Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1923-05-10

the hands Of the groups who control
the state that the individual begins 10
feel capital as an oppressor. Our
American demand for equality OF OPP
portunity Is constant militant checls
upon capital becoming a thing to be
feared. Out OF fear we sometimes even
go too far and stiae the reproductive
use OF capitalshy crushing the militia.
tive that makes for It's creation.
Some discussion OF the legal limita-
tions we have placed upon economic
domination Is given later on, but Il Is
desirable 10 mention here certain po
tent forces In our economic life that
are themselves providing their own
correction 10 domination.
The domination by arbitrary ndivld
uai ownership Is disappearing because
the works Of today are steadily grow.
ing more and more beyond the re-
sources OF any one individual and
steadily taxation viii reduce relatively
excessive individual Accommodations.
The number Of persons In partnership
through division OF ownership among
many. stockholders Is steadily increas.
ing-thus 100000 to 100000 partners in
single concern are not uncommon.
The overwhelmingly largest portion OF
our mobile capital IL that Of our
banks, insurance companies. building
and loan associations, and the vast ma,
jorlty OF all this Is the aggregated
small savings of our people Thus
large capital Is steadily becoming more
and more mobilization Of the savings
OF the small hoiders--the actual people
themselyes-and Its administration be-
comes at once more sensitive TO the
moral opinions OF the people In order
10 attract their support The directors
and managers OF large concerns. them
selves employees OF these great groups
Of individual stockholders or policy
holders. reflect n spirit Of community
responsibility.
Large masses OF capital can only
find their market for service or produc-
tion to great numbers OF the same
kind OF people that they employ and
they must. therefore. maintain conf.
dence In thelp public responsibilities In
order TO retain their customers In
times when the products Of manufac-
ture were mostly luxuries TO the aver
age OF the people. the condition OF
their employees was OF no such inter.
est 10 their customers as when they
cater 10 employees In general. OF
this latter. no greater proofs need ex.
list than the efforts Of many large con.
Germs directly dependent upon public
good will to restrain prices In scarcity
and the very general desire to yield
q measure OF service with the goods
sold. Another phase OF this same de
velopment In administration Of capital
Ia the growth Of sort OF Institutional
sense In many large business enter
prises. The encouragement OF solidar'
ity In all grades OF their employees In
the common service and common sue.
cess, the sense OF mutuallty with the
prosperity OF the community are both
vital developments In individualism.
There has been In the last thirty
years an extraordinary growth Of or
ganixations for advancement Of ideas
In the community for mutual co-opern-
ton and economic objectives--th
chambers Of commerce. trade associa.
lions. labor unions. bankers, farmers,
propaganda associations, and what not.
These are indeed variable mixtures OF
altruism and self.interest. Nevsrthe-
less In these groups the individual finds
an opportunity for self-expression and
participation In the molding Of ideas, q
field for training and the stepping
stones for leadership.
The number of leaders In local and
national life whose opportunity 20
service and leadership came through
these associations has become now of
more importance than those through
the direct lines OF political and reli.
Eious organization.
At times these groups come Into
sharp conflict and often enough charge
each other with crimes against public
interest They do contain faults; II
they develop Into warning interests. II
they dominate legislators and intimi.
date public officials, II they are to be a
new setting OF tyranny. then they will
destroy the foundation Of individual.
ism. Our government will then drift
, into the hands Of timorous mediocre
ties dominated by groups until We
shall become a syndicalist nation on a
gigantic scale. On the other hand
each group II q realization OF greater
mutually Of interest, each contains
, some element Of public service and
, each Is a school Of public responsible
~. In the main. the same forces that
, permeate the nation ut large eventually
permeate these groups. The sense OF
|. service, q growing sense OF RESPONSE
biIity, and the sense OF constructive
opposition 10 domination. constantly
recall In them their responsibilities NJ
well as their privileges. In the end. no
group can dominate the nation and q
few successes In imposing the will Of
any group ls It's sure death warrant.
Today business organization Is NOV
ing strongly toward cooperation. There
are in the cooperative great hopes that
! we can even gain I'm Individuality.
equality Of opportunity. and an en-
iarged field for initiative. and at the
same time reduce many Of the great
wastes Of oyer-reckless composition In