The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1908-02-07

under what they deem corporate
abuses, and some cases have probably
stimulated them to go too far in the
attempt to correct these abuses, with
the result that ali measures which
they passed, good or bad, have been
held up by the federal courts The
necessary equitable and uniform regu-
lation cannot be obtained by the sep
arate action OF the states, but only by
the affirmative action of the national
government"
Laying Up Day OF Wrath.
This is an appeal by a high state
5uLge, alarmed as good citizens
should be alarmed, by conflicts over
the matter of jurisdiction and by the
radical action advocated by honest
people smarting from sense of in
jury received from corporations;
which injury the federal courts for
bid the states to try to remedy, while
the federal government, nevertheless,
refrains from itself taking adequate
measures to provide a remedy 1t
cannot too strongly be insisted that
the defenders and apoligists of the
great corporations, who have sought
in the past and still seek TO prevent
adequate action by the federal gov
eminent to control these great cor
porations, are not only proving false
to the people, but are laying up a
day OF wrath for the great corpora
tions themselves. The nation will
not tolerate an utter lack OF control
over very wealthy men Of enormous
power in the industrial and, there
FORE in the social lives Of all our peo-
pie some Of whom have shown them
selves cynically and brutally indif-
ferent to the interests of the people;
and, il congress does not act, with
good tempered and sensible but reso-
lutte thoroughness, in cutting out the
evils and in providing an effective
supervision, the result is certain to be
action on the part of the separate
states, sometimes wise, sometimes
illjudged and extreme, sometimes I'M
just and damaging to railroads or
other corporations, more often inef-
fective from every standpoint, be-
cause the federal courts declare it I'M
constitutional.
Innocent People Suffer.
We have just passed through two
months of acute financial stress. At
any such time it is a sad fact that
entirely innocent people suffer from
no fault of their own; and everyone
must feel the keenest sympathy for
the large body of honest business
men, Of honest investors, of honest
wageworkers, who suffer because they
are involved in a crash for which
they are in no way responsible. At
such a time there is natural tend
ency on the part Of many men to feel
gloomy and frightened at the outlook;
but there is no jurisdiction for this
feeling. There is no nation so abso-
lutely sure of ultimate success as
ours. OF course we shall succeed.
Ours is q nation of masterful energy,
with a continent for it's domain, and
it feels within its veins the thrill
which comes to those who know that
they possess the future. We are not
cast down by the fear of failure.
do not for moment believe that
have brought on business distress;
SO far as this is due to local and not
worldwide causes, and to the actions
of any particular individuals, it is due
to the speculative folly and fragrant
dishonesty OF few men Of great
wealth, who seek to shield themselves
from the effects of their own wrong
doing by ascribing it's results to the
actions of those who have sought to
put stop to the wrongdoing. But IL
1t were true that to cut out rottenness
from the body polite meant mo-
mentary check to an unhealthy seem
ing prosperity, should not for one
moment hesitate to put the knife to
the corruption. On behalf of all our
people, on behalf not less of the hon
est man of means than of the honest
man who earns each days livelihood
by that days sweat of his brow, It Is
necessary to insist upon honesty in
business and politics alike, in all
walks OF life, in big things and in
little things; upon just and fair deal
ings as between man and man. Those
who demand this are striving for the
right in the spirit Of Abraham Lincoln
when he said:
"Fondly do we hope, fervently
do we pray, that this mighty
scourge may speedily pass away.
Yet, IL God wills that 1t continue
until all the wealth piled by the
bondsmen's two hundred and fifty
years of unrequited toll shall be
sunk and until every drop of blood
drawn with the lash shall be
paid by another drawn with the
sword, as was said three thousand
years ago. so still 1t must be said,
The judgments of the Lord are
true and righteous altogether
with malice toward none; with
charity for all: with firmness in
the right, as God gives us to see
the right, let us strive on to finish
the work we are in"
t. tID xvNrly MO pf fbic eoparafiCn