The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1908-12-10

49,, '"'WS " hperty ana The reaction
airy the worst enemy OF order no tho
men who defend tho rights Of propertv
have most 10 fear from the wronedocrs
ot great wealth sand the mon who are
chhmploning popular rights have moat
70 fear from the demagoguca who In the
name of popular rights would do wrong
70 ana Cypress honest business men.
honest men Of wealth, for the success Of
ether type OF wrongdocr necessarily In
vtes violent reaction against the cause
the wronsdocr nominaliy upholds. !,
Need OF Capitalization.
The proposal 90 make the ma
iional government supreme over, and
therefore 10 give II complete control over
inc railroads and other instruments %
Interstate commerce IN merely "A propos-
81 10 carry out TO the letter one % the
prime purposes. " not the prime purpose.
for which the constitution was founded
~ does not represent Capitalization. II
represents merely tho Acknowledgement
of the patent fact. that Capitalization has
already come In business ~ this IRE
sponsible outside business power IN 20 be
controlled In the Interest Of the general
public II can only he controlled In one
way by giving adequate power 81 con-
troll 10 the one sovereignty capable Of es-
ercising such powcr-the national govern
ment To abandon the effort for national
control means 10 abandon the effort for
nll adequate control and yet 10 render like
" continual bursts Of action by state leg
islatures. which cannot achieve the pur.
pose nought FOR. hut which can do
great deal Of damage to the corporation
without comforting any real benefit on
the public.
There should he regulation by the ma
uonal government Of the great Interstate
corporations. including a simple method
OF account keeping. publicity. supervision
or the Issue Of securities abolition Of
rebates and OF special privileges There
should be ahort-time franchises for all
corporations engaged In public business;
Including the corporations which get
power from water rights. There should
be national a. we'll as state guardianship
OF mines and forests. The labor legisla-
ton hereinafter referred 10 should con-
currently be enacted into law.
To accomplish this. means n certain tn
crease In the use of-not the creation OF
power. by the central government The
power already exists. u does not have
20 be created. the only question Is
whether u shall be used or left idle
and meanwhile the corporations over
which the power ought 60 be exercised
will not remain idle. The danger To Amer
lean democracy lies not In the least In the
concentration OF administrative power In
responsible and accountable hands II
lies In having the power sufficiently
concentrated. 20 that no one can be held
responsible TO the people for its use.
Concentrated power IL palpable. visible.
responsible. easily reached, quickly held
10 account. Democracy In In peril
wherever the administration OF po-
liucal power n scattered among
variety OF men who work in
secret. whose very names are I'M
49,. a.
In peril from any man who derives au-
thority from the people. who exercises
u In sight OF the people, and who IL
from time TO time compelled 10 give an
account Of Its exercise to the people.
Legislation for Wsssvsorker.
There are many matters affecting labor
and the status OF the wageworker 10
which I should like 20 draw your atten-
ton. but an exhaustive discussion Of the
problem In all its aspects IL not now nee
essary. believe I'm steady ef-
fort. or perhaps Il would be more
accurate 90 say In steady efforts
In many different directions. TO bring
about condition OF Affairs under which
tho men who work with hand or with
brain. the laborcrr. the superinte ndent
the men who produce the market and the
men who md n market for the articles
produced. shall own a far greater share
than si present OF the wealth they pro-
dure. and be enabled 20 invest n in the
tools and instruments BY which all work
IL carried ON. As far as possible I hope
20 SCI n frank recognition OF the advan-
taEcs conferred by machinery. organiza-
ton and division OF labor. accompanied
BY an effort 20 bring about a larger share
In the ownership by wagc-worker of rail-
way. mill and factory.
Postal Savings banks will make 10
easy for the poorest to keep their saw
ings In absolute safety. The regulation
OF the national highways must be such
that they shall serve all people with
equal justice. Corporate finances must
be supervised 30 as TO make ~ far safer
than at present for the man OF small
means 20 invest his money In stocks.
There must be prohibition of child la
Dor. e.minution OF women labor short
cning OF hours OF all mechanical labor:
stock watering should be prohibited.
and stock gambling so far as In possi-
Bile discouraged There should be a
progressive inheritance tax on large
fortunes Industrial education should
be encouraged. As far as possible we
should tighten the burden OF taxation
on the small man. We should put
premium upon thrift. hard work. and
business energy; but these qualities
cease 10 be the main factors In accu-
mhtailnE tnftnue Tong btiore that
fortune reaches a point where IL would
be seriously affected by any inherit
lance tax such as I propose. II il emil
nentiy right that the nation should nx
tho terms upon which the great for
tunes are Inherited. They rarely do
good aud they often do harm TO those
who inherit them In their entirety.
There should no longer be any palter-
ing with the question OF taking care OF
the wageworkerS who. under our pres
emit Industrial system. become killed
crippled. or worn out as part OF the
regular Incidents Of given bust
ness. As far as concerns those
who have been worn out I call your
attention to the fact that definite
steps toward providing old-age pen
sions have been taken In many OF our
private Industries. These may be in
definitely extended through voluntary
association and contributory schemes.
or through the agency OF savings
banks. as under the Massachusetts
plan.
Urgent Need Of Reform.
Our present system. or rather no sys.
tenn. works dreadful wrong. and il OF
benefit TO only one class OF people-the
lawyers when "a workman Is injured
what he needs IL not an expensive and
a AL Ia. hut hn LIT -