Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1908-12-10

make combinations and trafflc agree
nehts should be explicitly conferref,
upon the railroads, the permission ~
sne commission being first gained and
me combination or agreement being
Iuullsned In all its details In the in
.srest OF the public the representatives
the public should have complete
r 20 see that the railroads do their
sutv by the public, and as matter
u course this power should also be ex-
trcised SO as to see that no injustice
uone 70 the railroads. The share
sv'uers' the employees and the shippers
~ nave interests that must bt. guard
r. ~ is 10 the interests of all of them
mat no swindling stock speculation
tnouid De allowed, and that there
should be no improper issuance Of Sc
eurlties. The guiding intelligences
necessary for the successful huildinr
and successful management OF rail-
soads should receive ample remunera-
.on' out no man should be allowed 10
shake money In connection with rail
soaus OUT OF fraudulent overcapitaliza-
ton and kindred stock gambling per
!ormances: there must be no defraud-
ing OF investors. oppression of the
sa'nners and business men who ship
s.e,snt' or callous disregard of the
rights and needs of the employees. In
addition to this the interests of the
shareholders, of the employees and of
the shippers should all be guarded as
pgalnst one another. To give any one
OF them undue and improper consider
alton ts to do injustice to the others.
Rates must be made as low as is COM
Patible with giving proper returns to
ell the employees of the railroad. from
me highest to the lowest. and proper
| geturns to the shareholders; but they
must not for instance, be reduced in
such fashion as to necessitate cut
IN tne wages of the employees or the
epolitton of the proper and legitimate
profits of the honest shareholders
Telegraph and telephone companies
| engaged in interstate busincs should
pc put under the jurisdiction of the
interstate commerce commission
1t is very earnestly to be wished
that our people, through their repre-
sentatives, should act in this matter.
1t is hard to say whether most dam
age to the country at large would
come from entire failure on the part
!, Of the public to supervise and con-
troll the actions of the great corpora
, tons, or form the exercise of the neces-
sary governmental power in a way
which would do injustice and wrong
10 the corporations Both the preach
ers of an unrestricted individualism
and the preachers of an oppression
which would deny to able men of bus
lness the just reward Of their initiative
and business sagacity. are advocating
policies that would he fraught with
the gravest harm to the whole country.
To permit every lawless capitalist,
every law -defying corporation. to take
any action, no matter how iniquitous,
In the effort to secure an improper
profit and to build up privilege. would
be ruinous to the republic and would
mark the abandonment of the effort
10 secure in the Industrial world the
kpirit of democratic fair dealing On
The other hand. to attack these wrongs
In that spirit of demagogy which can
zee wrong only when committed by
the man OF wealth. and 10 dumb and
blind In the presence OF wrong COM
United against men Of property or by
lnE Of mon Of wealth. The war w
wage must be waged against mfscon-
5auct, against wrongdOing wherever Il
Il found: aud we must stand heartily
for the rights of every decent man.
whether he be man of great wealth
Or q man who earns his livelihood a.
! wageworker or tiller of the soil.
Il Is to the interest OF all of lls that
here should be a premium put upon
bacity. and an ample reward for the
great directing intelligences alone
competent to manage the great bust
ness operations OF today. II Is we'll to
keep in mind that exactly as the
anarchist 10 the worst enemy of lib
erty. and the reactiOnary the worst
enemy of order so the men who de-
iend the rights of property have most
10 fear from the wrOngdOers Of great
wealth, and the men who are cham
pioning popular rights have most to
fear from the demagOgues who In the
name Of popular rights would do wrong
Ia and Cypress honest business men, \
honest men OF wealth: for the success |
81 either type Of wrOngdoer .neces-
sarily invites violent reaction against
the cause the wronGl1Oer nominally
npholds. In point OF danger to the
nation there IL nothing to choose be-
tween on the one hand the corrup-
ZIONIST. the bribe giver the prime -taker.
Inc man who employs his great talent
10 swindle his fellow citizens on
large scale and. on the other hand the
preacher Of class hatred. the man,
who. whether from Ignorance or from
Willingness 20 sacrifice his country 10
his ambition. persuades well meaning,
but wrong-headed men to try 10 de-
PROSPERITY mainly rests. Let eacn
kroup Of men beware of and guard
against the shortcomings to which that
group Is itself most liable.
Too often we see the business COM
knunity in spirit Of unhealthy class
cnnsciousness deplore the effort to hold
h account under the law the wealthy
men who in their management OF
Great corporations. whether railroads
street railways, or other Industrial en-
eerprises. have behaved in way that
seyrits The conscience Of the plain. de- !
nent neopl.. Such an attitude cannot |
ke condemned too severely. for men OF
h-onerty should recognize that they
teona rdize the rights of property when
fhey fail heartily to join In the EFFORT
Ia do away with the abuses OF wealth..
ON the other hand. those who advo-
rate proper control on behalf OF the
n,hIi,. through the state. of these great
eornorations, and Of the wealth en-
eaged on a giant scale in business
enerations. must ever keep in mind
siat unless they do scrupulous justice
"a the corporation. unless they permit |
ample profit. and cordially encourage
eapable men of business SO long as
fhe,. act with honesty. they are strik- |
ing AZ the root Of our national WE'LL
heing: for In the long run. under the
sonre pressure of material distress. the \
nennle az a whole would probably 60 |
lack To the reign OF an unrestricted
ladiyidualism rather than submit to
control by the state so drastic and 10
4, dish, conceived in spirit OF sucn
nr reasonable and narrow hostility to
wealth as 10 prevent business opera
lions from being profitable. and there
fore TO bring ruin = upon the entire !
business community, and ultimately !
,.non the entire body OF citizens.
The opposition to government con-
troll of these great corporations makes
It's most effective effort In the shape
Of an appeal to the old doctrine OF
states rights. OF course there are
many sincere men who now believe in