Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-02-01

{ sfVSA watering, stOck1oDDing,
ssoek manipulation. This we have
scNSnt to prevent first by exposing
sne thing done and publishing the OF.
lshder when any existing law had
ueen violated. second. by recommend.
ang the passage OF laws which would
2 maze unlawful similar practices for
tne tuture. The public men, lawyers
hha editors who loudly proclaim their
sympathy for the "innocent stociilold.
era'' when n great law defylng corpo.
ration Is punished are the first to pro.
test with frantic vchemence against
aii Efforts by law TO put stop to the
!, practices which IRE the real and ult-
mate Sources OF the damage alike 10
the stockholders and the public The
Apologists of successful dishonesty al
ways declaim ngainst any effort to
punish or prevent 1t on the ground
that any such effort VIII ''unsettlo
business" 1t is they who by their
3 acts have unsettled business, and the
y very men raising this cry spend hun.
dreds OF thousands OF dollars In secur
ms, by speech. editorial. book or pam
phlet, the defense by mIsstatcments OF
wnat they have done. and yet when
public servants correct their msstate-
ments by telling tho truth they de-
claim against them for breaking ST.
fence lest values be deprecinted"
They have hurt honest business mcn
honest worISingmen, honest farmers.
Ind now they clnmor against tho truth
being told.
Bueineas World Needs Regeneration.
The keynote OF all these attacks upon
I me EFFORT to secure honesty In business
and in politics Is well expressed in
nrazen, protests against any effort for
Tue moral regeneration of the business
: Ncrlp on the ground that II is uunatu-
RAJ, sunwarranted and injurious and
9 tnat business panic is the necessary
penalty for such effort TO secure bust
ness honesty. The morality OF such
pea us precisely rs great ma II made
on behalf of tho men caught In gam
bling establishment when that gam
bling establishment IL raidcd by tho
pelice. If such words mean anything.
they mean that those whose sentl.
nients they represent stand against
tue effort to bring about moral re-.
Y generation OF business which win pre-
vent n repetition OF the insurance,
banking and street railroad scandals
= III New York, n repetition OF the Chi.
cage and Alton deal, repetition OF
the combination between certain pro
iessionnl politicians. certain prorcs.
sional labor leaders ana certain big
hnanciers from the disgrace of which
nsFrnnclsco has just been rescued, n
repetition OF the successful EFFORT by
the Standard oil people to crush out
every competitor, to overnwe the com
mon carriers and to establish n mo.
nopoly which treats the public with n
contempt whichith public deserves so
long aa.lt permits men of such prlnci.
pies aud such Sentiments to avow and
act on them With impmity. Tho out
cry against stopping dishonest prac-
tlces among wrongdoers who happen
70 be wealthy Is precisely similar To
the cutlery raised against every effort
for cleanliness and decency In city
government. because. forsooth, II will
.hurt business" The same cutlery is
made against the department of JUS
( tice for prosecuting the heads OF colos.
sal corporations, That has been made
against the men who IN san Francisco
have prosecuted with Impartial severl.
mon, public officials md labor leaders
alike. The principle Is the same in the
two cases. Just as the blackmnllcr
aud brlbe givcr stand on the same
evil eminence OF infamy, so the man
Who makes an enormous fortune by
eorrupting legislatures and municipal.
ties and tlceclng his stockholders and
tue public stands ON the Same moral
level With the creature who fattens on
the,hlopd money OF the gambling house
and the saloon. Moreover, In the last
spalysls. both kinds of corruption are
FAR more intimately connected thnn
wonld at first sight appear. The
prangdoing Ia at bottom the same.
Corrupt business ana corrupt politics
ACT and react With ever increasing de-
lmseEert one on the other; the cor.
rupt head OF a corporation and the cor.
s rupt labor Leader nre both I'm the same
& degree the enemies OF honest corDorn.
lions and honest labor unions; the re-
bate taker, The franchise trallckcr.
the manipulation Of securities, the pur.
yeyor and protector of vice. the black
mailing ward boss. the ballot box
stuie:. the dcmagogpc, the mob lend.
ess the hired bully and man kllcr-all
alike work ut the same web OF corrup.
ton, and all alike should be abhorred
by honest mon.
Y Justice of Proposed Liability Law.
The business which is hurt by the
q movement for honesty Is the Kind of
business which In the long run 1t pays
B the country TO have hurt. II is the
Kind of business which has tended to