The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-08-14
TIRED Of ATTACK,
CAPITAL TO FIGHT
BIG CORPORATIONS DECIDE TO
STAND FOR sRIGHTsr AS
CITIZENS
TO DISCREDIT COURT
POLITICIANS SEEM BENT ON THIS
Disqualification REGARD
ED AS MODERN DE-
vELoPMEST.
10 DISCREDIT COURT
(By Thomas O. Shotweu, }

sponsIble incompetent in the country
the men in charge OF the corpora
tons have decided to fight for their
rights as American citizens IL
panic In the stock market or general
business follows the blame will lie
on those briefless lawyers who are
short OF stocks and those machine
politicians who are attempting to
pose as statesmen. The business de-
preston that Is becoming moro and
more Of reality Is due very largely
TO the attempt of persons tenn
porarily In high political stations to
discredit the supreme court OF the
United States which has ruled in the
Standard OH and American Tobacco
cases that laws must be construed in
the light of reason.
The American people VIII accept
tho supreme court view OF the bust
ness situation after the panic Is over
for there Is not law on any statute
books In any country that can DO
construed otherwise without causing
gross injustice. 1t Is because OF this
very inpossibility Of executing the
laws according to the strict letter
that courts Of equity exist All courts
are by universal consent divided into
courts OF law and corts or equity,
the fatter being the courts OF JUS
tlce. II all the laws were strictly
enforced there would not be a mem
Der Of congress oar Of Jail and this
IS no loose statement either for there
would not be al American citizen
out OF jail
Modern Development
The corDDrafi9ns GaEaior-
ment of modern business and tho
men who happen to be IN charge of
them are no more responsible for the
form that business has taken than
are the politicians fer the fact that
they happen to be born men instead
+ 81 angora cats. TIL. problem liz one
deserving respectful attention and is
not ia any degree deserving Of the
Wild abuse with which the discus
sion has been conducted to date. The
corporation managers finally feel that
their honor as individuals is being as
sailed and the first evidence that
they intend to stand for their rights
is seen in hte decis.o NOT the Union
Pacific TO resist the demands OF shop
men for an increase OF wages
This stand by the Un!on Pacific
ts expected to preeipitate a whole
sale war hetwee labar and capital
IN the course OF which many Ques
tions that have beeu carefully eSaGed
by the politicians uia have to be met
squarely and settled. The railroads
say they granted wage Increases last
Year hoping that these increases
would be accepted in the spirit Of
eomprom Go In which they were Of
Tered. Aglators worked so success
fully upon popular imagination that
these wage Increases instead of being
accepted as an honorable COMPROMISE
have been looked upon "a restitution
Of so much money that had been
Rrougfully withheld from tho en-
pioyes by tbs railroads
Decision sitseonstrued.
The decision Of the Interstate Corn
merce Commission refusing to grant
freight rate Increases has also l-t-et7
ntseonstrGed by tho pupMc. TIE com
mission stated that the decision was
only temporary and that it stood
ready % do Justice 10 railroads show
ing their ability 10 operate Under tho
conditions imposed. The commission
added that some of the roads making
application really needed relief. hut
the application was made in such
form that * had to be all or none.
and this forced q refusal But the
Iaboring men have been fooled into
tAH bEttft li4at k6a1 NbiliFll lsA1pfl EAI uS-
cided the railroads were all earning
too pluch, and there has been a con-
'syatr4t gr0a IN Af ssisEA.satsasg ezxser since.
Now that the men have demanded an
increase OF wages that viii mean the
addition Of 500, 100000 to operating
expenses of the railroads, the crisis
has been reported.
The disaster TO the crops which the
government says extends TO "a short
age OF $4,000, 900 bushels of the six
principal grains, 80, 900, 000 bushels OF
potatoes and 1855. 600 tons OF hay
as compared with last Year. has al
ready caused an advance in the price
Of meat and will cause further dis
turbances and VIII aggravate the la
Z hor and political situation. Should
the railroad strike be as widaspread
az expected, earnings would suffer to
such an extent that dividends viii
have to be reduced. There is no doubt
that the stock market Is being at
by veTy Powerful interests. Ell
forts are being made to have It appear
that the Standard OIL people ara lead
ing the attack. 1t is impossible TO
locate the real leaders. but under the
circumstances II would seem to he
madness for the Standard Oil interests
f@ participate In a market attack
that is liable to stir up the already
excited public 10 acts against tho cor
porations for which the whole people
Will be very sorry, particularly the
men who dare exaggerata to the
slightest extent the seriousness Of the
situation that has suddenly developed.
W