Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1908-12-10

IN p u I
,.uards TAtss, Al least. this power should
- SUMMARY. Rates must be maoe
q low as q compatible with giving prop
r returns 10 all the employees q the rail-
Feaa. fron tle highest 70 the lowest
ana proper fltnrns 70 the nharsholasrs'
but they musk nst, Tor instance. d RI
duced In snch faehion a. 70 nseessisete
4 cat IA IN watla Of the employees or
ths abolition Of the propsr and legitimate
proistn of honest shareholders.
Tslesgaph ana teIsphcns eenpanles e.
raarl n tntaFutats business sheula -
put under ths isrindiction Of tho Later.
raaia eonmnrce eomnission.
n \ vssy earnestly 70 BE- wished that
oisr neopla' thtpugh their rcpfesentntives.
Tsnn ~ n tkih matksr. II -
tRo fln1sanvt Of Al Of ~ thas
sKSra cReitH Be 9 prsnAiuna put uDeA ~
kVi6uai i2lllallve and iAelys4uaI -
pacity. and a ample reward for thD
etSat directing intellisencsS aIone com
petent to manage the great business op-
erationn Of to-day. II Il well a keep N
nind that exactly a. ths Anegchint y the
worst enemy Of liberty and the reAefiom-
ary. the worst enemy of order, 20 the
mon who defend the Eightg, os property
have most to fear from Tho wrongdoers
81 Ercat wealth, and the men, who are
ehampioninG popular ylehts have moat
IA fear from the dsmasogues who IN the
name Of ponpIar rights would Do vrene
to and oppfSHs honest bueiness7 men.
honest men okSltealth, for the success Of
either type ofswronEdoer necessarily In
vItss violent reaction against the cause
the wronedoef mominally uphoids. -
Naad AZ Capitalization.
Ths proposal to make the ma
tional government supreme over. and
therefore to give II complete control over:
the railroads and other Instruments OF
interstate commerce y merely . propos-
Al 70 carry out to the letter one cf tne
prime purposes, II not the prime purpose.
for which the constitution was founded.
II does mot represent Capitalization. H
reureaonts merely the acknowledgment
Of the patent fact that eentralization has
already come in business. II this ire
nponsible outside business powertiB 70 pe
controlled In the interest Of the general
public II can only be controlled N ons
way; BY giving adequate power. OF con-
troll to the one sovereignty capabie OF ox-
ercisinK such power-the national govern
msnt. To abandon the effort for national
control means to abandon the emort tQf
ali adequate control and yet to render ike
" continual bursts Of action by state AeBs
ialatures. which cannot achieve the pur-
pose sought for, but which can 40 q
great deal Of damage TO the corporation
without conferring any real bAnpat sn e'
the public. ~ ~
There should b. regulation By, the nA-
tiohhl government of the great inteEstate
corpoFationsf Including . HlTple n5sthea
Of account Keeping. publicity supeftlzion
III Ahe. issue Of securities. abolition sof
rebates and 81 special prtYllegeg,c Theirs
should Be short1time franchise! fof' An
corporations engaged IN puhlis bupiAea1: |:
Including the corporations which SCI
power from water rights. There ekould
bb national As we'll - state ghesdlAhnAlt
'iionr hereinaftef referred 70 dh0uld con,
currently Be enacted into law.
TO accomplish this, means D. certain In
crease IN the use of--not the creation OF
power, by the central government. The
mower already exists; II does not hAVO
to be created; the only question u
whether Il shall be useds or left IDLE
ana meanwhilo the corporations over
which the power ought to be exercised
viii not remain idle. This danger to Amer
lean democracy lies not in the least In the
concentration Of administrative power In
responsible and accountable hands. 1t
lies in having the power insuficiently
concentrated, 90 that no one can be held
responsible to the people for Its use.
Concentrated power is palpable, visible,
responsible. easily reached. quickly held
to account Democracy Is In peril
wherever the administration OF po-
Ideal power IL scattered among
q variety Of men who work In
secret whose very names are un-
known to the common people. II IL not
In peril from any man who derives au-
thority from the people, who exercises
Ii in sight OF the people, and who u
from timo to time compelled to give an
account Of Its exercise to the people.
Legislation fer WassworkeT.
There are many matters Affecting labor
and the status Of the wageworker 70
which I should like to draw your atten-
tion. but an exhaustive discussion Vt the
problem In ali Its aspects 10 not now nsc-
essarY. believe in steady af-