Omaha daily bee., 1910-09-01

commonwealth Will get from every CltlNen
tile highest service Of which he is capable
No man who carries the burden OF special
privileges OF another can give to the COM
monwealth that service to which It Is
fairly entitled.
stand for the square deal. But when
1 say that am for the square deal 1
mean not merely that stand for fair play
uLder the present rules of the game, but
that stand for having those rules changed
so as to work for more substantial equal
ity of opportunity, and of reward for
equally good service.
This means that our governments, ma
tonal and state, must be freed from the
sinister influence or control of special
interests. Exactly as the special interests
Of cotton and slavery threatened our
political integrity before the Civil war,
so now the great special business interests
too often control and corrupt the men and
methods of government for their own
profit. We must drive the special interests
out of politics. That is one of our tasks
today. Every special interest Is entitled
to Justice-full. fair, and complete-but not
one is entitled to a vote In congress- voice
on the bench, or to representation in any
public office. The constitution guarantees
protection to property, and we must make
that promise good. But 1t does not give
the right of suffrage to any corporation.
Property Must BE the Servant.
The true friend of property, the true
conservative, is he who insists that prop
erty shall be the servant and not the
master of the commonwealth; who insists
that the creature OF mans making shall
h. a., e Al.
man who made 1t. The citizens of the
United States must effectively control the
mighty commercial forces which they have
themselves called into being.
There can be no effective control of cor
poratlons while their political activity re-
mains. To put an end to 1t will be neither
short nor an easy task, but it can be
done.
We must have complete and effective
publicity Of corporate affairs. so that the
people may know beyond peradventurs
whether the Corporations obey the law ant
vheeifSr their manaeement entities then
to the confidence of the pubIieS II Is,neoss
sary that laws should be passed to pro
hibit the use of corporate funds directl,
or indirectly for political purposes; 1T Il
still more necessary that such laws SHOULD
be thoroughly enforced. Corporate expendl
lures for political purposes. and especial,
such expenditures by public service cor
porations, have supplied one Of the princi
pal sources of corruption in our politica
affairs
| 1t has become entirely clear that w,
must have government supervision of thu
capitalization not only OF public servic
corporations, including particularly rail
| ways. but of ali corporations doing al
interstate business. / do not wish to SCI
the nation forced into ownership of tn
railways II It can possibly be avoided. an'
the only alternative is thorough-going ant
effective regulation, which shall be base'
on full knowledge OF all the facts. in
GLIDING a physical valuation OF the prop
erty. This physical valuation is not needed
or at least is very rarely needed, for fixini
rates; but It is needed as the basis o
honest capitalization.
Limitation of Franchises.
| We have come to recognize that fran
chises should never be granted except 70
a limited time. and never without prope
provision for compensation to the public
| 1t is my personal belief that the same kin
and degree of control and supervision whlc
should be exercised over public servIc
corporations should be extended also t
combinations which control necessaries q
life. such as meat, oil and coal, or whic
deal in them on an important scale.
believe that the officers and espeoiall
the directors. of corporations should b
held personally responsible when any cor
poration breaks the law
Combinations in industry are the resul
OF an imperative economic law which car
not be repealed by political legislation. TIL
! effort at prohibiting all combination ha
substantially failed. The way out lies nc
in attempting to prevent such combins
tons, but in completely controlling theI
in the interest Of the public welfare. Fc
that purpose the Federal Bureau OF Coz
porations is an agency Of the first i'm
portance. It's power aud therefore it's 81
ficiency. as we'll as that Of the Interstat
Commerce commission, should be largel
increased. We have right to expect frol
the Bureau of Corporations ana from II
Interstate Commerce Commission a yer
high grade Of public service. We should
as sure OF the proper conduct Of interstat
railways and the proper management {
Interstate business as We are now sure {
the conduct and management OF the M
tlonal banks.
The Hepburn act. and the amend
ment to that act In the shape in which
finally passed congress at the last session
represent a long step in advance; and v
must so yet further. h-st4 tt
There IL a widespread belief among OF
people that under the methods Of makir
, tariffs which have hitherto obtained. Il
special interests are too influential. Pro-
ably this is true of both the big interes
and the little interests. These metho'
have put a premium on selfishness, ~
naturally the selfish big interests ha'
gotten more than the selfish small 4
! terests. The duty Of congress is to provi'
: a method by which the interest Of Il
, whole people shall be all that reoeiv
consideration To this end there must
Il an expert tariff commission. wholly :
0 moved from the possibility OF POLITICAL pre-
e sure or OF improper business influenc
i such a commission can find out the re
o difference between cost OF producuo
Il which Is mainly the difference OF lab
y cost here and abroad. As fast as its recoi
q mendations are made. ! believe IN revisit
y one schedule at time. 4 general revisit
Z. of the tariff almost Inevitably leads
ei iog-rolling and the subordiuation OF I