Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1908-02-14

SlulllIs III pCtitlCSs
We are trying to secure equality OF OPP
p~ortunfty for all: and the struggl for
honesty Is the same whether it Is made
on behalf OF one set of men or OF another.
In the interest Of the small settlers and
landowners. and against the enbittered
opposition of wealthy owners of huge wan
deiing focks OF sheep, or of corporations
desiring to rob the people of coal and
timber. we strive to put an end 10 the
theft of public land In the West. When
we do this, and protest against the action
Of all men. whether In public life or In
private. life. who either take part IN or
refuse to try to stop such theft, we are
really engaged In the ans policy as when
we cndeavor to put a stop to rebates or
to prevent the u~pgrowth OF uncontrolled
monopolies. Our effort Is simply to en-
force the principles OF common honesty
and common sense. 1t would indeed be
Ill for the country should there be any
halt In our work.
Must Have Justiee.
The laws must in the future be admin
istered as they are now being admins
tered. SO that the department of justice
may continue TO be, what II now iS, In
very fact the department of Justice, where
melted out with an even hand TO great
and small, rich and poor, weak and strong.
Moreover, there should be no delay In
experimenting the laws now on the statute
books by the enactment Of further legis-
latfon as outlined In the message i sent
to the ongress on its assembling. Under
the existing laws much, very much, has
been actually accomplished during the
past six years, and Ii has been shown by
actual experience that they can be enforced
against the wealthlest corporation and the
richest and NEST powerful manager or
manipulation of that corporation, as rigor-
ous1y and fearlessiy as against the hum
blest offender. Above all, they have been
enforced against the very wrongdoers and
agents OF wrongdoers who have fer 80
YnaEV YEA re gone scot free and 0O1ltel. the
laws with impunity, against great law
defytng corporations OF immense wealth,
whash. until within the last half dozen
years, have treated themselves and have
expected others to treat them as being
beyond and above all possible check from
law.
the representatives of the national gov
ernmeft fun power TO deal with the great
corporations engaged In interstate COM
merce, and above all, with the great inter
state common carriers. Our people should
clearly recognize that while there are diff
fculrfes In any course OF conduct to be
followed In deafng with these great cor
porattors, these difficulties must be faced,
and one OF three courses followed.
The first course Is to abandon all effort
to oversee and control their actions In
the interest Of the general public and to
permit a return to the utter lack OF con-
troll which wsuid obtain IL they were LETT
to the common law. l do not for one
moment believe that our people would
tolerate this position. The extraordinary
growth Of modern industrialism has rem
dered the common law, which grew up
under and was adopted to deal with totally
different conditions, In many respects In
adequate TO deal with the new conditions.
These new conditions made IL necessary
to shackle cunning as In the past we
have shackled force. The vast Individual
and corporate fortunes, the vast combina-
tons OF capital, which have marked the
development OF our Industrial system,
Great new conditions. and necess;tate a
change from the old attitude of the state
Ind the nation toward the rules regulat-
ing the acquisition and untramsneled busi-
ness use OF property, In order both that
property may be adequately protected,
hold 1t may be prevented from wrong
doing.
The second and third courses are 70
have the regulation undertaken either by
the nation or by the states. OF course
In any event both the national government
and the several state governments must
do each Its part, and each can do a certain
amount that the other cannot do, while
the only really satisfactory results must
be obtained by the represen tatives Of the
national and state governments working
heartily together within their respective
spheres.
/: But In my Judgment tho~roughgoIng I:
and satisfactory control can In the
end only be obtained by the action
of the national government, for al
most all the corpora lions OF enorln-
: GUS w~eaith-that 10. the corporations /:
which II Is especially desirable to
(: con,rol-are engaged In Interstate
n derive their power :
and their Importance not from that /:
portion OF their business which Is In
trastate, bet FROM the Interstate