Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1901-12-10

! development of which we are so Justly
/ proud could never have taken place.
| Moreover, we should recognize the inn
/ meRse Importance to this material deyel-
/ opment of leaving as unhampered as is
/ compatible with the public good the
| strong and forceful men upon whom the
| success OF business operations inevitably
/ rests.
| An additional reason for caution in
| dealing with corporations is to be found
/ in the international commercial condi-
| tions of to-day. The same business CON
| ditions which have produced the great
! aggregations of corporate and individual
| wealth have made them very potent fac
( tors in international commercial COMPETE
/ ton. America has only just begun to
assume that commanding position in the
/ international business world which we
/ believe viii more and more be hers. 1t
| is of the utmost Importance that this D0
/ sition be not jeopardized, especially at a
1 time when the overlooking abundance Of
our own natural resources and the skill,
| business energy, and mechanical aptitude
of ouT people make foreign markets es-
sential. Under such conditions it would
be most unwise to eramp or to fetter the
youthful strength of our nation.
Moreover. il cannot too often be point
ed out that to strike with ignorant viO-
! lerce ut the interests of one set of men
almost inevitably endangers the interests
of all. Disaster to great business enter
prises can never have its effects limited
TO the men at the top. 1t spreads
throughout, and while it is bad for every
body, it is worst for those farthest down.
The capitalist may be shoFn of his lux
urics: but the wage worker may be de-
prived Of even bare necessities.
In facing new industrial conditions, the
whole history of the world shows that leg
iSia finn will fraDnral lxv no both and
ineffective unless undertaken after calm
inquiry and with sober self-restraint.
Much of the legislation directed at the
trusts would have been exceedingly mis-
ChieyOuS had il not .lS0 been entirely in
effective. The men who demand the I'M
possible or the undesirable serve as the
allies of the forces with which they are
nominally at war, for they hamper those
who would endeavor to find, out in ra-
tional fashion what the wrongs really are
and to what extent and in what manner
it IS practicable to apply remedies. Yet
it is true that there are real and grave
evils, one of the chief being over-capital-
izati0n because of its many baleful con-
sequences; and resolute and practical
effort must be made to correct these
evils.
Publicity Cure for Trusts.
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
hurtful to the general welfare. Combina-
ton and concentration should be- not pro-
hibited, but supervised and within rea-
sOnable limits controlled.
The first essential in determining how
to deal with the great industrial combina-
tons 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 which
we can now invoke. What further rem
edies are needed in the way of govern
mental regulation, or taxation, can only
be determined after publicity has been
obtained, by process of law, and in the
course of administration.
The large corporations, commonly call
ed trusts, though organized in one State,
always 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; and as no State has any ex-
elusive interest in or power over their
acts, it has in practice proved impossible
to get adequate regulation through State
action. Therefore, in the interest of the
whole people, the nation should, without
interfering with the power of the States
of supervision and regulation over all cor
poratiOns doing an interstate business
believe that a law can be framed which
will enable the national government to
exercise control along the lines above in
dictated. There should be created a cab
met officer, to be known as Secretary of
Commerce and Industries, as provided in
the bill introduced at the last session of
the Congress. 1t should be his province
to deal with commerce in its broadcast
sense; including among many other things
whatever concerns LABOR and all matters
affecting the great business corporations
and our merchant marine
would Exclude Chinese.
With the sole exception of the farming
interest, no one matter is of such vital
moment to our whole people as the well
fare of the wage workers. If the farmer
and the wage worker are we'll off, it is
absolutely certain that all others will be
well off, too. 1t is therefore matter for
hearty congratulation 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 legislator
and administrator should be bent to Sc
cure the permanency of this condition of
things and its improvement wherever
tected by the tariff, but it should also be
protected so far as it is possible from
the presence in this country OF any labor
ers brought over by contract. or of those
who, coming freely, yet represent a stand
ard of living so depressed that they can
undersell our men in the labor market
and drag them to a lower level. | regard
it as necessary, with this end in view, 70
re-enact Immediately the law excluding
Chinese labOrers and to strengthen it
wherever necessary in order to make its
enforcement entirely effective.
If possible legislation should he passed,
in connection with the interstate COM
merce law, which will render effective
the efforts of different States to do away
with the competition of convict contract
labor in the open labor market.
The most vital problem with which this
country, and for that matter the whole
civilized world, has TO deal. is the prob
lem which has for one side the better
ment of social conditions, moral and ply
steal, in large cities, and for another side
the effort to deal with that tangle of far
reaching questions which we group to-
geiher when we speak of Tabor" The
chief factor in the success of each man
wage worker farmer and capitalist alike
must ever be the sum total of his own
individual qualities and abilities. There
must in many cases be action by the gov
AtHAAthA III bEAtE 10 SAAtEuAAu AAiC AA=AtS
and interests of all.
Immigration Laws Uusati<factory.
Our present immigration laws are un-
satisfactory. We need every honest and
efficient immigrant fitted to become an
American citizen. But there should be a
comprehensive law enacted with the OBJ
ject Of working threefold improvement
over our present system. First, We should
aim to exclude absolutely not only all
persons who are known TO be believers
in anarchiStic principles or members OF
aBarchistic societies. but also all persons
who are of a low moral tendency or of
unSavory reputation. The second object
of proper immigration law ought to be
to secure by a careful and not merely
perfunctory educati test some intelli-
gent capacity TO appreciate American in
situations and act sanely as American
citizens. Finally. all persons should be
excluded who are below a certain stand
ard of economic fitness TO enter our IN
duStrial field as competitors with Ameri-
can labor. Both the educational and
economic tests in a wise immigration law
should be designed to protect and elevate
the general body polite and social a
a =. I l. 81