Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-10-04
) owners Of SUCH resources and ought to

the MANAGEMENT OF our railways in the
interest of favored individuals ny
secret rebates. That day has passed.
Our new railway act goes much
further and greatly increases the pow
ers and duties OF the Interstate com.
merce commission. The discretion ~
the commissioners. not within judicial
control by appeal is now wide and
they have in their hands for the veal
or woe Of general business q power
that sometimes makes one tremble..
THE personnel of the commission
becomes, therefore. as important as
that OF our highest courts. The re-
sponsibility of the executive in the APP
pointment OF the commissioners Is q
heavy one A trend or bias of mind on
the part of a member Is dangerous.
The judicial quality OF each should ne
fine.
Injustice to the Railways.
we have said to the railways and
their stockholders, we cannot trust to
lyou the fixing of proper rates Having
created tribunal with power to set
tie what rates are just 1t should be
borne in mind that the public welfare
and the whole business interest OF the
country may be injured quite as much
by injustice to the railways as the re-
suit OF an unwise clamor for low rates
dS ny LIS AHPoSllioA ~ 0A.oA .AotAo
rates.
1T is not without significance in this
connection that employees and wage
earners OF railways are today assocta-
ting themselves together for the pur-
pose Of using their influence, to pre-
vent injustice to their employers by
lrepressive legislation or oppressive
regulation under the interstate COM
mission.
"Eriftaon yaars 400 fhe general con-
troll of legislatures by corporate in
fluence and corruption was far greater
than It is today. The crusade Initiated
by Mr.. Roosevelt and carried on dur
ing his term Of office resulted, first, In
Iarousing the entire community to the
necessity for reform. and, second. IN
inducing many corporation managers
tionahle and to leave politics to other
hands.
Individual Voter Must Awaken.
at was impossible to arouse the
people to just indignation at corrupt
corporate control through machine and
boss rule without having such move
ment acquire an impetus that carries
It to extreme views. and the electorate
Is now searching for reform pro-
cedure under which bosses cannot live.
machines can never control. and cor
ruption can never exert influence.
Hence we have movements to elm :
mate the middleman in politics, and to
give popular sentiment more Inn
mediate effect in government than
perhaps would have been thought wise
by our fathers.
"The existence of such popular
impulse ought to rejoice every patriot
with the hope that 1t will be turned to
a useful and permanent betterment of
our politics. But, however effective
these suggested changes may prove at
first. venture to say that no great
permanent good can come from them
alone unless they are accompanied by
his awakening to the necessity for
constant watchfulness and. effort on
his part to prevent the old evils from
appearing in q new guise.
Every one will now admit that the
Sherman anti trust law, passed twenty
years ago and since subjected to a
great deal Of judicial construction is
, up combinations that result in the
suppression Of competition and the es-
tablishment OF monopolies.
Fears no Trade Disturbance.
There are pending in the supreme
court which it is hoped will throw
still greater light on the subject.
making. even clearer than they are to-
day the lines between legitimate and
illegitimate business. 1t has been
thought that those decisions. If adverse
to the corporations, would greatly dis
turb financial disaster. do not share
these fears.
II have proposed to congress in this
connection federal incorporation act
which might be taken advantage OF by
the largest corpora lions. It would give,
and II ought to give no immunity from
b., As.k1 so 1or Dat h W
this advantage: It would give the gov
eminent the benefit Of direct super
vision OF these powerful corporations,
and It would afford to these corpora
lions ample opportunity to do legi-
innate business within the state bor-
ders.
1T gives me the greatest satisfac-
Ftion to say that in spite. OF all the
rumors Of possible business .stagna-
ton, our basic prosperity ia assured
for the coming year, in that the great
volume Of the crops now being har-
vested, in value will exceed the pro-
ducts Of our fields at any period In the
past Our corn crop, our cotton crop,
and our oats crop will equal approx
mately three thousand millions OF dol
lars, and the significance of this fact
In Its bearing on the business OF next
year can hardly be overstated.
Prosperity Vital to Wage Garner.
"The millionaire, the great manufac-
turer, and the capitalist seem to de-
rive more benefit, measured in dollars
and cents. from prosperity than do the
Individual workmen, farmer, small
merchant, clerk, and professional man.
But In actual human comfort and hap
piness vi osperity is vastly more inn
ortant 10 the wage Garner than to the
wealthy.
Hence it is legitimate office Of
those charged with governmental re-
sponaibility to do what they can to
prevent the spreading of fears which
will drive capital to its boarding place
and prevent the investment necessary
to carry on the widely expanded bust
ness Of this county from which our
people derive their livelihood. Business
men now view with favor rather than
with alarm strict enforcement OF the
law.
There are other directions in which
governmental progress can be made.
The extensions Of the merit system
has on the whole greatly improved
conditions In the government For
this reason have within the last week
placed $500 assistant postmasters and
clerk appointees OF postmasters on
the CLASSIFIED list OF the civil service.
Would Extend Civil Service.