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The Commoner.
VOLUME 1VNUMBER 21
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The Commoner
ISSUED WEEKLY
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WlOJAM J. DltTAM
Kdltor And Proprietor
IllCllAIlI) L. Mmtamtc
A wodnto Kdltor
CiiAnuta W. IlKYAK
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A.
THE COMMONER, Lincoln, Neb,
STATESMAN AND DEMOGOGUE
According to tho dictionary used by tho bene
Aclarles of privilege, he only is a statesman
whose oar la tuned to catch tho slightest pulsa
tions of a poclcot book, while ho is a demagogue
who dares to listen to the heart-beat .of hu
manity. The Commoner, January 7, 1910.
'Tis tho same old story, tho same old cry,
and tho same old tactics, too; while blood is
cheap, and mammon high, humanity's annals
through. The tribune who stood for the Roman
mass, they likened him to a braying ass, did the
hireling tools of the "higher class" the tools of
tho preying few.
And there came a, tlmo when a Lowly Man,
from a village in Galilee, was hounded and
mobbed by tho ruling clan of the scribe and the
Pharisee. But tho good old Book proclaims the
word, that tho while the rulers' wrath was
stirred, by the common folk He was gladly
heard for He spake for you and me.
Then on with the fight for the common weal,
though tho foo bo great and strong; today, de
feat 'neath th' oppressors' heel tomorrow, our
triumph song. Nor fear to be called a dema
gogue by those who would fain the facts befog;
turn another page in the good ship's log
you're a statesman true ere long.
MONTGOMERY MORLAND.
A NEW RULE
Interviewed in London by a representative for
the New York World, J. Pierpont Morgan said:
"You may quote mo as saying if you insist
on something that I consider tho decision con
cerning Standard Oil entirely satisfactory; also
that I expected it. The recent tone of tho
American market shows that it is correct."
For proof of the correctness of tho decision
we look at tho stock markets rather than into
the constitution, and J. Pierpont Morgan is
de-lighted, just as all other trust magnates aro.
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Genesis of Tail's National Incorporation Bill
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A BAD OMEN
Norfolk (Virginia) Pilot: "That Mr.
Martin should be titular leader of tho
minority in the senate is of no moment
ono way or the other; but that he should
havo been chosen as a. supposed ex
ponent of reactionary ideas concerning
tariff legislation is a distinctly bad
omen.
0
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Immediately following tho announcement of
tho supreme court's trust decision, Washington
dispatches said that the administration had
decided to push with all possible vigor, the na
tional incorporation bill as recommended by Mr.
Taft. Commoner readers will bo interested in
learning of the genesis of national incorporation.
Tho story was told in one of the leading finan
cial publications, the Wall Street Journal of
Friday, February 11, 1910. Tho story follows:
Two years ago, on February 7, George W.
Perkins read an address in the Columbia uni
versity lecture course of that winter which,
received less attention than it deserved. And
it is a curious coincidence that exactly two years
afterwards, to the very day, the administration's
federal incorporation bill was introduced into
both houses of congress. What Mr. Perkins, in
February, 1908, advocated and expounded, Presi
dent Taft and his administration have, so far
as the general principle was concerned, warmly
recommended to congress. And so it is a singu
lar feature of this agitation by means of which
there is hope of relief from certain features
of the Sherman anti-trust law, that one of the
great minds occupied in the construction of
great combinations, like that of the International
Harvester and the United States Steel corpora
tion, should now find that what he recommended
two years ago is advocated by the president and
his administration, and has been whipped into
tho formality of legal and legislative phrase
ology by Attorney General Wickersham.
It may bo that Mr. Perkins finds some occa
sion for criticism of certain of the details of the
federal incorporation bill; and it is observed
that the chairman of the board of directors of
the United States Steel corporation, Judge Gary,
speaks in approval of its general principle, still
withholding complete commendation until there
can be assurances that the bill, if it becomes a
law, will furnish practicable remedies.
Of course, it is recognized here and has at
Washington, that if some of the master minds
of tho greater corporations and combinations,
speak in approval of the principle of the incor-
poration bill, then the likelihood is that there
may be accusation that these minds may dis
cover in its legalized opportunity to continue as
they have continued, except that the eye of the
federal administration "will be upon them.
Still, it is regarded as a rqasonable answer to
that doubt that the attorney general framed the
measure, that the president has studied it and
has given it his approval.
In all probability, the men of large affairs,
who are sincerely and not with any falsehood at
heart, seeking some way by which reasonable
combination that is, combination not injurious
to public interest may be made legal, would
prefer that tho supreme court should so interpret
the Sherman anti-trust law aB to declare it is
in offect nothing more than a specific enuncia
tion of the common law which prohibits such
agreements or combinations as tend to or actu
ally do work injury to the public. Were there
an interpretation of that kind, there would prob
ably bo no necessity for an incorporation law
Moreover, such a measure as President Taft
now approves will, if it becomes a law be in
danger of frequent testing through appeal to
tho courts, whereas a judicial interpretation by
tho supreme court would not. Such an inter
pretation, the great corporation managers say
and President Taft has also intimated of late
to his callers, would permit the business of the
United States now carried on' through incor
porations not only to know where it stands
exactly, but that it can maintain combinations of
capital without violating the law.
Mr. Perkins intimated that one reason why
federal incorporation would be desirable would
be the relief from the various statutory exac
tions of the states of tho union. But ho em
phasized what all business men have said that
federal supervision and regulation should bo
placed in tho hands of men who are not crea
tures of political favoritism, but who have ex
perience, judgment, ability and a perfect sense
of impartiality.
ThiB is also the view taken by the president
of the New York Central, Mr. Brown, than
whom there is no stronger Bupporter of gov
ernmental supervision of public utilities cor
porations in tho United States. Recently Presi
dent Brown, speaking to a friend, said that
already it has been discovered that the public
utilities commissions of New York state are not
only of benefit to the people, but of real benefit
to the corporations which under the law they
have the power to supervise. And in his view
the brief experience we have already had with
our public utilities commissions makes it clear
that in due time, in case these bodies do not
fall into the hands of the politicians, they will
be of the highest services, not only to the cor
porations, but to the people.
In Mr. Perkins' Columbia university address,
he spoke carefully upon one subject upon which
in private he has spoken enthusiastically. It
seemed to him that it is not only within the
power of the people, through their representa
tives at Washington to create a very competent
body of railroad and corporation control, but
that in that creation the people will find them
selves best served, as well as the corporation.
Mr. Perkins is of the opinion that if to such
governmental bodies there be brought men of
expert knowledge, high character, free from all
political or partisan influence, then in due time
these bodies will be regarded as furnishing
an appropriate, highly dignified, and distinguish
ing claims of careers of great achievements. Mr.
Perkins thinks that if this idea be well worked
out, then it would ultimately be regarded as
high an honor relatively to serve for life or for
a long term of years upon a body of this kind
as lawyers regard the supreme bench as the
climax of a professional caTeer.
The feeling here is that there are some de
tails in the bill as at present worded which
must be eliminated or modified if the measure
is to be practicable. It looks as though the bill
intended that there should be nothing in the
way of holding companies, but that the great
corporations should buy outright subsidiary
corporations, and completely assimilate and
absorb them.
. ...
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APPRECIATED IN MARYLAND
Frank T. Elliott, Hagerstown, Md:
Herewith I enclose money- order to renew
my subscription and in doing so I want
to express my approval of the" stand
which you take touching both men and
policies pertaining to our present politi
cal affairs.
You have my best wishes upon your
eleventh anniversary and I extend my
heartiest congratulations to the great
commoner upon the gratifying vindica
tion of his bank guaranty policy for the
protection of depositors,
I would not undertake to name any
particular individual as tho candidate for
nomination for the presidency of the next
democratic national convention, as that
might be assuming a good deal upon my
part, but this much I will assure you, he
will have to be one who is, and has
always been firmly and truly in accord
with our past policies as outlined by our
national platforms. No choice made by
any plutocratic organization or individual
whether it be Wall street, or such organs
as the New York World or Baltimore
Sun will ever receive the support of the
rank and file of the democratic party.
If such concerns desire to perpetuate
the policies of government of the re
publicans, then let them go over to that
party and cease to pretend to be demo
crats. We will moro than make up the loss
by those who will come to us from their
party as we did this election of 1910.
The idea of the Baltimore Sun assum
ing to take an active part in calling to
gether prominent democrats from all
sections to celebrate our victory of this
last November and to formulate policies
for the future for the partyl
I congratulate Mr. Bryan upon his de
clining to accept an invitation.
There seem to be so much-for a good
Bryan democrat to talk about now that it
is hard to refrain.
Let the good work go on, and tho
armor of our righteous cause will ulti
mately prove stronger than all the hosts
of error.
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