The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1901-12-06

calm inquiry and with sober self restraint.
Much of the legislation directed at the
trusts would have been exceedingly Ris-
chievous had 1t not also been entirely in
effective In accordance with a well
known sociological law the ignorant or
reckless agitator has been the really eff
fective friend of the evils which he has
been nominally opposing. In dealing with
business interests for the government to
undertake by crude and III considered leg
islatien to do what may turn out to be
bad would be to incur the risk OF such
farreaching national disaster that 1t
would be preferable to undertake nothing
at ell The men who demand the fmpossi-
BILE or the undesirable serve as the allies
Of the forces with which they are nomi-
nally at war, for they hamper those who
would endeavor to find out in rational
fashion what the wrongs really are and to
what extent and in what manner 1t Is
practicable to apply remedies.
Evils Of Observation-Disclosures.
All this Is true And yet it Is also true
that there are real and grave evils. one Of
the chief being decentralization because
of its many baleful consequences. and a
resolute and practical effort must be made
to correct these evils.
There is a widespread conviction in the
minds Of the American people that the
great corporations known as trusts are IN
certain of their features and tendencies
hartful to the general welfare. This
springs from no spirit of envy or unchari-
tableness nor lack of pride in the great in
dustrial achievements that have placed
this country at the head Of the nations
struggling for commercial supremacy. 1t
does not rest upon lack OF Intelligent
appreciation Of the necessity OF meeting
changing and changed conditions OF trade
with new methods nor upon ignorance OF
the fact that combination of capital In the
90 Iiah ant hir1o G r
sary when the worlds progress demands
that great things be done. 1t Is based
upon sincere conviction that combination
and concentration should be not prohibit
ed. but supervised and within reasonable
limits controlled and in my judgment this
conviction is right.
1t Is no Limitation upon property rights
or freedom Of contract to require that
when men receive from government the
privilege Of doing business under cOrpo-
rate form which frees them from individ-
ual responsibility and enables them to call
into their enterprises the capital OF the
public they shall do SO upon absolutely
truthful representations as to the value or
the property in which the capital Is to be
invested Corporations engaged in inter-
state commerce should be regulated IL
they are found to exercise a license work
ing to the public injury. IL should be as
much the aim Of those who seek for social
betterment to rid the business world OF
crimes of cunning as to rid the entire
body polite of crimes of violence. Great
corporations exist only because they are
created and safeguarded by our institu-
tions and il is therefore our right and
our duty to see that they work in harmo-
ny with these institutions.
Publicity Needed.
The first essential in determining how to
dead with the great Industrial combina-
tions is knowledge of the facts-publicity.
In the interest of the public the govern
ment should have the right to inspect and
examine the workings of the great corpo-
rations engaged in interstate business.
Publicity is the only sure remedy whlch
we can now invoke. What further RENE
dies are needed in the way Of govern
mental regulation or taxation can only be
determined after publicity has been OBJ
tanned by process of La 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 corporations
and joint stock or other associations de-
pending upon any statutory law Tor their
existence or privileges should be subject
TO proper governmental supervision, and
full and accurate information as to their
operations should be made public regular
ly at reasonable intervals.
The large corporations. commonly called
trusts. though organized IN one state, al
WAYS do business in many states. often
doing very little business in the state
where they are Incorporated. There Is
utter lack of uniformity in the state laws
about them ana as no state has any eX-
elusive interest in or power over their
acts it has in practice proved Impossible
TO get adequate regula ton through state
action Therefore in the interest OF the
whole people the nation should. without
Interfering with the power OF the states
In the matter itself. also assume power Oh
suDervision and rcgulat ton over all corpo-
rations doing an interstate business. rms
is especially true where the corporation
derives q portion of its wealth from the
existence of some monopolistlc element or
tendency in its business. There would De
no hardship in such supervision. Banks
are subject to it. and in their case IL is
now accepted as Il simple matter Oh
| course Indeed II is probable that super
vision of corporations by the national gov
eminent need not so 50 far as is now the
case with the supervision exercised over
! them by so conservative a state as Mas
sachusetts In order to produce excellent
results.
Would Frame a Federal Law.
When the constitution was adopted al
| the end of the eighteenth century. no hii-
man wisdom could foretell the sweeping