The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1906-12-20
TIID TRUSS
Chancellor Day Denounces Attempt
to Bring Them Under the Law.
CALLS 1T OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES"

CALLS 1T "MILtIONAlREPHO9lA"
Calls People Oemasogucs and Says
Wages Are Swollen AS Well As For
tunes, ard Predicts Panic II This
Maria" Continues.
New York ncc. IS Chancellor Day
of Syracuse University. whose cham
pionship Of Mr. Rockefeller and the
Standard Oil company. with a widely
quoted contribution 10 current politi-
cal discussion. continued 10 denOuncc
warmly the movement for legislative
control Of aggrega,iOns Of wealth.
This movement he terms million.
alrcphobia. in the forthcoming issue
Of Lcslie's Weekly. and says
"For some time We have been in the
grip OF this mighty spasm over cor
porate wealth aud swollen fortunes.
These current phrases are from high
sources All ot our national ills are
being stated in this formula. Down
with the rich puucture the swollen
fortunes Make the rich poor and all
the poor will be- rich Destroy the cor
porations. hamper them. obstruct
them Sue them in the courts. Assail
them in the press Tie the strings OF
the Lilliputans 10 them in congress
and bind them, and the individual can
have a chance.
make the returns OF great busi-
nesses sufficiently small and uncertain
by petty legislative restrictions and
control. and we shall not be troubled
by the genius of a Rockefeller a Hill.
n Morgan. a Carnegie. an Armour. or a
Swift. The little men will be- biz
enough for the little things remaining
to be- done II Is a crime for several
men to have developed the power Of
giving employment 10 $1,000 or l5O,oOo
men.
Fortunes are not the only things
that have swollen. he declares. but
salaries and wages as well. while
hours of labor have shrunk. which is
another way of swelling wages.
He says that the men who would re.
duce these fortunes had nothing to do
with swelling them. and could not
manage them If they had them that
those who are chattering about pre-.
datory wealth would not refuse to take
over corporation stock even In Rocke-
feller proportions. Destructive regula.
tlon should be preceded by govern
ment ownership. then II the govern
ment owner OF the property it is pro
posed to supervise. Eve can take the
consequences Of our blundering."
He adds. Probably no men In this
country are more disqualified for the
control and supervision Of the cor.
porations or swollen fortunes than the
majority Of legislators Any proposition
from that source 10 supervise and con.
troll the wealth OF the land is a gigan-
tic piece OF impertinence that to com
ing generations will be incredible.
Courts OF justice" continues the
chancellor. ARE dragOOned into sub
serviency to executive authority. men
being condemned without conviction
and told to clear themselves after they
are condemned If they want mercy.
Commerce. traffic. transportation. man
ufacture. are placed under espionage
and hailed before the courts and threat
ened with regulation by socialistic law
until men no longer know what prop
erty is or the rights OF business as
once interpreted by those principles
which were supposed to have been es-
tabllshed by the wisdom OF the cen
turtles.
II predict" he says in conclusion.
that we are passing through an epoch
that will stand in future times To our
everlasting disgrace and shame. We
are phenomenally blessed by Provi-
dence. We are steadied by the calm
confidence and signal ability OF the
greatest men ever known in the com
mercal world. But If this mania con
tinues II is not far on To crash that
will carry down all confidence, con
fuse all property rights, block the
wheels of all progress and wreck not
only the millionaire's fortune but the
laborer's cottage. The demand OF the
hour is the control OF the controller
Swollen fortunes are a thousandfold
less dangerous to our land and peo-
pie than swollen demagogy"