Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1908-12-09


rclontlcssly as II praetlced on a small
scale
We do not for 81 moment believe
that the problem viii be solved by any
short and easy method. The solution
viii come only by 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. But there is legislation
which the federal government alone
can enact and which is absolutely vital
in order to secure the attainment of
our purpose. Many laws are needed.
There should be regulation by the ma
tional government Of the great inter
state corporations, including a simple
method of ccoun keeping, publicity
Supervision of the issue Of securities.
abolition of rebates and of special
privileges. There should be short
time franchises for all corporations
engaged in public business; includin
the corporations which get power
from water rights. There should be
national as wei as state guardianship
of mines and forests. The labor iegls-
lation hereinafter referred to should
concurrently be enacted into law.
To accomplish this, means, Of
/ course. a certain increase in the use
] bI - itDl Tue u Ndlltl VI - IltNt ny
the central government. The power
already exists; 1t does not have to be
created: the only question Is
whether it shall be used or left idle
and meanwhile the corporations over
which the power ought to DO exercised
viii not remain idle. Let those who
object to this increase in the use Of
the only power available, the national
power. be frank. and admit openly
that they D to abandon any ef-
fort to control the great business cor
porations and to exercise supervision
over the accumulation and distribution
of wealth. for such A~upcrViSiOu and
control can only come through this
particular kind of increase OF power.
We no more believe in that empiri-
cism which demands absolutely I'M
restrained individualism than we do in
that cmpiricism which ciamors for q
deadening socialism which would de
stroy all individual initiative anC
would ruin the country with a com,
pleteness that not even an unre-
strained i"ndividuaIism itself coulG
achieve. The danger to American
democracy lies not i'm tho least in the
concentration Of administrative power
in responsible and accountable hands
IT lies in having the power inSuffi-
ciently concentrated. so that no one
can he held responsible to the people
for its use. Concentrated power Is
paIpabIc. visible. responsible. easily
reached, quickly held to account
Power scattered through many adj
mi~nistrators. many Legislators. many
Nor who work behind and through
legislators and administrators. is i'm |
paIpable, is unseen, is irresponsible, |
not he reached can not be held |
To account. Democracy is In pcrI /
wherever the administration Of 20
litical power is scattered among "A va
ricty of men who work in secret /
whose very names are unknown to tho |
common DcopIo. II ia not i'm peri
anv man who derives authority
the peOplc. who exercises II In /
of the pcopic. and who is from
time to time compelled to give an ac- /
count Of its exercise To The ueopic.
Labor.
There arc many matters affecting
labor and the status of tho NagcWorK-
en- to which 7 rhould like to draw
your attention, but an exhaustive dis
cussion of tF@ problem in all its ass