The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1906-12-03

ing the oou-p Iuou.ps ut 4 dangerous
agitation wh.cu is $50 per cent wrong
f. 90 remedy the ~ per cent Of evil
as % which .h, agitation :, well found.
ed The best way 90 avert tho very
u.Dvc for tie governmental
oysrcrsh.p OF railways Is T. secure lg
IL" government. ON behalf Of the poo
pie as % whole. such adequate control |
and regulation Of the great Interstate |
COMMON carriers as win do away with
the evils which give rise 70 the ugitu
tion against them. 50 the proper an
tldotp ~ the dangerous ana wicked !
agitation against the men Of wealth as !
such Is 10 secure 10y proper legislation |
and executive notion the abolition Of the |
grave abuses which actually do obtain |
I'm connection with the business use OF |
wealth under our present system. or |
rather. no system. OF failure to cNcr.
else any adequate control at all. Some !
persons speak as II tho exercise OF such !
governmental control would do away
with the freedom Of individual iultia
tive and dwarf individual effort. This
ia not fact. 1t would hc a vcrltallc
calamity TO fail TO put premium upon
Individual initiative. individual C0paci
ty and effort. upon the energy, char
actcr and foresight which It is so Inn
portant to encourage in the individual
But, rs matter OF fact, the do0dcnlng
and degrading effect Of pure socialism.
ana especially Of Its extreme form,
communism, and the destruction Of In.
dlvidUal character which they would
bring about are in part achieved hy
the wholly unrcgul9tol competition
which results I'm single individual or
corporation rising at the expense Of all
others until his or i'7 rise erc"tuolly
checks all competition AMI reduces
former competitors to u position Of ut
trr iufprlority and suhorlinatiOn.
In caactiug and enforcing such leg
lslatlon as This congress already has 60
its credit we are working on a coherent
plan, with the steady cudrIvor to SO.
cure the needed reform by the joint
action Of the moderate men, the plain
men who do not wish anything hys
tcrical or dangerous. but who do In
tend to deal in rcsolutc commOn sense
fashion with the real and great evils
Of the present system. Tho reaction
aries and the violent extremists show
symptoms of Joining hands against us
| Both assert. for instance, that II log
/ ical. we should 20 TO government own.
crship Of railroads and the Ike, the re-
actionarics because on such an issue
/ they think the people would stand VIII
/ them. while the extremists care ruthc"
to preach discomfort and agitation than
t. achieve solid results. As a matter
Of fact, our position is as remote from
that of the Bourbon reactIonury ae
from that OF the impracticahle or sin
lister visionary. We hold that the gov
crnmeut should not conduct the bus!.
ness of the nation, but that it should
exercise such supervision as will In
sure Its being conducted In tie inter
est of the nation. Our aim IS, 50 fal
as may be, 70 secure for all decent
Woodworking men equality Of oppor
tunity and equality Of burden.
Necessity Of Combinations.
The actual working of our laws has
combination. good or bad, Is noXiou,
where It is not Ineffective. Combina
tiOn of capital, like combination of Ia
Dor, Is a necessary element of our pres
ent industrial system. II Is not posi-
bic completely TO prevent II, and If f.
were possible such complete prcycn
ton would do damage to the body pol
,I..1. 3
try to prevent all combination. but I,
secure such rigorous and adequate con
troll and supervision of the comblna
tions rs to prevent their inJuriug tn,
public or existing In such form rs IN
eyitably to threaten injury, for thO
cured practically complete control o
, necessary of life would under an!
circumstances show that such comb
I, nation was to be presumed TO be al
verse TO the public Interest. 1t Is un
; fortunate that our present laws shoul,
! forbid all combinations instead o
sharply discriminating between thos
combinations which do good and thos
combinations which do evil.
Rebates. for instance. are as oftcl
, due TO the pressure of big shippers Ga
was shown In the Investigation of tn
Standard OH company ana as has bee
shown since by the Investigation o
- the tobacco and sugar trusts as to th
q initiative of big railroads. Often raj
roads would like TO combine for IN
r purpose Of preventing big shipp2
from maintaining improper advantage
at the expense Of small shippers an
t of the general public. Such a comb.n.
, ton. instead of being forbidden b
5 law, should he favored. In Other word
, II should be permitted 10 railroads {
, make agreements provided these agrc,
, mcuts were sanctioned by the Inter
/. state commerce commission and wcr
( published. With these two condition
- complied with. il is impossible to sc
r what harm such a combination coul