New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-02-10
Literary Nese,s and Criticism.

but more than ordinarily illuminating IN the
manner in which he has brought out the historic
significance of their origin, growth and develop
ment in each respective instance. 1t would be
agreeable to follow him in his individual
porate organizations. but it will be sufficient for
the present purpose to proceed at once to the
consideration of those leading principles which,
having been common to all corporations in the
past may safely be predicated of those which
exist to-day may be developed in the future.
While the effect of modification to modern con-
Gitions may not be disregarded, the corporations
of to-day do not differ widely from those
of yesterday than the latter differed from the
earlier examples herein examined into, the evo-
luton OF which in all cases was practically
identical.
Corporations In their varied stages appear, in
this view. to have been the outgrowth of PERIODS
of sudden governmental whether of church OF
state) expansion and development when gov
ernments We're unable to cope with, or enectlVelS
10 control through their own agencies, the mani
fold activities of their subjects They accord
ingy sanctioned and made use of. TO their own
advantage, those associations of individuals
which had been formed through private or
local interest, TO supply, by means OF comoiha-
ton the protection and encouragement which the
state or the church was unable to accord and
which was obviously impossible to the individual
acting on his own initiative Two processes OF
development characterized. spontaneously the
growth of corporate and governmental powers
which closely related in their ultimate
effects The various forms of associated acliNl'y
began on an essentially democratic basis AS
their scope and power increased, their coh'roi
fell more and more into the hands OF the le"'
the select governing body within the orsanizh-
ton. while the members in general became
separated into strata the lines of division chang
ing from vertical, say as between glio ana gnu
to horizontal. between the classes common TO
all gilds. The effect a conception of the
giId as body actually doing for society instead
of imposing regulations under which society
could do for itself" Concurrently with TINS
aptly termed corporate shrinkage' ran the de-
velopment and strengthening of governmental
functions and the gradual absorption by tne
government of the powers it had, through lhcd-
pacity delegated primarily to voluntary assoc
ciated efrort, rendered easier. of course by the
absorption of the powers of the corporate pooles
into the hands of compact, Responsible thor-
oughlv organized boards THE great fact of the
history of the old corporations" the author
writes, lis that the state has wholly or par
tally absorbed their powers" Continuing he
says:
activity in field somewhat different from that OF
their predecessors EVIDENCE of the same iatA
of ability on the part OF the State (society ponu
calv organized) to fully comprehend and correlate
the social life Of its citizens The plane OF cTTPe e
rate life has been depressed, in sense, TO loWer
level. The purpose OF the modern eoIpordtIoIi t
less plainly contribute 10 national deHeopteIto
ard Is annarently confined 10 large extent 10
the amplifcation of the Individual The view lew OF OF
The subject is obscured by the fact that society is
now working from "A different standpoint from
that of the individual instead Of from that OF ehe
State The result hardly fail to be the same ,
an eventual dsintegration of corporations an az
of beir
md the RELOCATION of their remaining elements to
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