The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-02-27
TFE PENSACOLA JOURNAL FEBRUARY 27 eoS

son.
DIRECTORS or CORPORATIONS.
1t has not been long since it was
q common idea that directors OF cor
porations were privileged to do law
less things that az individuals the
would not think OF dcdr- pub
lie conscience has awakened to the
fact that q corporation consists mere
ly of individuals exercising charter
powers from q state. The corporation
these individuals conduct Is no bet
ter or worse than the individuals
composing the corporation. The peo-
pie are beginning to know that con-
tempt for law Is no less reprehen-
sible when plotted over a directors
table than when shouted under red
flag at an anarchists meeting, and
they frequently stand related as cause
and effect Corporations have been
too often used as masks to conceal
the crimes Of individual era
OF conscience demands the same
standard of morality for corporations
as is required of the individuals that
compose them. The elimination OF
watered stocks and inflated values is
not an unreasonable demand of the
public conscience. Because they are
unjust to the public and compel the
public to pay dividends on fictitious
values, the public protests against
them, and this same conscience, with
its sense OF justice, would as readily
assert itself to protest against I'M
fairnes toward the individual aggre-
gated under the form and fiction of
corporation as it would to protest
against injustice toward the individ-
people complain of, but the abuses
nj NO of~ nf
Take the case of public service cor
porations-railroads, street car COM
panies and lighting companies, for in
stance. A few years ago the idea
/ that they had the right to charge
whatever they could get was not Sc
riouSly controversial. Now it is gen.
erany conceded that the public has
rights which must be respected. In
the case of the ordinary corporation,
competition fixes its charges upon a
reasonable basis. Where a corpora
ton has a monopoly of some public
utility, as a public service corpora
ton must have, the people must
either pay the rate ivo6 by the mo-
nopoly, or do without the service, If
there is no regulation by law. In
such instances the law should step
in and supply the regulation which
ordinarily is done by competition. 1t
is trusting human nature too far to
expect fair treatment and just rates
| where neither competition nor law
compels them. The right of the
public, through law, to regulate upon
reasonable basis the charges of
sue corporations can no longer be
seriously questioned: and this reguia-
ton should be upon the basis of the
cost of the service, mot the value of
the service. s.. - 49,
LIQUOR TRAFFIC.
The liquor traffic affords another
striking. illustration OF the growth of
the public conscience. Not many
years ago the saloons felt themselves
above law, they fdefed the authori-
ties of the city or state, and if an
official became so bold as to demand
that they obey the law like anyone
else, such was their political power
that .ey replaced him at the next
election with enc more subservient
TO their will. They are now learning
that they must do business according
to law, or they will not be allowed
to do business at all. In places
where they had no option but to
obey the law they are protesting a
wholesome respect for the law. In
some places the lesson has been
taught thoroughly, and in others they
are s..li learning it.
This public conscience is teaching
respect for law on the part of all.
The people have learned that in a re-
public the government rests entirely
upon the law which the people make
for themselves through their repre-
sentatives. The only sovereign we
have in this country is law. If the
law is not enforced then the liberty OF
majority of the people to make law
is taken away to the extent that their
will is nullified. Liberty to make
law does not mean license to break
law. License is not liberty. Liberty
to make our own laws carries with it
the duty to observe them. It is a
false idea of liberty that would have
1T imply drunkenness, anarchism and
unbrfdled wfckedness. One might |
say that this is not a free country
because he is not permitted to shoot !
game out or season, to conduct lot |
teries, gamble or do other things |
which are permitted in some coun-
tries. That is q mistaken view. I'm |
de rour form of government liberty
means law properly enforced; other
wise each might interpret liberty to
suit his own purposes. II after the |
sentiment of q majority is crystal |
itNCu lbAp "a lHOSS EdHS CpuI0 NC
disregarded by the selfish few the
privilege of the few would be greater
than the rights of the many. If each
man had the right to ignore any law
not to his liking the result would be
anarchy, not liberty: for then each
would take an hold whatever his
strength and courage could secure to
HIM and perpetual warfare would re-
suit as the wants and desires of men
came into conflict. Individual liberty |
and rights of property are born of
legal restraints by means of which |
every man may be nr"+-
prescribed limits. The. corporation |
magnate should realize that he. must
give that resBect to the L.
ing the conduct of his eor'>c~~-'
that he asks others to give to the law
protecting the property of his cor
pcration. The anarchy of capital
breeding contempt fer law shnu'S
more be tolerated than the anarchy
of labor breeding riot and disorder.
That lawlessness begets anarchy
whether at the top of society or at
the bottom of society is becoming an
i