Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1908-05-26
Wei SAID.


AT. the mock national convention by
the Mems league of the Presbyterian
church, held in that church on Monday
evening of last week. i fell to H. j.
Evans to second the nomination of Gov.
Hughes, of New York. which he did in
an admirable way and what he said is
mighty good reading. The following
is part of his address:
Twenty or more years ago, to save
the manufacturing interests of this
country from the ruinous effects Of too
reckless competition among rivals in
the same line the device of making a
combination of all the clashing interests
involved was resorted to with the re-
suit that there was greater stability in
prices, great savings made in expenses,
and much more economic use made
ofresources These combinations grew
rapidly in size and power as their effect
lveness became more evident, and soon
the guiding spirits began to realize that
these corporations had no bodies To be
Kicked and no souls To be damned.
Every Increase in power made them
more recklessiy ambitious, more defiant
OF law and public opinion. The larger
units absorbed the smaller and thus be-
came more powerful. Monopoly be-
came the watchword; aud its esta blish-
ment was to be accomplished without
scruple of humanity or conscience.
These great corporations finally went
into politics, secretly where possible,
openly when necessary; and the ser
wants OF the people in too many instances
became their puppets under their in
huence, business morality was becom-
ing tricky. shameless. Their decalogue
listed only one crime, and that WAS
failure to land the goodsl Twenty
years ago the vital question was, how
shall the ruinous effects of too keen
competition be aTerted; and the answer
was in the formation of combination by
the process of inc corporation.
Today the all important question is,
how shall the ruin of free government,
threatened by the formation of a plu-
tocracy, acting the terribly effective
agency OF unbridled trusts, be stayedg
and the answer is in the getting control
of these trusts and making them sub
servient to the public good. But how
can this be done? BY adopting the
same policy that has made these trusts
so powerful; by the process of having
the larger unit absorb the smaller,
when the existence of the smaller is
inimical to the larger. But is there any
corporation lAge enough, powerful
enough to absorb these mighty corpor-
atoms of today? Thank God there is.
The charter of this greater corporation
was issued over hundred years ago
1t is called the constitution of the
United States. Life, liberty, the pur-
suit of happiness, the general welfare,
these are the key words of the charter
Not the welfare of the few at the ex-
pense of the many; not to make the
strong stronger; not to grind the faces
OF the poor in order that monopoly may
wax fatter and fatter; not to increase
the number of palaces by increasing
the p1mber of novels; not to reduce the
American to the narrow range of choice
between being toady tool, or serf.
There is no stock exchange where
shares in this great corporation are
listed. Without price, they are price
less. Every man in America has one
share, and DO man can have more than
one. At this moment the critical ques-
ton is, how canthis greatIbody of share
holders make sure that the policy of
controlling and subordinating the activ-
tiles of trusts to the public good will
be earnestly followed in the immediate
future The answer is plain. Elect as
president and executive BOARD of this
greatest corporation on earth, men who
are pledged to the policy of control
that controls. And the critical time is
here for the selection of the man.