The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1913-11-14
PEOPLE TO RULE.
JUDGE LIGHT SAYS.
Governments To Be
Ruled By Men And
Not By Money

"A ATTORNEY General John H Light was
fhe speaker at the interchurch1nens
luncheon in Hartford. "Wednesday, ms
subject being The Changing Attitude
reward Public Service" Attorney
General Light, among other things
said:
.sThe service which the government
renders to the people was revolution
lied during the nineteenth century.
1t passed from feudalism to capital
ism. from the control OF klngs 70 tnv
IontroI of capital. 1t is now raploly
passius. from the control of capital TO
the control of men.
For years capital ruled the Worlo-
There have been wars begun ana END
ed and nations established ana laws
enacted for the profit of capital. 70
flftieal machines and parties have been
controlled to enable capital to hold
SIS LEGAL advantage. Even churches
have been built and creeds formulated
TO please capital.
ssThe last twenty years have been
especially notable for the rapid forma-
ton of great business com b1nauons
or trusts Up to 1897 only sixty-three
of these had been formed, but during
the next three years 1873 were organ
lied with an aggregation of over four
billion dollars of capital, or more than
twice the money circulation OF the en-
tire country. It is now estimated that
there are over Zz4 1nQuSLI1d1 u isis II
the country, with a capitalization OF
SIS, O66, 800 61-
s<VVhiIe capital formerly meant an
aggregation Of money, goods or other
real property used for the purpose OF
producing further wealth or capital
Il has come to mean the capitalization
of earning power, both actual and po-
tentiaI For instance, the capitaliza-
ton of public service corporations
from 1890 to 1910 grew from less than
5000, 100000 to nearly 100000, 100000.
The great trust movement represents
a Capitalization of over $45,00o,0OO,-
600.
cation of riches, 1t is estimated that
one-eigfft of our people own seven
eiehts of our wealth The govern
ment service Includes half million
men and women, and It costs $1,000
600 a year to keep this huge official
force at work.
Until within a few years honesty
and eficiency did not often determine
the choice of public officials Men had
been appointed or elected because
they were serviceab1e to the inter
ests" so-caI1ed. This has been measur-
ably true of every department or
public service, even the department of
Justice. 1t is an open secret that for
many years the United States Senate
has been largely controlled by big
business This has been very mani
fest in the passage of tariff bills.
but the attitude of the people
towards public service has been un-
dergoing a radical change. We are
happily passing from the control OF
the invisible government of capital to
the legitimate government of men
The new spirit is making itself felt IN
every department of government. We
no longer hear it said that the public
has no interest in private property IN
vested in public service enterprises,
for the supreme court OF the On1teo
States, in Mann versus Illinois, said
that When the owner of a property
deyotes it to use in which the
public has an interest, he in effect
grants to the public an interest in such
use; and must to the extent of that
interest submit to be controlled by
the public for the common good, Sc
long as he maintains the use.
sHThe people are now exercising
their right of control in many ways
Notably, under the general govern
n1ent, through the interstate com
r7erce commission, and under the
state governments, through the ut1li-
ties commissions, and workmen'S COM
pensation acts.
.sT-he health and safety of the peo-
pie are now safeguarded by the pure
food and drug law, the meat inspec-
ton law, and various other laws. The
police power of the government Is
broad enough to protect the rights OF
man everywhere. In the language OF
Gladstone, it is the duty of govern
nnent to make 1t as easy possible
TO do right, and as hard possible
to do wrong.
4aThe changing attitude of govern
ment is towards democracy. This is
true the world over. The people are
~ c1T r 7is
tendency is due the open primary, the
Initiative the referendum and the re-
call Party leaders can no longer
conduct campaigns in the old way
The people are bound to have g
square DEAL"
flint TlIHAIVQ