The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1911-04-28
1.-THE POLITICS OF AMERICAN
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The better business minds OF The
country arc working round To the
view that public control rs not onls
Inevitable, but may be as benealual 90
the corporations ass 40 bc puble
and the be ter leeislaNFc minds n
the same way arc within ncasUreane
distance 0f Acknowledging lhe lli
sdequapies and latuity o. laws thai
Ay setting themselves athWart INC
whole movement 0f modern com
mcrce Hceessita prosecutions weicA
dissolve grea corporations thai
are promptly rearg9nixea, bring On
recutreAt periods Of business Weer
taintN aud depre ion arl change
the forms ul things while leaving
their fundamental substance wholly
unaffected
s example oi the advance that
has been made and that Is still 50
ing gn toward an understanding be-
twGgn ths corporations and the pub
NN lHe language used in the middle
OF March by Mr. Theodore Naii ~
submitting the annual report 10 the
stockholders ar the American Tele-
phone anu Telegraph company seems
to ne highly significant and auSpic
icHs say sidney Brook Ia the North
American Review have come
acress nothing not even I'll the sane
snd luminous speeches and articles
that one has grown nsed To expecting
N Mr James ]. ffill. that struck
ne rs more indicative NJ the growing
enlightenment OF The business world
than this report of Mr. Walls Il is q
document sach as dozen years ago
no American III hts position no cap
tain Of industry or trust magnate,
would or could have pennea The
American politician with any sense
or the complexities and character oi
modern col Aerce is still something
ot 4 rarity The American business
man with any CLEAN in him Of real
staiesmaDship Is perhaps rarer still.
Enl il is Impossible 10 read NJ vail
report withoua perSeiYing il 70 be
impregnaed With the authentic spirit
and vision of the br0adest citizenship
For In II the head of one Of the
greatest corporations in the country
accepts without demur the full doc
trinc Of public control, while al the
same time announcing his deternt'-
nation to maSe the enterprise under
his management universal, inter-
dependent, and Intercommunicating
system like the highway system Dt
the countrs. extending from every
door to every other door"
MIR Vail indicates a clear and
iustifiabie preference for permanent
commissions Of quasi-indicial char.
actaF over any kind OF legislative
body on committee These commits
sions can aud should sop all abuses
OF capitalization, oil extortion, or 81
oyereharges. Of unreasonable division
OF publicity OF accounts. insure to the
public good service aud fair rates,
and 10 the investor a fair return on
bis outlay. Coming from d man OF
Mr.. Wallis standing. this seems 20
me very important declaration II
amounts to an endorsement OF ali or
nearly all that its warmest advocates
have claimed for the commission plan
Of dealing with public franchises
and there can, ] think, be little doubt
that Is is in the utilization Of such
commissions to stand between the
public authorities on the one hand
and the corporations on the other.
that tie United Sta.es Is destined
60 lead the world and TO make the
most valuable of all contributions 70
the problem OF combining private In.
itlatye and enterprise with the due
protection Of public rights.