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About The independent. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 18, 1902)
X ) DECEMBER 18, THE NEBRASKA INDEPENDENT. ' - , 3 v r i' TRI ST CONTItOL Jeremiah W. Jenks, professor of po litical economy in Cornell university, discusses "How Congress May Con trol Trusts'Mn The Outlook of Decem ber 13. The first is Attorney General Knox's remedy as outlined in his Pitts burg speech, October 14, 1902 an ex tension of the scope; of the Sherman act, making- corporations engaged in interstate business subject to "visit orial supervision" and requiring them ' to do business in every state upon precisely the same terms and condi tions. Professor Jenks is not inclined to take much stock in this plan for the reason, as he says, "that a law forbidding discriminations, as well as one requiring publicity, can be easily evaded. It is impossible in many cases , to get evidence. But direct methods of evasion are also even now em ployed." "The principle of discrimina tion in freight rates on railroads," says Professor Jenks, "it is generally concede'd, is evil; but railroads are natural monopolies. It is useless to talk of . encouraging competition among them." On the other hand, the so-called trusts are industries which are normally competitive and we wish to keep them so." Thee was his op portunity to suggest public ownership of the natural monopolies as a step toward solving the problem but he refrained. The second remedy discussed was that recommended by the industrial commission in its final report a tax ' on corporations engaged in interstate commerce. This, Professor Jenks thinks somewhat better. "The act of imposing a tax," he says, "shows most strikingly! the power of a government, and the 'courts have been inclined, when a tax is in itself constitutional, - to give to the executive all the power needed to enforce the tax." The third plan is that of national incorporation. "It seems clear," says Professor Jenks, "from the best au thorities that congress could consti tutionally act in any of the ways indi cated. Will congress find it wise to take any action at all?" Hardly like ly, The Independent is inclined to be lieve. Anything which would tend to stop the process of making the rich richer and the poor poorer will hardly be considered, "wise" by a republican congress. Yeit is possible that some make-believe remedial legislation may be enacted, simply for political effect. THINGS FUNDAMENTAL The tremendous possibilities for good which lie in the law of eminent domain are just beginning to be un derstood. This is a law that cannot be abrogated and neither can it be "construed" out of existence by a plutocratic-supreme court, for no govern ment at all could exist -without it. It is the antithesis of the doctrine that every man has a right to do an he pleases with his own. regardless of the public welfare. There is no piece of property of any description in all the world to which any man has an absolute ownership. It is all held sub ject to the public welfare and this is provided for, not only in the law of eminent domain, but in many other laws, all of which have had the uni versal sanction of every department . . . A tii o n i i" n i' o It f,T C O oi gov cnimeui. umu u no but he cannot do to it what he wills. If he is cruel, the law steps In and savs to him you cannot do with it as you please. He cannot aesiroy prop erty although he owns it, for he will property by the law of every state in the union. He cannot use property so as to annoy the public. It he creates a nuisance the law steps in again and says to him: "Although you own this i -operty, you must use it subject to the public welfare." The ownership of property is limited in hundreds of ways in all civilized nauons. iou may build a house with the labor of your own hands, but if the public wel fare demands it, it is torn down and n hie-hwav is constructed over its site. The general principle is thoroughly established that no man, corporation or combination can so use property as to be detrimental to the public wel fare. And furthermore, the principle is as well established that when the public welfare demand, it, property of any kind can be taken from the pri- vate owner aim me wu uiveaieu m the public. Nothing in all the field of law iz more firmly established than IXlUirJ LWU limine i m uk-Iuiuii;, courts have universally held lhat property can be taken from one owner and transferred to another owner, if such transfer is for the interest of the community at large. Tins has been done to a very great extent in the United States. If it is to the interest " of the public that a railroad ehall be built, lard is taken under this power Y of eminent domain from one private 4 corporation or individual and con- I erred upon another.- The principle has been established that the govern ment has not only the right to talie private property and confer the title to it upon the whole people, or, as we generally say, government ownerthip, but It has the right to take property from one individual oc eorporatish and place it in another individual or corporation. It Is upon these funda mental laws, eommdn to all civilized governments, that-populists bas their theory of the government ownership of railroads, telegraphs, street car lines, waterworks . and . gas plants. Whenever the public welfare demands the transfer of the - title to these things from private corporations ' or individuate to the government, tere stands the. laws of all civilized na tions ready to sanction it." ' Great Britain, according to the lat est information, is -about to : make; a broader application of the law of emi nent domain than was ever made in all history before. It Is said that a bill, will be introduced In parliament which the government intends to make the first order of the day until disposed of, which will under this law take over frchn the English land holders a very large part of all Ireland and confer it upon the present tenants. The value of the land involved in this transaction is said to be $750,000,000. Thi3 is done because the public wel fare requires it. Ireland has been a storm center of rebellion and discon tent ever since the land was taken from the people and given to favorites of the English crown. Centuries have not allayed the constant protest against it, and under this law of emi nent domain the wrong is at last to be righted. The plutocrats of this country are for the most part Anglophiles. If their model government can take practical" 1." the whole of Ireland and transfer the title in small lots to Irish tenants, they ought; not to talk about anarchy when the populists propose to trans fer the title to the railroads and tele graphs from private corporations to the government itself. It seems hardly necessary to remark that in all cases where property is taken under the law of eminent do main, the law itself requires that a just compensation must be made to the owners from whom it is taken. 'F YOU DON'T WATCH OUT" -Public Opinion should beware. The gold gobble-uns '11 get it 'f it don't watch out Commenting on the re cent decline in the price of silver bul lion it said: Silver on November 26 reached the lowest price in its history, the London quotation on that date being 27 7-8 pence or 43 3-4 cents per ounce. At this rate the silver in a dollar of our coinage is worth exactly 33.6 cents, a trifle over one-third of its coinage value, which is $1.29 per ounce. This further fall in the price of the metal is attributed partly to the payment of the Chinese indemnity in silver and the suspension of free coinage at the mints of Siara. This, together with the decline of the price of silver at Bombay sev eral points below the London quo tations, for the time being com pletely closes the markets of the world to the white metal against which so many crimes have al ready been committed by the fi nancial world. This is certainly treason! "So many crimes" must, of course, include the crimes of '73 and '93. The assembling of the Mad Mullahs of the republican party at Washington shows what their ideas about tariff revision are. and to sum them up they take the following shape: The tariff must never be touched in times of prosperity for that would bring on a panic and ruin business. The tariff must never be touched in times of ad versity for then the government would need the revenues and good times could never return without it. That is the plan that the republicans have adopted in regard to a tariff that forces Ameri can citizens to pay 40 per cent more for goods than the manufacturer sells them for to foreigners. The Enplih language is a poor ve hicle for expressing imperialism. The president speaks of "rights granted" to the Filipinos. Neither he. the Am erican government nor anv other pow er on earth can grant "rights" to the Filipinos. "Rights" are inherent, not granted by any one. Consrress has granted a few "privileges" to the Fili pinos, but never any "rights." The "rights" of the Filipinos exist by na ture. Thev cannot be granted or tak en away. That i what Jefferson meant when he wrote "unaiier.able rights." i hi mi, p n A Dresser , . . . For SS0 ItTs a very unusual offer and is made in order to get acquainted- with more readers of the "Independent.1' No profit is expected, of course it's a part of our advertis ing campaign. . anufacturers and sell --direct to consumers at wholesale prices. We are in position to deliver you the best qualities in every thing to furnish and beautify the home at juices such as your local dealer generally pays for his stock. THIS DRESSER.. is of finest workman ship, is made in rich golden oak finish and highly polished. The design is neat and at tractiveis one that you'll always like. The mirror is of French v plate with beveled edge. Shipped to any address upon receipt of only $9 3 -.T.xiT'.v.-.-.-.'.-.r.-.. i WRITE FOR.,.. our big 132-page cat alog. It is a valuable guide in buying home furnishings it's a treasure volume for those who desire . to save on their earnings. Everything from a pie tin to a piano ia listed. This Big Catalog will be mailed upon re quest, absolutely FREE. WE FURNISH HOMES COMPLETE ON CREDIT B This is the only credit mail order house on earth. We ship goods all over the United States on open account, permitting the purohaser to remit in such amounts as he may think he is able and at such periods as he may see his way clear to do so. Oui prices aren't one cent higher where credit is given. WRITE TODAY. Pe Du 's Outfitting Co, Occupying their mammoth block at corner Halsted and West Madison Sts. 171-173 WEST MADISON STREET. C H I C AG O EE An Honest Defender of the People's Rights. Springfield epublican. (MASSACHUSETTS.) The Republican aims first to be the best local newspaper in the world It covers the news of New England, and especially of Western Massachusetts with painstaking thoroughness and intelligence. It chroniclas the daily events ef America and the world with alertness, breadth of vision, discrimination and good taste. Its Editorial treatment of Politics and all Current Affairs ia conspicuous for its ability. It is sincere, earnest, fair, fearless, progressive, hopeful and philosophic. 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