Charlie,
The majority may not take from one and give to another without a unanimous vote (Rema Choshen Mishpat 2:1) except possibly in an emergency situation in order to prevent people from trampling on the Tora (Sema subsection 13). John Adams, in fact, wrote “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” and the Netziv strongly implies this regarding the mitzva of appointing a king (= a coercive government). The fact that Chareidim in Israel can do this only shows that Adams was also right when he wrote “The jaws of power are always open to devour, and her arm is always stretched out, if possible, to destroy the freedom of thinking, speaking, and writing.”
As for the “robber barons”, Leonard Reed, in an article in “The Freeman” (available on-line) argues that they benefited consumers by lowering prices (see Mishna Baba Metzia 4:12 where Chachamim say “zachur letov”). In another article in hte same publication (also available on-line) Edmund Opitz claims that their abuses were caused by government intervention. As for the Tora restrictions on property, with the exception of ribbit (which can be allowed with a heter iska and possibly does not apply to the modern corporation) they cannot be compelled.
In any case, the ideal is to create productive jobs. The experience of all countries, including Israel, is that this is done best by a free economy (presuming of course. Rav Kook calls this “true Socialism” (letter to Shlomo Zalman Shragai on the economic system in the time of Mashiach). Why hew used that term could be in order not to push away the Socialists (see “Ein Aya” Shabbat 2:8) or because he envisioned a moral society where the rich would feel brotherhood with the poor (thus “social”).