Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1901-12-05

/. the world. America has only Just begun
to assume that commanding position IL
the international business world which
we believe will more and more be hers. 1
is of the utmost Importance that this pc
sition be not jeoparded, especially at a tim,
when the overlooking abundance of on
own natural resources and the skill, bust
ness energy and mechanical aptitude o
our people make foreign markets essen
tial. Under such conditions it would b.
most unwise to cramp or to fetter tht
youthful strength of our nation.
Moreover, it cannot too often be pointed
out that to strike with ignorant violence
at the interests of one set of men almost
inevitably e~ndangers the interests of all
The fundamental rule in our national life
on the whole and in the long run we shall
go up or down together. There are excep-
prosper far more and in times of adversi-
ty some will suffer far more than others
but, speaking generally, a period of good
times means that all share more or less
in them, and in a period of hard times all
feel the stress to a greater or less degree
He points to the fact that in the past
been the really effective friend of the
evils which he has been nominally oppos-
ing In dealing with business interests
for the government to undertake by
crude and ill-considered legislation to dc
what may turn out to be bad would be
to incur the risk of such far-reaching ma
tional disaster that it would be prefer
able to undertake nothing at all. The
men who demand the impossible or the
forces with which they are nominally at
war, for they hamper those who would
what the wrongs really are and to what
extent and in what manner it is prac-
ticable to apply remedies"
Remedies for the Trust EVIL.
But while he says the above is true, he
yet sees many evils for which there should
b remedies provided. OF these evils the
chief is over capitalization. because OK
its many baleful consequences lie says:
1.-The conviction of the American people
that the great corporations. known as
trusts. are in certain of their features and
tendencies hurtful to the general welfare,
is based upon sincere conviction that COM
bination and. concentration should be not
reasonable limits controlled, and in my
judgment this conviction is right"
ATba d frTf esse rItff ti in eel15 h9 hS
to deal with the great industrial COM
binations is knowledge of the facts
publicity. In the interest of the public
the government should have the right to
inspect and examine the workings of
the great Sa1r e~oEpoEps Ib1Icit engages g fse inv in inter 1Hre
remedy which we can now invoke. What
further remedies are needed in the way
| can only be determined after publicity
has been obtained by process of law and
in the course of administration. The first
requisite is knowledge, full and complete
knowledge which may be made public
to the world.
Artificial bodies, such as corporations
and joint stock or other associations de-
pending upon any statutory law for their
e2is nraner OF pe1yl1egeSs sno ,nerv pc Sos Suos snd
full and accurate m as to their
operations should be made public regu-
called trusts, though organized in one
state. Away do business in many states,
state where they are incorporated. There
is utter lack of uniformity in the state
any exclusive interest in or power over
their acts it has in practice proved inn
possible ssIs to get t,o adeG %htesfo rsgq al ton
interest of the whole people the nation
should, without interfering with the pow
assume power of supervision and reguIa-
ton over all corporations doing an inter
where the corporation derives a portion
of its wealth from the existence of some
monopolistic element or tendency in its
business. There would be no hardship in
such supervision. Banks are subject to
it, and in their case it Is now accepted
as a simple matter of course. Indeed it
lions by the national government need
not go SO far as is now the case with the
conservative a state as Massachusetts, in
order to produce excellent results.
when the constitution was adopted, at
the end of the eighteenth century, no hui
man wisdom could foreteH the sweeping
changes. alike in industrial and political
the beginning of the twentieth century.
At that time IL was accepted as g matter
of course that the several states were the
proper authorities to regulate so far as
was then necessary the comparatively in
bodies of the day. The conditions are now
wholly different. and wholly different &C
ton Is called for; / believe that a law
along the lines above indicated. prohting
saga and administrator of the Interstate
act. If. however, the judgment
OF the congress is that it lacks the consti-
a constitutional amendment should be
submitted to confer the power"
ommends legislation creating a cabinet Of
ficer, to be known SIS sec; etary OF :nm-
n see, whose d. ties vsouil be to deal
with all gu .SI1OnS concern g commerce,
lebcr and the merchant marine
Would Exclude the Chinese.
The message contains a strong recon-
mendation for lie reenactment ut once
which connection he says:
Wages are higher to-day in the United
states than ever neI0re In our history
try. The STANDARD of living is also higher
than ever before. Every effort of ,eSis-
lator and administrator should be bent to
of things and its Improvement wherever
possible. Not only must our labor be
be protected SO far as it is possible from
the presence in this country of any la
OOESTS UIOuSAl ONCA W SoulIdCl " VI
those who. coming freely, yet represent
a standard of living SO depressed that
they can undersell our men in the labor
market and drag them to a lower level.
I regard it as necessary, with this end
in view, to reenact Immediately the law
excluding Chinese laborers and to
trengthen 1t wherever necessary in or
der to make its enforcement entirely eff
fective."
'rThe national government should de-
mand the highest quality of service from
its employees and in return it should be a
good employer. II possible. legislation
interstate commerce law which will rem
der effective the efforts of different
states to do away with the competition
of convict contract labor In the open Ia
Dor market. So far as practicable un-
der the conditions Of government work
provision should be made to render the
enforcement of the eight-hour law easy
directly or indirectly for the United
States government women and children
should be protected from excessive hours
of labor, from night work and from work
under unsauitary conditions. The gov
should provide In its contracts
that all work should be done under fair
conditions and. In addition to setting a
high standard. should uphold 1t by prop |
er inspection, extending If necessary to
should forbid all night work for women
and children as wen as excessive over
time. For the District Of Columbia q
good factory law should be passed, and,
as q powerful indirect aid to such laws. |
provision should be made to turn the In
habated alleys, the existence OF which is
q reproach 20 our capital city, late minor