The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1909-01-21
NUMBER 81.

performed and rendered. Our State
has always dealt and will continue to
deal kindly with corporations. Their
importance, usefulness and necessity
in developing our natural resources
are recognized. They have univers-
al praise for their part in the ur-
building of our State, in the increase
Of wealth, in the employment of our
people. and for the spirit of progress
which they exhibit and inspire. They
have rights which are and will be re-
spected and encouraged. Unjust
burdens and wrongful restrains have
not and will not be placed upon them.
They have special privileges which
individuals however interprising can
not have-privileges which justify
special burdens and require more
careful supervision by public author
ity than individuals. Creatures Of
the law, they owe an obedience to
its mandates strict9r if possible than
individuals who created the law.
Without soul, conscience, or physical
body, exempt from remorse, from
fear of future punishment, and from
jails, it is natural that they should
more easily than individuals yield to
temptations to violate the laws in
their effort to make money-the
great purpose Of their existence.
Yet owing to the high character of
men who control them, | doubt not
that nine-tenths of our corporations
comply with the law and do abso-
lutely honest business, and are there
fore entirely free from public COM
plant. These corporations like in
dividuals suffer the injury inflicted
by men and corporations that violate
the law The law-abiding corpora
tion has the desire to enforce the
law against the law-defying fellow,
for no one can have a greater bust
ness interest to prevent corporations
from violating the law than the cor
poration that lives within it's bounds.
The State believes in justice even
handed and universal and it strives
towards the attainment of universal
right, regarding not whether cor
rupt man or a corrupt corporation
impedes its progress. AS it discrimi-
mates between The man who obcys
the law and the one who violates it,
so should it discriminate between the
that obeys the law and
the one that violates it. The Legis-
ature prescribes the law as rule of
commanding what is right
and prohibiting what is wrong, and
n my opinion only the man or cor
ooration that fears the right or fol-
ows wrong need dread the wisdom
If the people or the action of their
legislatures. The man who by foul
means wilfully and needlessIy takes
he life of rival, under our law for
'eits his own. The corporal mono
,oly that by foul means wilfuIly and
leedlessly destroys his rival by
wrong doing for the purpose of ex-
.cting unjust profits from the pub
ic should forfeit its existence. All
he power of the State in all its de-
,artments should be exerted to de-
troy every unnatural monopoly, ev-
,ry industrial trust that commits its
wrongs upon the people and their
Industries. And the fixed policy Of
the natural monopolies,
he public service corporation, should
,e maintained.
GOOD ROADS AND DRAINAGE.
1t would be difficult to ever-esti-
nate the value of good roads. While
,arious counties are doing much in
his direction-many counties are
loing very little. We are yet but
N the threshold Of the good roads
and the next generation
will witness wonderful progress. We
# this day should in every practical
way encourage 1t. Whether it is
easible to adopt general plan of
,tate aid to or cooperation with the
ounties under present conditions of
ur revenues is extremely doubtful.
he State can enact an improved up
o-date law which shall apply to eve
y county that hereafter adopts the
axation plan OF building good roads
nd thus promote uniformity of sys-
EN-. A thing to be considered in
State aid plan is that if
he State should help the counties
ither in accordance with their
wealth or population the counties
which need it most would get the
east help per mile of road, in my
Judgement a State Highway Com
Mission may with great advantage
e created to consider the whole mat
er and report to the next LegislG-
ure, as we have no department
hargcd with the duty Of investiga-