New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-09-30
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Control Over Sources of Wealth
and Opportunity for Individuals.


William CARROT Brown, in The North
American Review.
What does the change 1.-THE consolidation
of business and its Combtna ton undef
great cOrporatiOnsl mean for the lnoiVld-
ual, not as consumer, not as IN any sense
d mere observer or outsider, Tor tnat can
be the lot only of a number so small as 10
be negligible. but a part and IneInDeI'
an industrial unit. of the new order, the
new system? Clearly, II means and II
must continue to mean until the system Is
somewhat modified In the interest of the
Individual. less independence, narrower
range of opportunity There Is no reason
&c believe that il means on the whole less
comfort or d lowered standard OF living.
The contrary Is more probably true Inc
economies in most of the combinations
doubtless outnumber and outweigh the
losses. not from the point of view Of the
producers only. but from that Of the entire
community as well. Neither does the
change mean that the man of ability ana
ambition cannot rise He can. A policy OF
promotions for merit is plainly 10 the IN
terest of every great business. The great
combinations have almost universally
adopted that policy, and they follow II lar
mort consistently than government does
That is principal reason why they are
so well served. But that these things are
SO does not rid US Of the fact that the
coming of the new order has meant real
loss Of independence, of industrial freedoIn.
to the great mass or individuals AIieII
chance 10 rise is chance TO rise In put
one way-by obedience TO the laws or tIle
systems to which they belong: and IN the
rSaL-inp or those laws they have had no
voice There IS real independence only at
the top: and TO reach the top is beyond the
hopes Of any but very, very rev. III I tIlis
respect the new order Is, perhaps more
like the military system than anything else
Clearly. il is less democratic, less IN &c
cord with the democratic ideal. less con-
ducivt TO the democratic spirit and temper,
than the old When shall have
substituted the new order for the old
regime OF competition and free individual
initiative in all the great industries When
every one Of them shall be organized INTO
a single system under a single headed con-
troll. and there shall be set above them an
the money lenders. the hnanclers- them-
selves brought into an equal SOLIDARITY We
will have gone far 10 deprive democracy
.F 10 y-arT- air which II must breathe TO
live We viii have denied to the mass OF
individuals the use and practice or SELF
dependence, self-direction, the wont ana
exercise and habit Of freedom, without
which they cannot fit themselves either to
win II preserve IL ,.
Here 7 repeat. is but the merest glance
AT the new conditions; the merest flirting
aside Of the curtain But II may. thlnh,
be sufficient to enable US 10 formuIat s ne
chief of the new issues. We are CONFRONT
~ LET us say with the problem OF ADAPT
ing the democratic principle TO condluons
that did not exist When our Aliei IC an % =
r,ocracv arose in the world: that is 20 say
"a n fold no longer unlimited. 10 opportunl-
ties no longer boundless ana 70 an mus
.-ial order in which competition Is no
- o. INC cont rolling principle, an indus
iii order which is, therefore. no Longer
democratic but Increasingly oliSdicillcd
VII
narchical. dynastic. To save ll5elI polIu-
caIly democracy must therefore become
aggressfvely industrial. II must soHisHo"
aTtend itself into that field PLAINLY theIe-
f0re s1afsseZ-faire'' can no longer be lls
watchword That was the WatchWoro o.
the regime Of competition LelhU &c az IL
+ael, is twofold il must secure for the
state the public, the people, some KIND OF
effective ultimate control over the nat
ursl sources of all wee ana ~ Ihu 10
Longer controlled by competition. protection
nd onnortunity for the individual.
That twofold task and oatue VIII nov 90 %
EASY Democracy. in fact. has never taceo
a harder a more complicated struggle
Ere she come through II victorious she
I,-in have need to call upon the names OF
III ha- saints TO hearten herself with the
Tlamories OF the deeds of all her heroes
FOR privilege driven from the Church'
hurled from the throne. has mere IN amer
~ - roade her seat and stronghold in the
market place and fortified II win such a
skill and energy as We're never .iat e
scent in her service. We may nope tldt II
a. -. tal.au II will prove her last But We
cannot feel that 1t viii De easily taken W
carnot even hope 10 take II by the meth-
DDS Of our past fighting against opp esSIoh.
o ~, ancient warfare must. in ract D.
,,,,,,IIT, ali over again. and with new tactlcs'
new strategy. In the presence oI ILT OFe YEA
$50, iii he altered reshaped. The old
.+rUpaIa over the taTln VIII ne Tess anu
80 a mere matter OF conflicting secIohal
issues less and less matter OF dIy
.,,,,,,ic theories more and more part
a,,d nbase OF the great struggle between
az. ii,-,,g.racv and privilege I'm industry the
Ola constitutional questions. many or winch
Ne have fondly thought forever settled
vii reappear in new forms, ana many new
49,. vii also arise. Instead or being at
he end Of the period Of great constltu-
tional controversies We are at the begin
rjng Of a new set Of such controVersies.
inT,., and more difficult than any that
&c come before The rights and powers
both Of the states and the nation nlust DC
grritintzad afresh We shall he lucky, IN
5eed ~ Ne can stop p-ith mere constttU
.to,,sg decisions and adaptations and
changes Before the end We may Wen -
-, - bark further atiIl and End fer the
common law itself. n not nev principles
AZ an rate new formulas For ! doubt y
Ne shalt end before He have rHf1Ssd m+hl
- ice - Ia - thought orr fundamental
-, erfions 81 property ar1 Of human