Omaha daily bee., 1905-12-06

enjoy great prosperity. Undoubtedly
= there will be ebb and fow Of such
prosperity. and this ebb ana how
will be felt more or less by al
members OF the community. both
by the deserving and the undeserving.
Against the wrath Of the Lord the wisdom
Of man cannot avail; in times OF MOOD OF
drOuth human ingenuity can but partiaily
repair the disaster. a general failure OF
crops would hurt all OF US. Again, II the
folly OF man mars the general wel-0eing,
then those who are Innocent OF the toilS
will have to pay part of the penalty IN
CURED By those who are guilty OF the toliy.
manic hroVFaht on BY the speculative folly
OF a part OF tho business community would
hurt the whole business community But
such stoppaee OF welfare. though II might
be severe would not be lasting. In the
long run the one vital factor In the perma-
nent prosperity Of the country Is the hsh
Individual character OF the average Ainerl-
can worker, the average American citizen,
no matter whether his work be mental OF
manual, whether he be farmer or wage
worker, business man or professional man.
In our Industrial and social system the
interests OF all men are so closely inter-
twned that IN the immense majority OF
cases straight dealing man who by his
efficiency, by his ingenuity and industry,
benefits himself he must also benefit 9TH
ers. Normally tine man OF great produc-
tive capacity who becomes rich by guiding
enabling them 10 produce more than they
could produce without his guidance; and
both he and they share in the beneht,
which comes also 20 the public atrlarBe'
The superficial fact that the sharing may
be unequal must never blind us to the
underlying fact that there is this sharing,
and that the benefit comes in some degree
TO each man concerned. Normally the
waSe-worker, the man OF small means, and
the average consumer, as well as the aver
age producer. are all alike helped by MAX
ing conditions such that the man Of excep-
tionaI business ability receives an excep-
tional reward for his ability. Something
can be done by legislation to help the gen.
eral prosperity but no such help of per-
nanently beneficial character can be given
% the less able and less fortunate, save
rs the results OF policy which shall In
ure to the advantage OF all Industrious and
efficient people who act decently; and this
" only another way OF saying that any
benefit which comes to the less able and
less for tunate must of necessity come even
more to the more able and more fortunate.
n, therefore, the less fortunate. man is
moved by envy OF his more fortunate
brother 10 strike at the conditions under
which they have both, though unedually,
lprospered, the result win assuredly be that
while damage may come to the one struck
at 1t will VISIT with an even heavier load
the one who strikes the blow. Taken as
whole, we must all go up or so down
together ,af
Corporations. p,
Yet, while not merely admitting, but
insisting upon this, It Is also true that
where there is no governmental restraint
or supervision some of the exceptional men
use their energies not in ways that are
for the common good, but in ways which
tell against this common good. The for
tunes amassed through corporate organiza-
ton are now so large, and vest such power
NN...N
matter Of necessity to give to the sovereign
that is. TO the government, which repre-
sents the people as wholesome effective
lower OF supervision over their corporate
use. In order to insure a healthy social
and industrial life, every big corporation
should be held responsible by, and be ac-
countable to, some sovereign strong enough
10 control its conduct. / am in no sense
hostile to corporations. This is an age
Of combination, and any effort TO prevent
ali combination will be not only useless,
but In the end vicious because of the con-
Tempt for law which the failure to enforce
law inevitably produces. We should, more
aver, recognize in cordial and ample FASH
ion the immense good effected by corporate
af.ancies in a country such as ours. and
the wealth OF intellect. energy and fidelity
devoted to their service. and therefore
formally to the service of the public by
their officers and directors. 1.-The corpora
ton has come to- stay, just as the trade
union has come to stay. Zach can do and
has done great good, Each should be IA
yored so long as IL does good. But each
should be sharply checked where It acts
against law and justice.
$50 long as the finances OF the nation
are kept upon an honest basis no other
question OF internal economy with which
The congress has the power to deal begins
70 approach in importance the matter of
sndeavoring to secure proper Industrial
conditions under which the individuals-and
especially the great corporatlons-doing an
interstate business, are to act. The makers
Of our national constitution provided espe-
ctally that the regulation OF Interstate
commerce should come within the sphere
Of the general government. The argu-
nents In favor of their taking this stand
we're even then overwhelming. But they
are far stronger today, In view of the enor-
nous development of great business agen-
cies, usually corporate in form. Experi-
ence has shown conclusively that It is use
less 70 try to get any adequate regulation
and supervision, of these great corporations
by state action. Such regulation and super
vision can only be effectively exercised nv
sovereign whose Jurisdiction is coexten-
slve with the field OF work OF the corpora
uonS-that Is, by the national government
believe that this regulation and super
vision can be obtained by the enactment
OF law by the congress II this proves i'm
possible, II viii certainly be necessary uftl-
matcly TO confer In fullest form such power
upon the national government by a proper
amendment of the constitution. 1t would
obviously be unwlse TO endeavor 70 secure
such an amendment until IL is certain that
the result cannot be obtained under the
constitution as II now is. The laws OF the
congress and OF the several states hitherto
as passed upon by the courts, have re-
suited more often In showing that the
states have no power in the matter than
that the national government has power.
so that there at present exists very, nm,
fortunate condition of things, under which
these great corporations doing an inter
state business occupy the position az suh
leets without a sovereign, neither any state
government nor the national RoverrTnont
having effective control over them. O,,'.
steady aim should DO by legislation can
ttousiy and carefully undertaken. hut raso-
lutely persevered IN, to assert the so,,-
ereignty OF the national government ~,
affirmative action TO -
II has been misfortune that the ma
uqnel lave on this subject have hitherto
been OF negative or prohibitlve rather
Than an Affirmative kind and sim NOR
that they have in part sought TO probihit
what could not be effectively probfhIted
apd have In part In their prnhibitions con-
rounded what should be allowed ana M,
should not be allowed. 1t is generaliv re-
less 70 try 70 prohibit all restraint a.
composition. whether this restraint ~
reasonable or unreasonable; and where =, Il
rot useless II is generally hurtflil. F,,ents
lave shown that Il Is not possible -
10 NV