The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1908-12-17


al 90 cgrry out 10 the letter one OF the
prime purposes. N not the prime purpose.
Tor which the constitution was founded
u does not represent Capitalization. u
represents merely the Hckn0wledg ment
az the patent fact that Capitalization has
already come In business. II this ire
Fponsinle outside business power vs. 20 be
controlled IN the interest 81 the general
public Il cen only be controlled IN one
way, BY giving adequate power OF con-
trol TO the one sovereignty cap hie OF *
ercising such power-the national govern
ment To abandon the effort for national
control means e. abandon the effort Tor
all adequate control and yet 70 render Ike
~ continual hurste % action by state leg
islafurca. which cannot achieve the pur-
pose sought for. hut which can do
great deal Of damage 60 the corporation
without comforting any real benefit on
the public
Corporations Learning Wisdom.
] believe that the more flrsighted cor
porniions arr themselves coming to rec
aRnizc The unwisdom OF the violent los
tiiiiy hey have displayed during the last
Few years 10 regulation ana control by
the national government 81 combinations
engaged In Interstate business The
truth IL that We who believe IN this
movement Of asserting and exercising
genuine control, IN tho public interest
over these great corporations have to
contend against two sets OF enemies
who, though nominally opposed TO one
another arc really allies In preventing
a proper solution Of the problem There
are, FIRST, the big corporation men, and
the extreme indlyidualists among bust
ness m4n, who genuinely believe In ut
teriy unregulated business that IN. in
the reign Of plutocracy; and. second.
the men who. being blind to the econoni-
sc movements OF the day believe IN a
movement OF repression rather than OF
regulation Of corporations. and who de-
nounee both the power OF the railroads
ana the exercise OF the federal power
which alone can really control the rail-
roads Those who believe In efficient ma
tionai control on the other hand. DO not
In the least object to combinations, do
not IN the least object Co concentration
In business administration, on the con-
trary, they favor both. with the ali-lmpor-
tant proviso that there shall be such pub
hclty about their workings. and such
ACKNOWLEDGING control over them. as TO
Insure their being In the interest and
not against the interest. OF the general
public We do not object 70 tho concen-
tration OF wealth and administration. but
We do believe IN the distribution OF the
wealth In profits 20 the real owners and
in securing TO the public the fun benefit
~ the concentrated administration. We
believe that with concentration In adj
mlulsiration there cen come both the
advantage OF a larger ownership and OF "A
more equitable distribution Of profits.
and at the same time bcttsr service to
the commonwealth. We believe that the
administration should be for the benefit
OF the mary, and that greed and ras-
caiiiy. practlced on large scale.
should be punished as relentlessly as N
praeticed or a small scale.
We do not for moment believe that
q a. 4. a. ~.
and easy method. The solution Will
come only rs pressing various concurrent
remedies Some Of these remedies must
lie outside the domain OF all government.
Some must lie outside the domain OF the
federal government, Hut there IL leg
lalation which the federal government
alone can enact and which 10 absolutely
vital In order TO secure the attainment
VI our purpose. Many laws are needed.
There should be regulation by the ma
tionai government OF the great Interstate
corporations. including n simple method
OF account keeping. publicity. supervision
OF the issue OF securities, abolition OF
rebates and 90 special privileges. There
should be Bhort-time franchises for ali
corporations engaged In public business
Including the corporations which get
power from water rights. There should
be national as we'll aa state guardianship
OF mines and forests The labor legisin-
tlon hereinafter referred TO should con-
currently be- enacted into law.
To accomplish this. means a certain In
crease In the use of~not the creation Of
power. by the central government The
power already exists; II does not have
To be created. the only question Is
whether Il shall be used or left idle
and meanwhile the corporations over
which the power ought TO be exercised
will not remain idle. The danger 10 Amer
a. Ia, ~.
concentration OF administrative powor In
responsible and accountable hands. II
lies Ia having the power insuflciently
| concentrated. 80 that no one can be held
responsible TO the people for Its use.
| Concentrated power Is palpRble, visible.
responsible. easily reached. quickly held
/ To account. Democracy Is IN peril
wherever the administration OF po-
litcai power Is scattered among
a variety OF men who work IN
secret. whose very names are un-
known to the common people II Is not
/ Ia perm from any man who derives nu.
| thority from the people. who exercises
u Ia sight OF the people, and who Is
from time to time compelled TO give ar
account OF ia exercise To- the people,
Legislation for Waeeworker.
There are many matters affecting labor
! and tho status OF the waRew0rker e
ton, but an exhaustive discussion Of IN,
prebicm IN all tts aspects "a not now nee
eHaary believe in steady 81
fort. or perhaps n would be NOR,
accurate 20 shy la steady effort,
In many different directions. TO brln,
ABOUT condition Of affairs under which
the men who work with hand or Will
brain. the iahorers, the aupefntsndr
the mcn who produce the market and IA,
men who nnd a market for the article,
produced. shall own far greater shar,
than AZ present ot the wealth they pro
dnee, and be enabled to invest IL Ia m,
toois and Instruments hy which all w0rl
l. carried on, As Tar as possible l hop
10 sTV frank recognition ~ the adyau
tagvs conferred by machinery, organize
ton anN division 81 labor. acCompaoie,
by an rnort TO bring about larger ahar
IN the ownership by wage-WQrker 81 rail
way. min ana factory
Postal Savings hanks VIII make /
easy Tor the poorest 20 Keep their say
inga Ia absolute safety THE regulated
Of the national highwayS must Ne suel
that they shalt serve all people Will
equal iastlcc Corporate finances mus
he supervised so ass 90 make IL far safe
thun az present for the man OF small
means 90 inVest hls money ia stock,
There must lac prohibition % child Ia
h0r. minutiun ot women lNbor short
cninw OF houra OF on mechanical labor
stock watering should Doe prohibited
and stock gNmhiiuE 80 Cav as b. posal
Ole discouraged There should he
progressive Inheritance tax on larE
fortunes industrtal education shout
be encouraged A. FAR MS possible "
should hnhtea the burden OF taxatio