The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1908-12-08

<~~ .@~- s-e~ O-S
hatrsd. the man who, whether from ig-
noranco or from Willingness TO sacrinee
AZ eSSnssx e sa ni' wronsSssdsa
IVY. 90 destroy the instruments upon
Which our prosperity mainly rests.
4es-s who adveccts proper control ON
- these great corporations, and OF the
Weabsh sagawed en- giant scale In nus
1noss operations, must ever keep In
49, sS ss :: ,s :.'ss: 40 u.s.
permit ample pront, and cordially en-
eoorags capable men Of business so
q with honesty, they are
utrfkanw NJ the root OF our national
The opposition to government son'f ,,l
Of these great corporations makes ies
most effective EFFORT In the sss Pc %
rfghts. OF course there are many SIN
cer4 men who now believe In unre.
stricted individuaiism In business. lust
a. there were formerly many sincere
men who believed I'm slayery-thht is
in the unrestricted right .oi an
Individual to own another indiNi1u al,
These men do n not by .he Tbe efreetive
hight against adequate government con ,
troll and supervision of individual, hh1
especially OF corporate. wealth neessu
in Interstate business Is chiefly done
under cover: and especially Under COY
err of an appeal to states rights u
not at all infreQuent 10 read IN me
same speech a denurclatioi' OF preu
tory wealth fostered by special priVii
eye and defiant OF both the pupNc wei
fare and law OF the land. ana az
nunciation OF Capitalization In the cen ,
trail government OF the power 10 dea |.
with this centralized and Organizes
wealth. OF course the policy set iorth
=ln such. twin dennncialions amo4 M +, 70 ~
nulIified by the second half The chlei
reason, among the many sound ana
compelling reasons. that led 10 atc
formation OF the national government
was the absolute need that the union
and not the several states, snould ueal
with Interstate and foreign commerce
and the power to nsai w shsn,u nt and
plenariiy TO the central government anu
was exercised completely as resarus
the only instruments OF interssa'e 80
merce known I'm those days-the water
ways, the high roads. as Wei as tne
partnerships of individuals VINO theh
conducted all OF what business lhe,e
Was Interstate commerce Is now chlel.
w conducted by railroads; and the great
corporation has suppianted the mass OF
small partnerships or individuals. Inc
proposal TO make the na,io ,hasore 70
give II complete control over the ran
roads and other Instruments OF inter
state commerce IS merely propose, 10
carry uut TO the Letter one or the prime
purposes. IL not the prime purpose; 10.
which the constitution was iounoeu.
does not represent CONTAMINATION. ~
represents merely the acknowlsSd,gm,esn.
81 the patent fact that centrallzation
has already come In business. IL THIS
irresponsible outside business power
z to be controlled ne,c IN ea ,ne on i be con-
trolled In one way; by CIV
inG adequate power OF control 10 the
one sovereignty capable or exercising
foriy OF nfiy separate state govern
ments cannot exercise that power over
corporations doing business In most or
ali OF them Krst. because they aoso-
iuteiy lack the authorit, to deal with
inr6rstat" tus,n.ss in any form; and
second. because OF the inevitable con-
q. OF aa,hority ..,e 10 n ar'i Kinds AZ 'o Of
with one smother and sometimes op,
pressiye In t.. Insen g; sueh nu,Ies
authority cannot regulate commerce.
with Wisdom ard .hect
believe that the more farsighted
corporations are themselves coming 70
rsccEnise the uh ns1 alsn q, n during
The last Jew years 10. regulation and
control by the national government. Oh
combinations engaged In interstate oSs-
lnc4s. The truth In that we who be,
Z 1icve In this movement OF asserting and
excrriHinG a genuine control. In tue
pussltc t-terest. over these great cor
acts az enemies. WHO. though nominaiiy
opposed to one another. are really aiiies
IL preventing q Proper solution OF the
rroblm. There are; hrst, the pig ,ns, S1
1ealtses emong usiness men. who gen.
erslly believe In utterly unreguiaten
business--that IL. In the reign or PIN
ing Hint 20 the economic movements
"a thr day. lc'leve IN movement OF
rsIrsssfon rather than Of regulation OF
the power CT the rsliiCads and the er-
arcIs. OF The federal power which alone
can really contioi the railroads.
Many Remedies Needed.
We do not for q moment believe that
ths problem NV WIN methoa' The SOLUTION
Will come only By pressing various con-
current remedies. some OF these rem,
rjirs musf lie { riside the domain OF al
wovsrninent sumo must lie outside the
dnnsain OF the FEDERAL government. But
there 10 legislation which the federal
government alone can enact and which
the attainment Of our purpose. Many
laws are needed. There should be reg
uixtfon by the national government OF
s c,sd,nr sa simp,e method Of account
keeping. publicity. supervision OF the
issue OF securities. abolition OF rebates
and of special privileges. There should
atoms engaged I'm public business; In.
cIuding the corporations which get
power from water rights. There should
sh,p OF mines and forests. The labor
ieglslation hereinafter referred TO
should concurrcntly be enacted into
TO accomplish this. means OF course a
certain increase in the use of--not the
creation of--power, by the central gov
eminent. The power already exists; II
rresfton IL whether IL shall be used or
left idle--and meanwhile the corpora
tions over which the power ought to be
exercised will not remain Idle. Let
those who object to this increase In
the use OF the only power available,
y the national power. be frank. and ad-
NIT openly that they propose TO aban-
\ don any effort TO control the great ous
a pervtsion over the accumulation and
distribution OF wealth: for such super
vision and control can only come
Is through this particular kind or In
crease OF power.
believe In a steady EFFORT. or per-
has n would he more accurate To say
n nfeaay efforts I'm many different d.
a2n1rs under which the men who work
with hand or with brain. the 1aborers
The superfntendeDts. the men who pro-
Suce fer the market and the men VIII.
nnA = market for the articles produced
shall own q far greater share than nj
y present Of the wealth they produce
ana be enabled 90 invest IL In the tools
carried on. As far as possible I hops
% see q frank recoanitioB OF the nd.
vantages conferred by machinery, or.
sanitation, md division OF labor. &C,
larger shsre In the ownership ~
wssewerker Of railway, mill and fac
tory. In farming. this simply meant
his own land: we do not wish TO Sc,
the farms so large that they becom
the property OF absentee landlords VIII,
farm them by tenants. nor vet so small
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