The state herald., 1908-12-11

erations of to-day. 1t Is well to keep In
mind that exactly as the anarchist is the
worst enemy of liberty and the reaction
nry the worst enemy of order, so the
men who defend the rights of property
have most to fear from the wrongdoers
OF great wealth. and the men who are
championing popular rights have most
to fear from the demagogues who in the
name of popular rights would do wrong
to and oppress honest business men,
honest men OF wealth; for the success of
either type OF wrongdoer necessarily in
viies a violent reaction against the cause
the wrongdoer nomnally upholds.
Need of Capitalization.
The proposal TO make the mr.
tional government supreme over, and
therefore to give 1t complete control over
the railroads and other instruments of
interstate commerce is merely propos-
al to carry out to the letter one of the
prime purposes. II not the prime purpose.
for which the constitution was founded
1t does not represent Capitalization. II
represents merely the acknowledgment
of the patent fact that Capitalization has
already come In business. II this ire
sponsible outside business power Is to be
controlled in the interest OF the general
public 1t can only be controlled In one
way: by giving adequate power of con-
troll to the one sovereignty capable of ex-
ercising such power-the national govern
ment. To abandon the effort for national
control means 10 abandon the effort for
all adequate control and yet to render like
ly continual bursts of action by state leg
islatures, which cannot achieve the pur-
pose sought for. but which can do
great deal of damage to the corporation
without comforting any real benefit on
the public
There should be regulation by the ma
tional government of the great interstate
corporations, including a simple method
of account keeping. publicity. supervision
of the issue of securities, abolition OF
rebates and OF special privileges. There
should be short-time franchises for all
corporations engaged in public business;
including the corporations which get
power from water rights. There should
be national as well as state guardianship
OF mines and forests. The labor legisla-
ton hereinafter referred to shohd con
currently be enacted into law.
To accomplish this, means a certain in
crease in the use of-not the creation OF
power, by the central government. The
power already exists: II does not have
to be created; the only question IL
whether II shall be used or left idle
and meanwhile the corporations over
which the power ought to be exercised
will not remain idle. The danger to Amer
concentration OF administrative power In
responsible and accountable hands. II
lies In having the power insufiicicntly
concentrated, so that no one can be held
responsible to the people for its use.
Concentrated power is palpable. visible.
responsible, easily reached. quickly held
to account Democracy is in peril
wherever the administration of po-
litical power is scattered among
variety OF men who work In
secret, whose very names are un-
known to the common people. II is not
In peril from any man who derives au-
thority from the people. who exercises
IL In sight OF the people. and who Is
from time to time compelled TO give an
account OF Its exercise to the people.
Legislation for Waseworker.
There are many matters affecting labor
and the status OF the wngcworker to
which l should like TO draw your atten-
tlon. but an exhaustive discussion of the
problem In all Its aspects is not now nee
essary. believe In a steady ef-
accurate to say In steady efforts
In many different directions, to bring
about "A condition of affairs under which
the men who work with hand or with
brain. tho laborcrs. the superinte e ndents.
the men who produce the market and the
produced shall own far greater share
than at present OF the wealth they pro-
ducc, and be enabled To Invest II In the
tools and instruments by which all work
II carried on. As far as possible I hope
To see frank recognition Of the ndynn-
tngcs conferred by machinery. orgnniza-
tion and division Of labor. accompanied
In the ownership by wage-workcr OF rail
way. mill and fuciory
Postal Savings banks Will make IL
easy for the poorest TO keep their saw
ings In absolute rafcty. The regulation
of the national highways must be such
that they shall serve all pcopi. with
equal Justice. Corporate finances must
be supervised 50 as 10 make IL far safer
than at present for ,he man Of small
means to Invest his rioney In stocks
There must be prohibition Of child Ia.
bor. e.minution of women labor. short
ening Of hours Of all mechanical labor:
stock watering should he prohibited.
ana stock gambling so far as II possi-
bio discouraged There should be a
progressive Inheritance tax on large
fortunes Industrial education should
he encouraged, A. far as posi ,bls we
should Tighten the burden OF taxation
ON the small man. We should put a
premium upon thrift, hard work and
businers energy, but these qualities
''AH" 10 Ne ihN MAN factors IN nrruH
mulatuE fortune long before that
fortune reaches a point whore IL would
be seriously affected by any inhrrl-
tancc tax such nH I propose. II IN emit
nrntly right that the nation should nN
the terms upon which tho great for,
tunes are Inherited. They rarely do
good and they often do harm 10 those
who inherit them In their entirety,
There should no longer ho any pait-r.
Ing with the question of taking care OF
the was~wofkeru who, under our pres.
cnt industrial system, become Killed.
crippled, or worn out as part OF the
regular Incidents Of given busi.
ness A. far aH concerns Ihosa
who have been worn out. call your
attention TO the fact that drfuitr
steps toward providing oid.aEo pen.
sions have been taken In many Of our
private Industries These may be In
definitely extended through voluntary
association and conifibutofy schemes
or through the agency Of savings
banks. as under the Massachusetts,
plan,
Urgent Need Of Reform.
our present system. or rather no syH,
TEN, works dreadful wrong. and 4. OF
A.. ....N.