Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1908-12-11
GREAT CORPORATIONS.
Should Be Wisely Regulated In the
Interest Of the People.

= &ntSAtat VI thD rpPt--
II Il very earnestly 10 be wished that
our people. through their representa-
tlyes. should act IN this matter II Is
hard 70 Hay whether most damage 10
The country at large would come from
entire failure on the part Of the public
a. supervise aud control the actions Of
tho great corporations Or from the cx-
erci-c Of the necessary governmental
power IA way which would do lnJus-
llce mud wrong 10 the corporations
Both the preachers Of an unrestricted
lndiyidualism and the preachers Of an
oppression which would deny 10 able
men OF business The Just reward Of
their Initiative and business sagacify
nfe advocating policies that would be
fraugbt With the gfayesl harm 10 the
whole country 10 permit every law
lcss capitalist, every law dcfying cor
/ pefatlon. to take any action. no mat
I ter how iniguli0us. IN the effort TO Sc
cure an Improper profit and 70 build
( up privilege would be ruhious 70 the
/ republic and would mark the abandon
meni ~ the effort 90 SECURE ia the Ia
dustrlal world the spirit ~ democratic
fair dealing on che other hand. TO
attach these wrongs ~ thar spirit Of
dcmagogy which can zee wrong Only
when committed by the man Of wealth
aud Is dumb and blind IN tlic presence
~ wrong committed AGAINST men Of
property or by men 81 no property Is
exactly ns cvli as corruptly to defend
thr wrnnei0ing ~ men ~ wealth
The war wc wnec must be waged
againsi misconduct, against wronglo
ing, wherever 10 Is found and We must
stand heartily Tor the rights Of every
decent man. whether he be a man of
great wealth or a man who earns his /
'iveilhood "a wagewoFker or tillee /
81 thc soll
II Is TO the interest Of III 81 us TINT (
there should DO a premium put upon
Individual Initiative aud lady iual ca
pacit3 and an ample reward for the
great directing Intelligence alone com
peteni 90 mauagc the great business
operations OF to-day lt Is well 70 keep I
ln mind that exactly aa the anarchist
IS The woei enemy ~ lihcrts slnd the
rcactionafy Toe worst enemy Of order
So the men who defend the rights Of
property have most to feaf from The
Wrangd0crs Of great wealth. and the
min who are chiMpi3nins popular
rights have most 10 fcar from the
deml ogues VIM m the name Of popu
lar RIGHTS would 90 wrong 10 and OPP
press houcst business men, honest men
Of wealth, Tor the success OF either
type az wr0uEd0ct necessarily layites
a violent reaction against the cause the
wronadecr nomlnnily upholds In
point OF DANGER 10 the nation there H.
nothing to choose between. on the one
hand. The corrupilonist. the bride glver,
the bribe tnkcr. the man who employs
his great lllcct 20 swiudic his follow
citizens on a large scale, aud. on the
other hand. the preacher OF class
hatred. the nhn Who. whether from !
IsnernRcc or from willingness to sac
rihcc hts country to his ambition. per
.uades well moaning bI, wrong head
ii men % try 10 destroy the instru ,
ients upon which our prosperity !,
mainly rests. Let each group Of men !
leware Of ard euard against the short !
.nmlngs 10 which thar group Is t. :
elc most liable. Too often we see .
he business community in spirit OF :,
class consciousness deplore =
he effort 20 hold to account under the =
1w the wealthy men who Ia their !,
Of great corporations, !.
whether railroads street railways or :
theF Industrial enterprises. have be-
ared "a a way that revoits the cou- "
clence Of the paln decent people !.
uCh an aitiicdc cannot Toe condemned "
% severely for men Of property =
hould recosul-e that they jcopardize :.
be RIGHTS of property when they fGu :.
earIily 10 Join ia the effort to do =
way with The abuses Of wealth ON "
he other hand those who advocate :"
roper control on behalf Of the public. y
trough the state. Of these great cor y
0fations aud Of the wealth engaged
h giant scale iD husiucss operations ~
mast ever krcp Ia mind that unless !,
neg do scnWulous Justice TO the cor ~
araiion. unless they permit ample ~
roii. ard cordially encourage capable ~
zen 81 business so long as they act !,
ltb honesty. they are striking at the ~
yet Of uur national we'll being. FOR IN =,
lc long ran. under the mere pressure =
material distress the people as y
hole would probably go back Ia tue ~
'fgn &c an unrestricted ndividunlism i, -
thor than submit % control by ~
lc state - drastic and So foolish. CON ~
WED 10 q spirit ef such unreasonable
n narrow heslillty 90 wealth. ms 70 y.
rxrnt business operations from be -
Z pruhiab.e and therefore 90 bring
lla upon rho entire business COM ~
auiiy ami ultimately upon the en- -
re hady % citizens ~