The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1907-12-04

ness men of wealth, as 10 bring 10
justice those individuals and corpora.
|tions representing dishonest methods
Most certainly there win be no relaxa.
ton by the Government authorities ii
the effort TO net At any great railroad
Wfeeker--any man who BY clever swindl.
ing devices robs investors. oppresscs
wage workers, and does injustice TO the
general pnblic. But any such moves III
this u In the interest of honest railway
operators, of honest corporations, and of
those who, when they invest their small
savings In stocks aud bonds, wish 10 be
assured that these will represent money
honestly expended for Legitimate busi.
ness purposes. 10 confer ,lpon the
National Government the power ior
which ] ask would be a check
upon cycrcapitaliMtion ana mon
the clever gamblers who benefit by over.
capitalization. But II alone would
mean nn Increase In tho value, au III.
crease In the safety OF the stocks and
bonds Of law.abiding, honestly managed
railroads, and would render Ii far easier
TO market their securities. / believe In
proper publicity. There has been com.
plant 81 some Of the Investigations re-.
Gently carried on, but those who com !.
plain should put the blame where II be-.
longs--ipon the mlsdeeds which are
done In darkness and not upon the In.
|yestigattons which brought them 10
light. The Administration Is responsible
for turning on the Hight. but IL IL not
responsible for what the light showed.
| ask for full power 10 be given the Fed.
eral Government, because no single
State can by legislation eifectually cope
with these powerful corporations Ell.
gagged In interstate commerce, and
while doing them full justice, exact
from them In return full justice 10
Others. The conditions OF railroad aetiyi.
W, the conditions OF our immense inter
state commerce, are such as TO make the
Central Government alone competent TO
exercise full supervision and control.
! THE grave abuses In individual cases
of railroad management In the past re.
present wrongs not merely TO the gen.
eral public. but, above all, wrongs TO
iair.dealing and honest corporations and
men OF wealth. because they excite a
popular anger and distrust which from
tho very nature Of the case tends TO IN
clude In the sweep Of Its resentment
good and bad alike. From the stand,
point Of the public can not too earn.
estly say that as soon as the natural
and proper resentment aroused by
these abuses becomes indiscriminate and
nnthinkipg. 1t also becomes not merely
unwise and unfair, but calculated To-
defeat the very ends which those feel.
Ing u have In view. There has been
plenty Of dishonest work by corpora.
tions In the past. There will not be
the slightest lct.up In the effort TO hunt
down and punish every dishonest man.
But the bulk Of our business Il honestly
done. In the natural Indignation the
people feel over the dishonesty. it is all |
essential that they should not lose their
heads and get drawn into an indiscrim.
mate raid upon all corporations, all
people OF wealth. whether they do well
or III. Out Of any such wild movement good
will not come, can not come, and never
has come. On the contrary, the snrest
way to Invite reaction II to follow the
lead Of either demagogue or visionary
In sweeping assault upon property
values and upon public confidence, which
would work incalculable damage in the