Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1907-07-18

ations, with powers unlimited, and
of immense capacity confront us
where so ever we turn. Daily we
face the question, "Can our govern
ment long survive, amid the resist
less, all consuming powers of mo-
nopoly, the powers that corrupt the
government and crush out individual
ity among the masses. Protesting,
yet unable to resist, the individual is
borne away to oblivion, the innocent |
victim of greed Hardly can we |
realize the far-reaching effects of the |
power of monopoly. What despot |
ever held the sceptre, what dynasty
ever ruled the world with a more
ltyrannical hand than Is today exer-
cised by the railroad king? Again
unrestricted. combination in capital
is not only oppressive, but alone
among industries themselves, but a
corruption which has led to the coin
age of a phrase, new to the Ameri-
can ear. The Treason of the Senate
| Golden Idol on Pedestal.
The pursuit OF the golden idol has
become q passion, conscience is de-
throned, and in It's place leers tho
evil genius of greed. The events OF
the past few months have eliminated
in a series of exposures which have
appalled, our moral sensibilities with
revelations OF civic and business de-
bauchery. Yet over II all shines a
Hight klndled by Hamilton, century
and a half ago. Toward 1t we turn
for a remedy; toward 1t we look for
the solving principle. Today 1t Is
seen in the call for governmental con-
,trol. We are coming to realize that
when corruption sits enthroned In
state and city, when faction opposes
faction and public rights are lost,
above the fogs of gall and greed,
stand government and law. The
right of the government to control
public utilities Is undeniable. 1t Is
the right and duty of the central gov
lernment, under the constitution OF
1.-THE United States, to establish JUS
,tice, to insure tranquility. and to
bring about equality in the admins
tration of the law.
Evils fragrant and Notorious.
"Under our present system OF
ldaotfnc, ,,Itb cornnVafa nOWar avfia
are fiagrant and notorious. Leglsla-
tors, with the ill-gotten gains OF cor
lporate influence upon them, frequent
the legislative halls. There is mad
dening laxity In the enforcement OF
the law when great intereats are hit.
Don't tell the people we are selling
rotten beef, II will hurt our busl-
ness, But Roosevelt was not afraid
to tell. and the stencil has ceased
in our nostrils, and the food comes
pure to our tables. because OF gov
ernmental supervision. There is a
man, who with VIM. j. Bryan, is the
strongest advocate of governmental
control. Pessimists speak as II the
exercise of government control OF
public utilities would curtail indlvid-
ual effort and drown individual en-
terprise. This is not so. II would
indeed be a lamentable calamity to
adopt any system which would In any
way lay restraint upon the energy,
capacity, and resourcefulness of the
Individual so essential in the demo-
cratic institutions. But, the truth Is,
these unwholesome effects of social
ism. the merging of the individual
into one shapeless mass. are In no In
considerable degree realized through
Unrestricted combination OF capital.
Yet do not think all combinations are
to be condemned. Some combina-
tions are. as every man knows. nee
esssary factors in present days indus
tries. What we need is not 10 at
tempt foolishly to prevent all such
gathering together of wealth, but to
secure such an adequate control OF
all combines as will insure the public
veal. Conceive that the federal
government controls its public utili-
ties; put competition upon the basis
OF excellence OF service; put the pos
sibilities for corporate influence for
ever away from the doors OF the leg
islatiye departments, and a mighty
step shall have been taken to up
build the democracy TO come.
"By the example OF those nations
which have adopted It; in the name
, OF the rights OF all the people; by
the inherent desire in the hearts OF
| all men for justice and fair play; for
! the enforcement of the law. civic and
. InafInnal admInisi ratIon Of fhnaa In.