The Washington herald., 1906-10-21
RADICALISM RUN RIOT.
Private DaIzeH Sees Danger in the
Crusade Against Corporations.

Private DaiZciA sees Danger IN inc
Crusade Against Corporations.
Editor Washington Herald
Shall We as a nation yet shoot Niagara
in the crusade against corporate wealth ?
Whittier are we tending? Not more
fanaticism and malice were exhibited in
the crusades of the Middle Ages than are
now showing themselves in the war on
corporations. 1t is the rising storm of
popular protest against private greed ana
gain. We don't like TO confess It. bu-
much. if not most. of the feeling grows
out OF envy of those who have more Of
this worlds goods than we have. To
be sure. we soothe our cOnsciences by try
ing to believe that the prosecution Of the
trusts is wholly for the public good-pre-
cisely as our forefatheTs killed Indians
and burned witches for Gods sake!
Wher envy and malice prompt an action,
it requires but bit of casuistry for the
inner consciousness to persuade itself
that the action proceeds wholly from an
unselfsh motive and a solemn sense Of
duty The thing we feel like doing always
trumps up a plausible pretext and excuse,
But back to mutton-whither are We
thousands Of private citizens. have been
plunging and prohting at the expense Of
the laboring poor. and making money ont
Of prosperous conditions. is true. They
could not do this without stepping or
somebody's toes, or more likely, putting
their itching fingers into somebody s
pockets. These corporations. however.
have made Us what we are as a nation
even if We, as a nation. gave them the
chance to grow rich They built our rail
roads, made all our machinery, strung the
land all over with their wires, and even
built for us "a navy that we rUl- the
oceans with to-day. Shall we destroy
them2 Shall we kill the great giants who
have wrought the marvels that no single
man could ever do? Shall we destroy IT,
sources Of our national wealth, power,
and prestige-for, mind you, il is the big.
purse that out-bigs any big stick,
II the NapOleOnic boast was true that
the Lcrds always on the side Of the
big cannon, so 1t is truer still that He is
on the side OF the big purse. Shall we kill
the goose that laid the golden egg. be
cause she cackles so, and sometimes
scratches up the GARDEN Government
regulation is all right If moderately ex-
ercised. but l believe largely in the doc
trine of laisseZ faire--as Mark Hanna
translated the French standing pallet
We'll enough alone
1t is an old question. and comes down
from the Roman through the English law
to US It is written in the Magma Charta
repeated in the Declaration, and am
plified and illustrated in all our laws
for century, that the government should
keep hands off private persons and prop
erty as much as possible. Punish the one.
cOnfscate the other. fer crime but dis
criminate nicely in favor of any form or
expression Of human ingenuity that puts
two dollars in nation where but one was
before. ] believe in a strong central gov
eminent. but / believe a strong govern
ment is like strong man-it should mind
its own business. | believe the states
which grant corporate rights and priyi-
leges have some rights the strong. central
government must respect. and I do not
believe in any inGiscriminate. communis-
tic crusade against corporations or indi-
viduals. because it is unconstitutional and
revolutionary, and the work of the devils
Of jealousy and class hatred
PRIVATE DALZELL