The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1906-10-05


IL mess use of the swollen fortunes 'of
today. and also wisely to determine the
conditions upon which these fortunes
are to be transmitted and the percent
age that they shall pay to the Govern
ment whose protecting arm alone en-
ables them to exist. Only the nation
can do this work. To relega,e 1t to tho
states Is a farce, and is simply another
fWay of saying that 1t shall not be
done at all.
II Complete Power.
| Under a wise and far seeing inter-
probation of the interstate commerce
| clause Of the Constitution, | maintain
| that the national Government should
| have complete power to deal with all
| of this wealth which in any way goes
into the commerce between the States
| and practically all OF 1T that is en-
ployed in the great corporations does
| thus go in. The national legislators
| should most scrupulously avoid any
demagogic legislation about the bust
ness use Of wealth. and should realize
| that 1t would be better to have no leg
| islation at all than legislation couched
| in vindictive spirit of hatred toward
men Of wealth. or else dram with the
recklessness of impractic ~e visiona-
ries. But. on the other hand, 1t shall
and must ultimately be understood that
| the United States Government, on be-
half Of the people Of the United States.
has and is to exercise the power Of
| supervision and control over the bus
| mess use Of wealth--in the first place,
over all the work Of the common car
riers OF the nation, and in the next
place over the work Of all the great
| corporations which directly or Indirect
ly do any interstate business what
| overland this includes almost all Of
| the great corporations
Long Strides.
During the last few years the ma
tlonal government has taken very long
strides in the direction OF exercising
| and securing this adequate control over
the great corporations and 1t was I'M
der the leadership Of one of the most
| honored public men In our country, one
OF .Pennsylvania's most eminent sons
the present Senator. and then Attor-
parture was begun. Events have NOV
ed fast during the last Ave years, and
1t Is curious to look back at the ex-
| treme bitterness which not merely the
spokesman and representatives of or
ganized wealth, but many most excel
tent, conservative people then felt as
to the action Of Mr.. Knox Of the adj
ministration.
Many OF the greatest hnanciers of
| this country were certain that Mr
knoxs Northern Securities suit. IL
hd Rdun eyer US scent nt0 4sey 5s
an apology for Socialism. The ady adv: a.
Icy OF policies that either have new
coming law; and yet these same pol
icies SO far from. representing eth.
a ths aSt or IN real
srcise a constantly Increasing and
constantly more efficient supervision
and control over the great common
Necessity for the eSesdernR
such project as the government own
srship of railroads. policy which
would De evil IN Its results from ev-
Excuse for Agitators.
| "A similar. extension of the national
behavior in the management Of all
state business will in similar fashion
render far more stable the present
grave abuses which are not only evil
In themselves, but are also evil be-
cause they furnish an excuse for agi-
pie against all forms of property.
Of wild. would be remedies which
the disease itself: The government
ought not to conduct the business of
the country; but 1t ought to regulate
interest Of the public.
Best Qualification.
Perhaps the best Justification of
e rn we have BEEN ae PURSUING in 9ne
past few years. and which we intend
steadily. and progressively to pursue
IN the fu6Ere is that IT is EN-
reactionar1e s-the Bourbons~on one
side, and by the wild apostles of I'M
rest on the ea other; The reactionary Is
prived him OF that portion of his
power which he misuses to the public
hurt the agitat,Gr is angered for "a
ers the fact that by remedying the
abuses we have deprived him OF the
fulcrum Of real grievance. which alone
renders the lever Of irrational agita-
ton formidable.
I'VE have actually accomplished much
But we have not accomplished all, mol
anything like all, that We feel mus
be accomplished. We shall not halt
we shall steadily follow the path WI
have marked out, executing the laws WI
| have succeeded in putting upon thu
, statute books with absolute impartial
ity as between man and man, and unrest
ing in our endeavor to strengthen anC
supplement these by further laws which
shall enable us in more efficient anc
more summary fashion to achieve thu
ends we have in view.
Kind of Civilization.
! 1T behooves Americans to lool
ahead and plan out the right kind OF {
| civilization as that which we intend t,
develop from these wonderful new con
ditions of vast industrial growth. l
must not be. it shall not be, the civil
cation of a mere plutocracy. banking
house, Wall street syndicate civilization
not yet can there be submission to elias
hatred, to rancor. brutality. and mol
| violence. for that would mean the ent
| OF all civilization. Increased power
are susceptible of abuse at well as use
never before have the opportunities 70
| selfishness ben 50 great. nor the re
suits of selfishness so appalling; for II
| communities where everythinf Is organ
| 1zed on merely selfish CONNIE rcia
tasis, such selfishness, if unchecked
ay transform the great forces of tn
new epoch into powers OF OBSTRUCTION
hitherto unequaled.
I'VE ned to check the forces o
greed, to insure just treatment alike o
capital and of labor. and of the gen
eral public, to prevent any man, ricl
or poor. from doing or receiving wroni
whether this wrong be one of cunnini
or of violence Much can be done b!
wise legislation and by absolute en-
forccment of the law. But still NOR
must be done by steady training of tn
individual citizen, in conscience ant
character, until he grows to abhor cor
runtion and greed and tyranny an'
brutality and to prize justice and fai
dealing.
THE men who are to do the worl
Of the new epoch must be trained so
to have a sturdy sclf-respect. powc
of sturdy insistence on their own right
and with it Il proud and generous re
copnition of their duties, sense o