Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1901-12-05

thotlifo ual0sS undertaken AFTER calm inquiry
and with sober self-restraint, Much OF the
legislation directed at the trusts would have
been exceedingly mischievous had II not also
been entirely ineffective In dealing with
business interests, for the government to un-
dertake BY crude and ill-considered legisia-
ton 10 DO what may turn out to be bad.
Wouiu pc TO incur the risk of such far-reach-
Ing national disaster that II would be prefer
able to undertake nothing at all.
Al tnls is true; and yet it is also true
tnat there are real and grave evils, of
the chief being capitalization because
OF its many baleful consequences; and a reso-
lutte and practical effort must be made to
correct these evils.
Government Supervision.
ut is no limitation upon property rights
or freedom Of contract to require that when
men receive from government the privilege of
doing business under corporate form, which
ana enables them to call into their enterprises
the capital OF the public they shall do so
upon absolutely truthful representations as to
the value of the property in which the capi-
tai Is to be invested. Corporations engaged
IN interstate commerce should be regulated
Ing to the public injury. 1t 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 corpora
tions exist only because they are created
and safeguarded by our institutions and it
ls therefore our right and our duty to
that they work in harmony with these insti-
tutions.
Publicity Remedy for Trusts.
THE first essential in determining how to
deal with the great industrial combinations
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 corporations engaged
In interstate business. Publicity Is the only
sure remedy which we can now invoke. What
further remedies needed in the way of
governmental regulation, taxation,
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 corporations and
Joint stock or other associations, depending
upon any statutory law for their existence
privileges, should be subject to proper gov
ernmental supervision, and full and accurate
information as to their operations should be
made public regularly at reasonable intervals,
The large corporations, commonly called
trusts, though organized in one state, always
do business in many states, often doing very
little business in the state where they
Incorporated. There is utter lack of uniform
ity in the state laws about them: and as no
state has any exclusive interest in or power
over their acts, 1t has in practice proved inn
possible to get adequate regulation through
state action. Therefore, in the interest of the
whole people, the Nation should, without in
terfering with the power of the states in the
matter itself. also assume power of super
vision and regulation over all corporations
doing interstate business. This is espe-
cially true where the corporation derives
portion of its wealth from the existence of
business. There would be no hardship in
such supervision banks subject to it, and
in their case 1t is now accepted as a simple
matter of course. Indeed it is probable that
supervision of corporations by the National
government need not go far is now the
case with the supervision exercised over them
by so conservative a state as Massachusetts,,
in order to produce excellent results.
II believe that a law can be framed which
will enable the National government to exer-
else control along the lines above indicated !;
prof1tng by the experience gained throusn
the passage and administration of the Inter
state-Commerce Act. IL, however, the iudg
ment of the Congress is that 1t lacks the
| constitutional power to pass such act,
| then a constitutional amendment should be
| submitted to confer the power.
There should be created a Cabinet officer,
| to be known as Secretary of Commerce and
| Industries, provided in the bill introduced
| at the last session OF the Congress. 1t should
| be his province to deal with commerce in its
| broadest sense including among many other
| things whatever concerns labor and all mat
| ters affecting the great business corporations
| and our merchant marine.
Restriction on Immigration.
with the sole exception OF the farming
| interest no one matter is of such vital mo-
the wageworkers. II the farmer and the
| wage-worker are well Off 1t Is absolutely
| certain that all others will be well off, too.
| 1t Is therefore matter for hearty congratu-
| lation that on the whole wages are higher
| to-day in the United States than ever before
in our history, and far higher than in any
| other country. The standard of living is also
| higher than ever before. Every effort of Leg
islator and administrator should be bent 10
secure the permanency of this condition OF
| things and its Improvement wherever possi-
| BILE. Not only must labor be protected
! by the tariff. but it should also be protected
| so far IT is possible from the presence In
| this country of any laborers brought over by
! contract, of those who, coming freely
yet represent standard of living SO de
| pressed that they can undersell our men In
| the labor market and drag them TO a lower
level regard it as necessary, with this
excluding Chinese laborers and to strength
| en- IL wherever nece cessary in order to MAKE
its enforcement entirely effective.
$50 far as pract cable under the conditions
| of government work, provision should bt
made to render the enforcement of the eight
hour law easy and certain. In all indus
tries carried on directly or indirectly for tn
United States government women and chill
dren should be protected from exeessiy
hours of labor. from night work, and from
work under unsanitary conditions.
The most vital problem with which thi
country and for that matter the whole civ
ilized world has to deal, is the problem
| cial conditions, moral and physical, in larg
cities. and for another side the effort to dea
with the tangle of far-reaching question
which we group together when speak 0
labor Very great good has been and will
be accomplished by associations or unions o
wage-workers, when managed with fore
| thought, and when they combine insistene
upon their own rights with law abiding re
spect for the rights Of others. The display Q
these qualities in such bodies is duty to tn
Nation no less than to the associations them
selves. Finally, there must also in man
cases be action by the government in orde
to safeguard the rights and interests of all
Under our Constitution there is much NOR
scope for such action by the state and tn
municipality than by the Nation. But o.
points such as those touched above tn
| National government can act.
'Our present immigration laws are unsat
isfaetory. We need every honest and Ell
cIent immigrant fitted 20 become an Ameri
can citizen, every immigrant who comes her
to stay, who brings here strong body,
stout heart, gsod head. and resolute pur
| pose to do his duty well in every way and L
bring up his children law-abiding an
God-fearing members of the community. Blu
there should be a comprehensive law enact
| cd with the object OF working a threefold i'm
provement over our present system. Firs
| we should aim to exclude absolutely not onl
all persons who are known to be believers !
anarchistic principles or members of san
arehistic societies. but also all persons VIII
are of low moral tendency or Of unsayor
reputation. This means that we should rt
quire a more thorough system OF lnspeetio
abroad and a more rigid system OF examina
tlon at our immigration ports, the former be
, ing especially necessary.
THE second object of proper immgrS
ton law ought to be to secure by a caref'
and not merely perfunctery educational te
, some Intelligent capacity to appreciate Anne
/ lean institutions and act sanely Amer
, can citizens. This would not keep out q
, | anarchists, Tor many of them belong to q
| intelligent criminal class. But IL would
wnat is also In point that is, tend to d
crease the Of Ignorance. potent
passion, ana hatred of order, out of whit
a | anarchistic sentiment inevitably spring
= Finally, all persons should be excluded WI
= are below certain standard OF economic 4
: ness to enter our industrial field as cor
/, petitors with American labor There shou
) be proper proof Of personal capacity TO ca
\ an American living and enough money to 1
4 sure a decent start under American cond
| would tnTlN chez