Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1906-10-19
CURLING the POWER OF CORPORATIONS
A PROBLEM IN AMERICAN POLITICS
ROOSEVELT POINTS OUT THE CHARACTER OF THE
ENGAGING THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
corporatlonsJusce Capital
Through the Republican Party-Fed-
eraIC

Justice For Capital and Labor-Rs
the Republican Party-Fed-
ontrol. i|it,
and must ultimately be understood thel
the United states government, on bAha0
OF the people Of the United States. has
lon and 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 dt~
mess whatever-and this includes Almos1
al OF the great corporations
Work Already Done
During the last few years the national
government has taken very long strides
IN the direction of exercising and securing
this adequate control over the great coe-
poratlons, and 1t was under the Ieadershlp
of one OF tho most honored public men In
our country. one Of Pennsylvania most
emil sons-ths present senator. and
departure was begun. Events have NOV.
ed fast during the last Ave years, and lt
Is curious to look back at tho extreme
bitterness which not merely tho spokes-
men and representatives OF organized
wealth. but many most excellent conser-
vauve people then felt as to tho action
OF Mr.. Knox and the administration.
Many OF the greatest tinanciers Of this
country were certain that Mr.. Knox's
Northern Securities suit, II won would
plunge US Into the worst panic we had
ever seen. They denounced as incitement
the as Of an npHogy ba. tor eSsr
now become law or are In fair way OF
becoming law; and yet these Same poli-
cles. SO far from representing either an
antidotes to anarchy. the antidotes to 500
clallsm. TO exercise constantly Inc
crossing and constantly more efficient SUI.
pervision and control over the great com.
necessity TOR seriously considering such
project as government ownership Of
RAILROADS.&C. policy which would be- evil
In Its results from every standpoint
Regulation Of Corporations. ..-
A similar extension Of tho national
power to oversee and secure correct bos
havlor IN the management OF all great
ness will in 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.
lame well meaning people against all
forms OF property and to commit the
country to schemes Of wild. would-bs
remedy which would work infinitely more
harm than the disease itself.
TINE GOVERNMENT OUGHT NOT
TO CONDUCT THE BUSINESS OF
THE iE, GouM IN BUT IT OUGHT TO
BE CONDUCTED IN THE INTEREST,"
OF THE PUBLIC.
Bourbons and Radicals.
Perhaps the best Justification Of the
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. Is
that 1t Is condemned with almost equal
fhn nrtf Ia rtn
Bourbons on the one side and by the
wild apostles of unrest on the other. Tho
reactionary Is bitterly angry because we
have deprived , him Of that portion Of his
hurt; the agltator Is angered for various
reasons. including among others the fact
that by remedying the abuses We have
deprived him Of the fulcrum of real
OF Irrational agitation formidable.
Not All Done. ....
We have actually accomplished much,
anything like all. that we feel must be
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 impartiality as between man and
man. and unresting In our endeavor to
strengthen and supplement these by fur.
thsr laws w. which shall enable US In more
achieve the ends we have In view.
Accomplishing
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 the states
of the great plains and the Rocky Noun
tains. providing for a Pacific cable. and
so forth. Yet In addition to these tasks,
IF which nf StunnpI0ua m
ance. congress has taken giant strides.
along the path Of government regulation
and control of corporations; the inter-
state commerce law has been made e.
fectlve in radical and far reaching FASH
ion, rebates have been stopped, pure
food law has been passed. proper super
vision Of the meat packing business pro-
vided, and the bureau of corporations es-
tablished-a bureau which has already
done great good and which can and
should be given q constantly increasing
functional power.
Justice for Capital and Labor.
The work Of legislation has been no
more important than the work done by
the department Of Justice In executing
the laws, not only against corporations
and individuals who have broken the an.
THRUST or interstate commerce law. but
against those who have been engaged in
land frauds. Scores OF suits civil and
criminal. have been successfully UNDER
taken against OuenueTS OF all klnQS-
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 Of.
tenders have been imprisoned.
A Long Look Ahead.
It behooves US Americans to look ahead
and plan out the right kind Of civil.
cation, as that which we intend to de-
velop from these wonderful new condi-
lions Of vast Industrial growth 1t must
not be, It shall not be. the civilization Of
q mere plutocracy, 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-
portunities for selfishness been SO great
nor the results Of self1shness so appallin9i
for in communities where everything 10
basis. such selfshness. II unchecked. may
epoch into powers Of destruction hithertS
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