Durango semi-weekly herald., 1905-12-07

makers OF old could not foresee aut
therefore could not provide against
they have come so serious and men
acing as to demand entirely new rem
edies 1t Is in the interest OF the
best type OF railroad man and the
best type OF shipper no less than o,
the public that there should be gov.
ernmental supervision and regulation
OF these great business operations
Tor the same reason that 1t is in the
interest OF the corporation which wish
es to treat its employees Alright tha,
there should be an effective employ.
ers' liability act, or an effective sys
TEN of factory laws to prevent the
abuse OF women and children. All
such legislation frees the corporation
that wishes to do well from being
driven into doing i'll. In order to com
pete with its rival, which prefers to
40 Ill. We desire to set up a moral
standard. There can be no deluslop
more fatal TO the nation tnan the de-
lusion that the standard OF profits, OF
business prosperity. is sufficient In
Judging any business or political ques-
uon-from rate legislation to munlci.
pal government Business success,
whether for the individual or for the
nation, is good thing only SO far as
II is accompanied BY and develops "a
nigh standard of conduct-honor, in
tegrity, civic courage. The kind OF
business prosperity that blunts the
standard OF honor. that puts an inor.
dinate value on mere wealth, that
makes a man ruthless and conscience
less In trade and weak and cowardly
In citizenship is not good thing at
all, but very bad thing for tho ma
ton. This government stands for
mankind first and for business 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 i'm.
portant factor in the growth OF the
new Industrial conditions. Most EN-.
phatically we do not wish to see the
ff''' VI ts'tat tdithib Itlub6u LILO re-
ward for his talents Still less do we
wish to see him penalized; but we do
desire to see the system for railroad
transportation so handled that the
strong man shall be given no advant.
age over the weak man. We wish to
insure as fair treatment for the small
town as for the big city: for the small
shipper as for the big shipper. In the
old days the highway of commerce.
wnether by water or by a road on
land, was open to all; It belonged to
the public and the traffic along Il was
free. AT present he railway Ia this
highway, and we must do our best to
see that It is kept open to all on equal
terms. Unlike the old highway It IL a
very difficult and complex thing to
manage. and It is far better that II
should be managed by private individ.
uals than by the government. But II
can only be so managed on condition
that Justice Is done the public. II Is
because. In my Judgment, public own.
ership is highly undesirable and
would probably in this country entail
far-reaching disaster, that wish to
see such supervision and regulation
of them in the interest Of the public
as will make 1t evident that there is
no need for public ownership. The
opponents OF government regulation
dwell upon the difficulties to be en-
countered and the intricate and in.
volved nature of the problem. Their
contention is true. II Is a complicat.
ed and delicate problem. and all kinds
of difficulties are sure to arise In con-
nection with any plan Of solution
while no plan will bring all the bene.
flas hoped for by Its more optimistic
adherents. Moreover. under any
healthy plan, the benefits will develop
gradually and not rapidly. Finally,
we must clearly understand that the
public servants who are to do this
peculiarly responsible and delicate
work must themselves be of the high
est type. both as regards integrity and
efficiency. They must be well paid,
for otherwise able men eau not in the
leng run be secured; and they must
possess lofty probity which will re
volt as quickly at the thought OF pan.
dering to any guest OF popular preju.
dice against rich men as at the Thought
of anything even remotely resembling
subserviency to ricn men. But while
fully admit tho difficulties In the
way, do not for a moment admit that
these difficulties warrant US In stop
ping in our effort to secure q Wise
and Just system. They should have nc
other effect than to spur us on to the
exercise Of the resolution, the even
handed justice, and the fertility Of
resource. which we like TO think ol
as typically American. and which vii
in the end achieve good results In
this as In other fields or activity. The
task Is a great one and underlies the
task of dealing with the whole indus
trial problem. But the fact that 1t II
great problem does not warrant Vi
in shrinking from the attempt to solv'
| il. At present we face such utter lacl
Of supervision, such freedom from th'
restraints of law, that excellent mel
have often been literally forced int
doing what they deplored because 9th
edwlse they were left at the mercy O