Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1908-02-01

write. Normally they hire others to
do their bidding, or find others who
will do it without hire.
I. :: : : 80 So !: : !: $ !: :
= From the railroad-rate law to :.
" the pure-food law, every meas :.
= ure for honesty in business that :.
has been passed during the last !:
: six years has been opposed by I:
these men on its passage and in !:
= Its administration with every 4:
e resource that bitter and unscru- :.
= pulous craft could suggest and 4:
| 8 the command of almost unlimit- 4:
!: ed money secure. {.
= !: :: !: !: {. :: {. :: = s :. {. !. {. 8
| But for the last year the attack
has been made with most bitterness
upon the actual administration of
the law, especially through the De-
partment of Justice, but also through
the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion and the Bureau OF Corporations.
innocent" Stockholders.
Much is said, in these attacks upon
the policy OF the present administra.
ition, about the rights of innocent
stockholders" That stockholders lis
not innocent who voluntarily pur:
chases stock in d corporations whose
methods and management he knows
| to be corrupt; and stockholders are
bound to try to secure honest man.
ageInent, or else are estopped from
complaining about the proceedings
the government fiiids necessary in or
der to compel the corporation to2obey
the law. There has been in the past
grave wrong done innocent stock
holders by overcapitalization, stock
| watering, stock obbing inland stock
manipulation. This I'VE have sought
to prevent, first, by exposing sths
Ithig done and Furnishing the offendel
when any existing law had beer
i yiolatedg second,ilby recommending
| the passage OF flaws which tTwoult
make unlawful similar practices fo'
the future. ~ Gf!a@ $ia#lsf VA
*]. e 8 & = 9 4 = I: & :.
u = The public men, lawyers, and 4
i = editors who loudly proclaim 4
4 = their sympathy for the innocent .
:. st0ckhold srs,,s when great law !
: defying corporation is punished, .
= are the first to protect with fran- .
= tic vehemence against all efforts .
: = by law to to put "a stop to the 4
= practices which are the real and !
:. ultimate sources of the damage .
: : alike to the stockholders and the .
:. public a.4dtl 4tt Bel.
~ *a** : - = 4 : (: 4. :. 8 f.
The apologists of successful dishor
esty always declaim against any e
fort to punish or prevent it, on tn
ground that any such effort will "ul
settle business" 1t is they who b
their acts have unsettled business
and the very men raising this or
spend hundreds of thousands of do
lars in securing, by speech, editoria
/ book or pamphlet, the defense b
: misstatements of what they hav
: done; and yet when public servant
} correct their misstatements by tel
; ing the truth they declaim again:
them for breaking silence, lest IVA
ues be deprecated. They have hui
; honest business men, honest worl
: ingmen, honest farmers; and no,
: they clamor against the truth bein
:: told.
Moral Regeneration.
The keynote of all these attack
upon the effort to secure honesty j
business and in politics is well e:
y pressed in brazen protests agains
i any effort for the moral regeneratio
S of the bushes world, on the groun
d that it is unnatural, unwarranted, an
, injurious, and that bushes panic
Z the necessary penalty for such effo
S to secure business honesty.
:. :. : . :. :. : : :: :: :. 1. !. = =
:: Themorality of such a peal is
IS :: precisely as great as if made on
e :: behalf of the men caught in
it :. Rambling establishment when
) :: that gambling establishment is
:: raided by the police.
5. :: : : = :. :. = !. :. :. :. :. = :: :
81 If such words mean anything the
o mean that those whose sentiment
they represent stand against the e
: fort to bring about a moral regene
s alton of business which will preve1
s repetition of the insurance, oanl
d ing, and street railroad scandals i
Y New York; repetition of the Oh
+ cago and Alton deal; a repetition
:, the combination between certain pr
6 fessional politicians, certain profe
L sional labor leaders, and certain bi
st tinanciers, from the disgrace of whic
+ San Francisco has just been rescued
s repetition of the successful effol