Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1906-10-18

ION ana control over the business use OF
this wealth-in the first place. over all the
work of the common carriers of the ma
ton. and In the next place over the work
OF al the great corporations which d.
ireety or indirectly do any Interstate bus
All or the great corporations.
Work Already Done.
During the last few years the national
government has taken very long strides
~ the direction OF exercising ana securing
THIS adequate control over the great corr
poratlons, and II was under the leadership
o 81, one OF the most honored public men In
our country one OF Pennsylvania most
eminent sons-the present senator, and
tnen attorney general, knox-that the new
departure was begun. Events have nov
ed rast during the last five years, and IL
~ curious to look back at the extreme
bitterness which not merely the spokes-
men ana representatives OF organized
wealth. but many most excellent consor-
Vauve people then felt as To the action
OF Mr.. Knox and the administration.
MANY OF the greatest tinanciers OF this
country We're certain that Mr. knoxs
Northern Securities suit IL won would
plunge us into the worst panic we had
ever seen, They denounced as Indictment
70 anarchy, as an apology for socialism,
.ne advocacy OF policies that either have
INV become law or are In fair way OF
becoming law; and yet these same POLL
cles' 80 Tar from representing either am
arehy or socialism were In reality the
clallsm. 10 exercise constantly in-
creasing and constantly more efficient su-
perVlsion and control over the great conn
mon carriers of the country prevents all
necessity Tor seriously considering such
project as government ownership OF
iailroads-a policy which would ba evil
IN It's results from every standpoint
Regulation Of Corporations.
A similar extension OF the national
power To oversee and secure correct be.
havior In the management OF all great
corporations engaged In Interstate bust.
ness VIII III similar fashion render far
more stable the present system by doing
away with those grave abuses which are
not only eVil In themselves because they
furnish an excuse for agitators TO In.
Tame Well meaning people against all
forms OF property and to commit the
country TO schemes OF wild. would-be
remedy which would work infinitely more
harm than the disease itself.
TINE GOVERNMENT OUGHT NOT
TO CONDUCT THE BUSINESS OF
LIE pn COUNTRY; BUT II, OUGHT TO
REGULATE 1T SO THAT 1T SHALL.
OF THE PUBLIC.
Bourbons and Radicals.
Perhaps the best Justification OF tho
course which In the national government
we have been pursuing In the past few
years. and which we intend steadily and
progressively TO pursue In the future, 10
that II Is condemned with almost equal
rancor alike by the reactionaries-
Bourbons on the one side, and by the
wild apostles Of unrest on the other. The
reactionary Ii bitterly angry because we
nave deprived him OF that portion OF his
power which he mlsuses to tho public
hurt; the agitator Is angered for various
reasons, including among others the fact
that by remedying the abuses we have
deprived him OF the fulcrum OF real
grievance, which alone renders the lever
OF irrational agitation formidable
Not All Done.
We have actually accomplished much
But we have not accomplished all. nor
anything like all, that we feel must DO
accomplished We shall not halt: we shall
steadily follow the path we have marked
out, executing the laws we have succeed
ed In putting upon the statute books with
absolute lmpartiality as between man and
man, and unresting In our endeavor to
strengthen and supplement these by fur
Their laws which shall enable us In moro
efficient and more summary fashion to
achieve the ends we have In view.
accomplishments.
During the last few years congress has
had to deal with such vitality important
questions as providing for the building Of
the Panama canal, inaugurating the vast
system of national irrigation In tho stateA
or the great plains and the Rocky Noun
tains, providing for a Pacific cable, and
some Of which are of stupendous import
ance, congress has taken giant strides
along the path OF government regulation
and control or corporations; the inter-
state commerce law has been made eff
fective in radical and far reaching fash
ion, rebates have been stopped, q pure
food law has been passed. proper super
vision OF the meat packing business pro-
vided, and the bureau OF corporations es-
tabished-a bureau which has already
done great good, and which can and
should be given constantly increasing
functional power.
Justice for Capital and Labor.
The work OF legislation has been no
more important than tho work done By
the department of justice In executing
the laws, not only against corporations
and individuals who have broken the an-
ti-trust or interstate commerce law, but
against those who have been engaged In
land frauds. Scores OF suits. civil, and
taken against offenders Of all kinds
many of them against the most formida-
BILE and wealthy combinations In the land.
In some the combinations have been dis
solved, In some heavy fines have been
imposed In several cases the chief off
tenders have been imprisoned.
A Long Look Ahead.
II behooves us Americans to look ahead
and plan out the right kind of a civili-
cation, as that which we intend TO de-
velop from these wonderful new condt-
lions of vast Industrial growth. II must
not be, II shall not be. the civilization OF
a mere plutocracy, a banking house. Wall
street syndicate to class hatred, to rancor,
brutality, and mob violence, for that
would mean the end of all civilization
Increased powers are susceptible OF abuse
as well as use; never before have the op-
portunties for selfshness been so great
nor the results Of selhshness so appalling;
for In communities where everything Is
organized on a merely selfish commercial
basis such selfshness, If unchecked. may
transform the great forces of the new
epoch into powers OF destruction hitherto
unequaled.
Individual Responsibility.
We need to check the forces OF greed,
TO insure just treatment alike, of capital
and OF labor, and of the general public to
prevent any man. rick or poor, from doing
or receiving wrong, whether this wrong
be one of cunning or OF violence. Much
can be done by wise legislation and by
resolute enforcement OF the law. But still
more must be done by steady training of
the individual citizen. In conscience and
character, until he grows to abhor cor
ruption and greed and tyranny and bru-
tally and to prize Justice and fair deal
ing.
The men who are to do the work of the
new epoch must be trained so as to have
a sturdy self respect, power OF sturdy
insistence on their own rights, and with
II n proud and generous recognition OF
their duties a sense OF honorable obli-
CATION 10 their fellows, which will bind