The Muskogee cimeter. [volume] (Muskogee, Indian Territory, Okla.) 1901-19??, 1908-09-04


that will prevent overcapitalization
that will prevent exorbitant prices be-
ing charged, that will curtail enormous
profits and make them reasonable and
that will compel our great public serv
ice corporations to follow uniform
system Of accounting and bookkeeping
that will throw the searchlight Of pub.
licity on the financial operations Of
these corporations.
We have accomplished much In this
direction in Massachusetts. We will
accomplish more. To say that we will
not Is to say that we are incapable Of
self government
The industrial and commercial great
ness Of the United States far exceeds
that ever known at any time by any
other people In the entire history Of the
world. Liberty Of action and the un.
trammeled liberty Of the individual have
made the modern world. Individuality
Is the one essential to which our civ.
ilization and our social progress are Ow-
Ing When the individual was crushed
nations lay PROSTATE or developed but
slowly. When individuality was rec.
ognized. civilization grew to manhood.
With individuality came originality
and invention. Freedom Of speech. of
thought and action was the handspring
of originality. Thus far we have es-
capped the tyranny Of too much govern.
ment, and II II can be demonstrated. as
it can he unquestionably, that all these
great public enterprises were originat-
ed. developed and perfected under a
state and social condition where the
individual was recognized II must be
proved that under n state Of partial
socialism equally good results can take
place.
The great public service corporations
and are one OF the highest exempli6ca-
tions OF what individual effort can do.
They were started many years ago at
time when their success or failure
was matter of doubt In every case
they were started not by cities. states
or governments. but by private indi-
viduals In their private capacity as
individuals. as partners or corpora
tions. They have been gradually de-
veloped from small beginnings until
they have reached their present size.
At first their products were luxuries.
Now they are necessities. There Is not
to be found among the great inven-
tions that have done so much to i'm
prove the lot OF civilized man q single
one that was due to government ini-
tiative. Governments never expert
lot lno 10 In hn 20 hxA
government never adopts the expert
ment. but they succeed and are
placed upon paying basis then the
governmen be II city or state. Ii will
ing to buy.
During the long process Of our in
dustrial ev' tuition men have been grad
uaIly developed who have become tech
nical specialists and who are thorough.
ly acquainted with all the infinite de-
tail connected with the enterprise
They have in many instances started in
humble capacities and come TO the top
Of the ladder by reason OF sheer ability
and experience. BY ingenuity and
skill they, have managed departments
with great economy or in some way
introduced improvements that have
tended to save money for or to broaden
the scope OF their company. Their re-
ward has been promotion. Thus we
find that In most Of our public service
corporations the trained men at the
head Of affairs and their immediate
subordlnates have given continuous
thought to the growth Of the business.
When a city goes into municipal
ownership. unless she, too, employs
trained specialists and careful men
with technical and financial ability
the enterprise will lag behind.
The men at the head Of our great