Semi-weekly herald., 1908-12-10

preacher of class hatred. the man who
whether from ignorance OF from will
ingness to sacrifice his country to hi
ambition, persuades wellmeanius bu
wrong-headed man 20 try to des,ro.
the instruments upon which our pros
perity mainly rests.
Let each group of men beware o
and guard against the shortcoming,
to which that group is itself most lia
BILE. Too often we see the bushes.
community in a spirit OF unhealthy
class consciousness deplore the effort
to hold TO account under the law the
wealthy men who in their management
OF great corporations, whether rail
roads. street railways. or other indus
trial enterprises, have behaved in a
way that revolts the conscience of the
plain, decent people. Such an attitude
cannot be condemned too severely
for men OF property should recognize
that they jeopardize the rights of prop
erty when they fail heartily to join in
the effort to do away with the abuses
OF wealth.
On the other hand, those who advo-
cate proper control ON behalf of the
public, through the state, of these
great corporations, and of the wealth
engaged on a giant scale in business
operations, must ever keep in mind
that unless they do scrupulous justice
to the corporations, unless they per-
init ample profit. and cordially en-
courage capable men of business so
long as they act with honesty they
are striking at the root of our national
wellbeing; for in the long run, under
the mere pressure of material dis.
tress, the people as whole would
probably go back to the reign of an
individualism rather than
submit TO a control by the state so
drastic and SO foolish, conceived in "a
spirit of such unreasonable and mar.
row hostility TO wealth. as to pre-
vent business operations from being
profitable, and therefore to bring ruin
upon the entire business community,
and ultimately upon the entire body
of citizens.
The opposition to government con
troll OF these great corporations makes
its 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
individualism in business.
Just as there were formerly many sin.
cere men who believed in slavery
that is, in the unrestricted right of
an individual to own another individ-
ual. These men do not by themselves
have great weight. however. The ef-
fective fight against adequate govern
ment control and supervision of indi-
vidual, and especially of corporate
wealth engaged in interstate business
is chiefly done under cover; and es-
states rights.
1t is not at all infrequent 10 read
In the same speech a denunciation nf
predatory wealth fostered by special
privilege and defiant of both the pub
lie welfare and law of the land, and
a denunciation of centralizetiol in the
central government of the power to
deal with this centralized and organ
lied wealth. OF course. the policy Sc.
forth in such twin denunciations
amounts to absolutely nothing. for tho
first half is nullihej by the second
half. The chief reason, among the
many sound and compelling reasons
that led to the formation Of the ma
tional government, was ;he absol1ts 2
need that the union. and not the sew
eral states, should deal with intel
state commerce was granted absolute
ly and plenarily to the central govern
ment and was exercised completely as
regards the only instruments of inter
state commerce known in those days
the waterways, the highroads, as well
as the partnerships of individuals who
then conducted all of what business
there was.
Interstate commerce Is now chiefly
conducted by railroads; and the great
corporation has supplanted the mass
of small partnerships or individuals.
The proposal 10 make the national gov.
efnment supreme over. and therefore
10 give it complete control over. the
railroads and other instruments of in
terstate commerce Is merely pro
posal TO carry out to the letter one OF
the prime purposes, If not the prime
purpose, for which the constitution
was founded. 1t does not represent
Capitalization. 1t represents merely
the acknowledgment OF the patent fact
that Capitalization has already come
ih business. II this irresponsible out
side business power is to be controll
ed In the interest of the general pub
lie It can only be controlled in one
way; by giving adequate power of con
troll TO the one sovereignty capable o.
spnb va~ar-tha naffnna