Omaha daily bee., 1908-12-09

9ASA WI ~
One Of the chief features Of this control
should be securing entire publicity in all
matters which the public has a right to
know, and. furthermore. the power. not by
judicial, but by executive action, to prevent
or put a stop to every form of improper
favoritism or other w~rongdoing.
Railway Control.
The railways OF the country should be
put completely under the Interstate Com
merce commission and removed from the
domain of the antitrust law. The power of
the commission should be made thorough
going, SO that 1t could exercise complete
supervision and control over the issue of
securities as we'll as over the raising and
lowering Of rates. AS regards rates, at
least, this power should be summary. The
power to investigate the financial opera
lions and accounts Of the railways. has been
one OF the most valuable features in recent
legislation. Power to make combinations
and traffic agreements should be explicitly
conferred upon the railroads, the permits
sion Of the commission being first gained
and the combination or agreement being
published in all It's details. In the interest
OF the public the representatives of the pub
lie should have complete power to see that
the railroads do their duty by the public,
and as a matter . OF course this power
should also be exercised so as to see that no
injustice is done to the railroads.
Telegraph and telephone companies en-
gagged In interstate business should be put
under the jurisdiction of'the Interstate
Commerce commission. ts
EncourSgement for individuals.
1t is to the interest of all OF us that
49, SAI - F-. wAN .a~AA In
dividuAl Initiative and individual capacity,
and an ample reward for the great direct
ing i~ntelligences alone competent to man
age the great business operations of today.
II is well 10 keep in mind that exactly
as the anarchist is the worst enemy Of
liberty and the r~eaotionAry the worst
enemy OF order, SO the men who defend
the rights OF property have most to fear
from the wfongdoers OF great wealth,
and the men who are championing popular
rights have most 10 fear from the dema-
gogues who In the name OF popular rights
would do wrong to and Cypress honest
business men. honest men OF wealth; for
the success OF either type OF wrongdoer
necessarily invites a violent reaction
against the cause the wrongdoer nomi-
nally upholds. IN point OF danger to the
nation there lie nothing to choose between
on the one hand the corruptionist. the
bribe-giver. the bribe- taker, the man who
employs his great talent TO swindle his
fellow citizens on a large scale, and, on
the other hand. the preacher OF class
hatred, the man who, whether from igno-
rance or from willingness to sacrifice his
country TO his ambition. persuades we'll
meaning but wrong-headed men TO try to
destroy the instruments upon which our
prosperity mainly rests. Let each grouI
OF men beware OF and guard against the
shortcomings TO which tina group is Itself
most liable. Too often we see the bust
ness community in a spirit of unhealthy
class consciousness deplore the effort tc
hold to account under the law the wealthy
men who In their management of great
corporations, whether railroads, street rail-
ways or other Industrial enterprises. hav,
behaved In n way that revolts the con.
science of the plain. decent people. Such
an attitude cannot be condemned too Sc.
verely. for men of property should recog.
nice that they jeopardize the rights OF
property when they fail heartily to Joir
in the effort to do away with the abuses
~ wealth. On the other hand. those whC
advocate proper control on behalf of the
publIc. through the state. OF these grea
corporations, and OF the wealth engaged
on a giant scale In business operations
must ever keep in mind that unless the!
do scrupuious Justice to the corporation
unless they permit ample profit and cor
daily encourage capable men of bushes
so long as they act with honesty. they ar
striking at the root OF our national we'll
being; for In the long run, under the mer
pressure Of material distress. the peopl
as a Who'll would probably go back to tn
reign OF an unrestricted individuslisn
-L- 49,, Askvutk 70 a ,aoufrol hy fh
state 30 drastic and 50 foolish, conceive
In a spirit OF such unreasonable and mar
row hostility to wealth, as 10 proven
business operations from being profitable
and therefore to bring ruin upon the entir
business community. and ultimately upo
the entre body OF citiSens.
Not Easy Of Solution.
We a. not for a moment believe tina
Ehe problem win DO solved by any shor
and easy method. The solution viii com
1nly by pressing various concurrent rem
dies. Some OF these remedies must II