The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1908-02-04

capitalization will be prevented and
the people may know when they buy d
share Of stock or q bond that the
name sof the statesuponsit stands a. q
guaranty that there is value behind It
and reasonable safety in its purchase.
The act must make It clear that the
intent OF the supervision by the com
merce is not the purpose Of striking
at corporate organizations or invested
corporate capital. but rather to recog-
n4ze and protect existing conalt,ons
and insure greater safety Tor the ru-
ture.
Capital Should 7e Protected.
Capital does not 60 into q state
where reprdsals are taken on invest
ed interests; It goes only where wise.
conservative safe treatment Is assur-
ed, and 1t should be our policy to en-
courage and secure corporate rights
and the best interests Of stock and
bond holders committed to our legal
care.
Under no circumstances should we
c~ountenance attacks upon lawabiding
property owners, or do ought but con-
denim thos who hold up rich men as
being evil men because Of their riches.
On the other hand our whole effort to
insist upon conduct and neither
wealth. nor property, nor any class
distinction, az being the proper stan
dard by which to Judge the actions Of
men.
Only Corrupt Men Of Wealth Attacked.
For the honest men Of great wealth
have q hearty regard Just as we
have a hearty regard for the honest
politician and honest newspaper. But
part OF the movement to uphold hon
esty must be a movement to frown on
dishonesty. We attack only the cor
rupt men Of wealth, who find in the
politician the most efficient
instrument Of corruption and In the
purchased newspaper the most ef1ci-
ent defender Of corruption. Our main
quarrel is mot with these agents and
representatives Of interest. They de-
rive their chief power from the sinis-
ter offenders who stand behind them.
They are but puppets, who move as
the strings r pulled. It Ia not the
puppets, but the strong cunning men
and the mighty forces working for evil
behind and through the puppets, with
whom we have to deal
Law Defiers Would Kill Republic.
We seek to control law-defying
wealth; in the first place to prevent
its doing dire evil to the republic and
in the next place to avoid Tie vindic-
tive and dreadful radicalism which
IL left uncontrolled, 1t is certain in
the end to arouse sweeping attacks
upon all property, upon all men Of
means who, without regard to whether
they do well or Ill, would sound the
death-knell OF the republic; and such
attacks become inevitable II conditions
permit these rich men whose lives are
corrupt and evil to dom1neer In swO-
len pride, unchecked and unhindered
over the destinies OF this country. We
act in no vindictive spirit, and we are
no r%espectors OF persons. II a labor
union does wrong, we oppose 1t firmly
as we do oppose a corporation which
does wrong; we stand stoutly for the
rights Of the men of wealth and for
tie rights of the wage-worker. We
seek to protect the property Of rail-
who act honestly and Of ev-
cry corporation that represents wealth
honestly accumulated and honestly
used. We seek to stop wrong-doinE,
and we desire to punish the wrong
doors, only SO far a. Is necessary to
achieve this end.
Ono Law for Rich and Poor.
There are ample material rewards
for those who serve with fidelity the
mammon Of unrighteousness; but they
are dearly paid for by the people who
permit their representatives, whether
In public life. in the press or In the
colleges. whore their young men are
taught, to preach and practice that
there IL one law for the rich and an
other for the poor. The books and
pamphlets, the controlled newspapers.
the speeches OF pubic or private men.
to which I refer. are usually and ea
peciauy In the interest Of Standard
OIL Trust and of certain notorious
combinations butsthey also defend
other individuals and corporations Of
great wealth that have been guilty OF
wrong-doing.
Criminal Rich Use Puppets in Asita-
tion.
1t is only rarely that the men re-
sponsfble for the wrong-doing them
selves speak or write. Normally they
hire others to do their bidding, or
others will do 1t without hire. From
the rate law to the pure food law,
every measure for honesty in business
that has been passed the last six