Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-04-04


ing to the people Of the country
nearly all of what is thus thrown out
flowing back to the man who, chiefly
responsible for the corporations mis-
chiefs in the past, may utilize it again
in the future; the times seem to press
even now, for something in the direc-
ton Of genuine reform.
But how shall genuine reform be 4
brought about? How shall we lset 4
about the work of getting the indi-
yidual American into his rightful place
and part in the great new life of which
he is now chiefly an Industrial part
only; how can we bring about, in this 4
new era of industrial building. on
which America has entered, what was
achieved in the old era Of nation build
ing, out Of which we have just
emerged ? By employing here, IL an
swer, as was employed there, the fun
damental axiom that if the right ave
nues are fully opened up, mans natur-
al instincts will do the rest.
n What government is to men politi-
cally organized, the corporation is to
modern industry organized. And as
into the institution Of government was
introduced security to the individual.
man, working his way up to full par
ticipation in political power, into the
corporation must be introduced the
prohibitions and limitations, the ways
and means, that will give security to
the individual American, working his
way toward proprietorship in the In
dustrial fields. The corporations are
here to stay. To destroy them would
be as If our fathers. instead of re.
forming government that it might
open up, avenues to the individual
man, had destroyed the government
altogether. No, no, my young friends
it is not the destroyer that we should
invoke; nor, on the other hand. the
dead calm that would be followed only
by another and more destructive
Whirlwind. II is the rebuilder that
we must invoke; that reconstruction.
of theseorpo ation, that opening up to
the middle American an opportunity
stoWork outshis instinct for an individ-
.ual independence Of his own, viii
eventually transform the great new
life that the corporation embodies, as
government was transformed, into
something that the people viii proud
" sustain, because the peoples in
dutsrial life will then be something
that really belongs to them some
thing into which hope and aspiration
pour, as well as toll and selfdenia1s. =
First. then. let us fully recognize z
continued Judge Grosscup, that the
individual American has still the prop
erty instinct. Secondly, that he has
the means. Thirdly (and here is
where our Immediate work begins
let us remove the causes that have
divorced this instinct and these ffnan-
cial means from nearly every kind Of
property that has gone into corporate
ftooir.m-that have destroyed his conf
dence in the corporation as an avenue
through which he individually can par
ticipate, with security, in the great
bulk OF his country's property
After a resume of the corporation
reform in Germany thirty years ago,
and its results Judge Grosscup con-
tinued: But while am not attempt
ing in detail to point out the exact
structure Of the American corporation
as it should stand when reconstructed,
some Of the principles on which the
demonstrations should take place can
be particuiarized. The reconstructed
corporation, for instance, must have
no place In It for those schemes OF
spo1iation that. within Or without,
plumber the people whose capital has
created It and whose patronage must
support It. In the reconstructed cor
poration the securities issued must be
related in some way to the values ac-
tually put in. In the reconstructed
corporation. not only must the officers
be trustees OF the stockholders. held
to the strict accountab Utility to which
individual trustees are now held, ami
denied the privilege, as individual
trustees are now denied, OF making
profit out Of the trust; but the admin.
istration Of the trust, as III the case
OF the individual trustees, must be
constantly kept under the eye Of some
tribunal Of the government. And In
the reconstructed corporation tangible
Inducements ought to be given to the
workman, the clerk, the employe Of
every kind, to secure proprietorship
Now what practical course, IN a POI
iitical way, shall be taken to suppIant
the oaigarchy corporation oil today
with the corp ation whose paramount
=