Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-12-05


These temptations have not sprung
newly into being. The exceptionally
successful among mankind have al
ways been exposed to them, but they
have grown amazingly in power as a
result of the extraordinary development
OF industrialism along new lines. and
under these new conditions, which the
lawmakers of old could not foresee and
therefore could not provide against.
they have become SO serious and men
acing as to demand entirely new RENE
dies. 1t is in the interest of the best
type of railroad man and the best type
of shipper no less than OF the public
that there should be governmental SUI
peryisiOn and regulation of these great
business operations. for the same rea-
son that il is in the interest of the cor
Doration which wishes to treat its EN-
ployeeS Alright that there should be an
effective employers liability act or an
effective system of factory laws to
prevent the abuse of women and chill
dren. All such legislation frees the
corporation that wishes to do well from
being driven into doing i'll in order TO
compete with its rival which prefers to
40 III. w ut>lIc 10 Stl up a al
standard There can be no delusion
more fatal To the nation than the de
fusion that the standard of profits. of
business prosperity. is sufficient in
Judging any business or political queS-
tiOn-from rate legislation to municipal
government. Business success. wheth-
er for the individual or for the nation.
is n good thing only SO far as il Is ac-
cOmpanied by and develops Il high
standard of conduct-honor. integrity.
civic courage. The kind of business
prosperity that blunts the standard of
honor. that puts an inordinate value on
mere wealth. that makes man ruth
less and constituencies in trade and
weak and cowardly in citizenship. is
not a good thing ut all. but a very bad
thing for the nation. This government
stands for manhood first and for bust
ness only as an adjunct Of manhood.
The question of transportation lies at
the root of all industrial success, and
the revolution in transportation which
has taken place during the last half
century has been the most important
factor in the growth of the new indus
trial conditions. Most emphatically we
do not wish to see the man of great
talents refused the reward for his tai
ents. Still less do we wish to see him
penaliZed, but we do desire to see the
system of railroad transportation so
handled that the strong man shall be
given no advantage over the weak
man. We wish 10 insure as fair treat
ment for the small town as for the big
city, for the small shipper as for the
big shipper. In the old days the high
way of commerce. whether by water
or by Il road on land, was open To all.
1t belonged to the public. and the traf-
fic along il was free. At present the
railway is this highway, and we must
do our best 10 see that it is kept open
to all on equal terms. Unlike the old
highway, il is II very difficult and com
pick thing To manage, and il is far bet
ter that il should be managed by pri-
vate Individuals than by the govern
mcnt. But il can only be so managed
on condition that justice is done the
public. 1t is because, in my judgment,
public ownership of railroads is highly
undesirable and would probably in this
country entail far reaching disaster that
/ wish to see such supervision and reg
ulatiOn of them in the interest of the
public as will make il evident that
there is no need for public ownership.
The opponents of government regula-
ton dwell upon the difficulties to be
and the intricate and in
volved nature of the problem. Their
contention is true II is complicated
and delicate problem. and all kinds of
ton with any plan of solution. while
no plan will bring all the benefits
hoped for 10y its more optimistic adj
herents. Moreover, under any healthy
plan the benefits will develop gradual
ly and not rapidly. Finally we must
clearly understand that the public serv-
ants who are TO do this peculiarly re-
sponsible and delicate work must
themselves be of the highest type both
as regards integrity and efficiency.
They must he well paid. for otherwise
able men cannot in the long run be Sc
cured, and they must possess "A lofty
probity which viii revolt as quickly AT
the thought Of pandering to any gust
of popular prejudice against rich men
as at the thought of anything even re
y
men.
Difficulties Should Be a Spur.
But. while | fully admit the difficult
ties in the way, do not for a moment
admit that these difficulties warrant
US in stopping in our effort TO secure
wise and just system. They should
have no other effect than 10 spur us on
to the exercise OF the resolution. the
even handed justice and the fertility of
which we like to think of as
American and which viii in
the end achieve good results in this. as
in other fields of activity. The task is
a great one and underlies the task Of
dealing with the whole industrial prob
lem. But the fact that it is great
problem does not warrant Us in shrink
ing from the attempt to solve IT. At
present we face such utter lack OF su-
peryision. such freedom from the re-