of the people?'
Whether successful campaign
can be fought on the distinct issue,
1.-The peolpe against the corporations"
remains to be seen. That material
for popular agitation exists is
notorious. The only room for in
telligent doubt is about the ques-
tons: "Will the enemies of corpora
lions increase. and can the full force
of popular jealousy against corpora
lions be organized into a common
movement"
For one refuse to believe. on ex-
listing evidence, that corporations in
general are so bad or so blind that
they will provoke the people to raise
in their might. So far as | have OBJ
served. the man who owns corpora
ton stock. or holds corporation Of
fee. Is after all not so very differ
ent. as n man and citizen, from
those who do not We are all trying
to look out for our own interest.
What the corporation does may have
quite different appearances to equal
ly honest men in the inside and on
the outside. In the long run. though.
as corporations are composed of peo-
pie, the morals of corporations will
be the morals of the whole people
of whom the corporators are parts.
Yet as purely academic propo-
sition there is no sufficient reason
why there is not winning fight in
getting too strong"
In the first place, such a claim
could not be silenced by anybody's
political economy. 1t does not deny
the advantages of corporations. 1t
simply asserts that they ought to
be for the people to use. and not to
use the people. 1t does not i'm
peach the institution Of property,
1t simply calls for IA checking up of
items entered as rights of property.
to see whether they fairly belong
under that head.
In the second place. the claim
would import no new dogma into
our politics. On the contrary, all
would Mt into II as though they
were made for each other. Any
thing that Is of. for and by the few.
Americans have condemned in ad-
vance as undemocratic. This doom
hangs over corporations If they are
placed under presumption OF guilt.
IN THE THIRD PLACE TRUST
BUSTERS CAN BE ENLISTED
AMONG MEN WHO ARE INTER
ESTED IN TRUSTS. 1t would be
| instructive to know how many capi-
talists believed that the Northern
| Securities scheme went too far, and
that the supreme court decision made
legitimate business more secure
Men on the inside know the danger
/ Gus power of the machinery.
A campaign on the platform,
THE corporations are getting too
strong" need not run into irrational
or dangerous politics. Theoretical
ly. a popular agitation might be or
ganized. not to deny the value Of
corporations, but to show the dangers
OF uncurbed corporate power, to
prove that present checks on corpo-
rations are insufficient. ana TO ap-
peal for a regime of increased re-
sponsibility of corporations to the
public. There would be plenty Of
reasons both for and against such a
movement. 1t might fail to estab-
fish it's claims. However that might
be. there would not be the slightest