The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1905-04-29

saTy 10 project hlHeeu, ana then there
would be no hestttancy to throw down
any truthful servant.
HONEST CORPORATION AND
HONEST MEN.
According to press reports from
Washington the Democrats are casting
about for a presidential candidate for
1908, and it is said that the eastern
wing have their eyes bent on a man
west Of the Allaghenies. It is quietly
limited that Gov. Folk of Missouri would
be acceptable to the conservative wing
Of the party.
On the other hand the Hearst ele-
nent in the east think kindly OF Mayor
Dunno Of Chicago, who they say stands
for everything that Hearst stands for.
Folk appeals to a certain portion Of
the eastern Democracy who believe that
he would not attack their property
rights. They pretend to sympathize
with him because Of his opposition to
dishonest men and methods, and the
fact that he is not advocating a. new
regime. He is willing to let an honest
corporation have the same chance as
an honest individual" as one OF tho
old line papers puts it.
This latter is an insinuation that tho
so-called radical Democrats would not
give an honest corporation a square
deal. There is nothing to It, No hon.
est corporation has reason to fear any
thing from any political party, no more
than an honest individual.
Prey what are honest corporations
Standard Oil? Northern Securities, or
any other Watered institutions OF this
nature? Can railroads that adopt dis
eliminating freight and passenger
rates be classed as honest corporations?
No "a thousand times no land yet these
are the very institutions that our east
ern friends want protected, at the ex-
pense of true government and clean
politics.
1t makes little difference to any citi-
zen whether corporation is capital
lied for 100000 or 800, 900, 900 so long
| as there is actual value represented,
| and so long as honest methods are pur-
sued. No sane man, who knows any,
thing about the progress OF our indus
! trial system ever expects the trusts to
be destroyed. They are here to stay,
F., and it is incumbent upon us to apply
! ourselves to them, and the conditions
| which they have created.
! Trusts are bad because they are given
the right to be bad. Their power has
been increased by dishonest govern
| ment. Fattened by special privileges,
| and permitted to develop on the plum
! der system their promoters have drift
ed into a channel of thought whereby
| they have lost all consciousness of hui
| man rights, and they have led them
selves to believe that the rights Of
property supercedes the rights Of man.
The first thing to be done is to get
back to fundamental principles. Give
the modern corporation the same rights
as were given the primitive corpora
ton, no more or no less. Let capital
izatfon represent actual value. Tear
down the barriers that encourage mon
opoly. Throw the gates wide open to
the resources Of the country for every
man. Give labor that which rightfully
belongs to labor; capital g. fair return
on It's investment and every man q
square DEAL" Do this and the tructs
would soon become great honest COR
J porations, and Of real benefit to the
people. in so much as all would receive
the benefit in prices caused by the i'm
proved methods in production
AS we see it this is the program Of
the so-called radical Democrats. OF
course public service corporations are
! expected from this program, because
+ the people are daily becoming more
competent to manage their own affairs
entirely. In the interest of pure poll
! tics and good government 1t is essen
tial that these corporations belong to
! the people, who are entitled to the full
| benefit OF the economy in public service.
Honest men and honest corporations,
! who are handicapped because OF errors
! In our present system will have MOTH
ing to fear, and everything, to gain by
the carrying out Of this program.
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