The Scranton chronicle. (Scranton, Miss.) 1897-19??, 1901-12-07

| inevitably endangers the interests OF all.
The fundamental rule in our national life.
the rule which underlies all others. is that
on the whole and in the long run We shall
80 up or down together There are excep-
/ tions, and in times OF prosperity some VIII
prosper far more and in times OF adVersl-
~ some will suffer far more than others
but, speaking generally, period OF good
times means that all share more or less
In them, and in period Of hard times all
feel the stress to greater OF less degree.
He points TO the fact that in tie past
the ignorant or reckless asitator mas
been the really effective friend of the
evils which he has been nominally oppos-
ing In dealing with business interests
Tor the government TO undertake py
crude and ill-considered leg .slation to do
what may turn out to be bad would be
to incur the risk of such far-reaching ma
| tional disaster that IL would be prefer
able to undertake nothing at all. The
men who demand the impossible or the
undesirable serve as the allies OF the
forces with which they are nomnally 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 il Is prae-
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
be remedies provided. OF these evils the
chief is over capitalization. because o.
It's many baletul consequences. lie says.
The conviction of the American people
trusts, are In certain of their features and
tendencies hurtful to the general welfare,
- based upon sincere conviction that com
binaton and concentration should be not
! prohibited, but supervised and within
reasonable limits controlled, and in my
judgment this conviction is right"
As remedy for these evils he SAYS.
The first essential in determining how
/ to deal with the great industrial com
/ bnations is knowledge of the facts
4 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 inter
/ state business. Publicity is the only sure
remedy which we can now invoke What
4 further remedies are needed In the way
/ of governmental regulation or taxation
4 can only he 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
| Artificial bodies, such as corporations
and joint stock or other associations de-
pending upon any statutory law for their
existence or privileges. should be subject
/ to proper governmental supervision, and
/ full and accurate information as to their
/ operations should be made public regu-
4 larly 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 are incorporated. There
1 is utter lack of uniformity In the state
4 laws about them, and as no state has
4 any exclusive interest in or power over
| their acts 1t has in practice proved i'm
possible Ia get adequate regulation
1 through state action. Therefore in the
| interest of the whole people the nation
/ should, without interfering with the pow
er of the states in the matter itself, also
| assume power of supervision and regula-
1 ton over all corporations doing an inter
state business. This is especially true
where the corporation derives a portion
of It's wealth from the existence of some
Fmonopolistic element or tendency in its
/ business. There would be no hardship in
such supervision Banks are subject to
/ IL, and in their case II is now accepted
as simple matter of course. Indeed IL
is probable that supervision of corpora
I tions by the national government need
not go so far as Is now the case with the
| supervision exercised over them by so
conservative A state as Massachusetts in
order to produce excellent results"
The president believes that Il will be
+ possible to secure the needed remedies
for the trust evil under the constitution
as II now exists. but II congress thinks
otherwise he recommends that a cOnstItu-
tional amendment be subm tied tnat viii
COZ fer the o.e' necessary.
In connection with The trusts he rec
ommends legislation creating a cabinet Of
ficer, to be krown IS sect etary of .nnl-
.;,, ne,,ce. whose d ties wonil be to deai
with all GU stions concern commerce
letor and the merchant maine.
Would Exclude the Chinese.
ne IHtSsdtsf NDIfdlnS a strong rec n
/ rnendaton Tor e reenactment at Jnce
Of the present Chinese exclusion act in
which connection he says:
Wages are higher to-day in the United
/ States than ever before in our history
and far higher than in any other coun-
I try. The standard of living Is also higher
/ than ever before. Every effort Of ,sgis-
/ lator and administrator should be bert to
secure the permanency of this condlfion
/ OF things and its improvement wherever
! possible Not only must our labor be
I protected by the tariff, but It should also
/ be protected so far as Ii is possible from
1 the presence in this country OF any Ia
borers brought over by contract or Of
those who. coming freely, yet represent
/ a standard OF living so depressed that
4 they can undersell our men in the labor
/ market and drag them to a lower leveI.
| regard it as necessary. with this end
/ in view, TO reenaet Immediately the law
excluding Chinese laborers and To
strengthen il wherever necessary in or
I der 10 make its enforcement entirely ef-
/ He also recommends such Legislation. nv
/ an amendment to the interstate Commerce
/ law, as will protect the labor OF one state
from competing with the prison labor OF
4 another state, and also that the govern
ment cease being party to this cornpefI-
j ton by not purchasing goods made either
/ by convict labor or that in which women
and children are caused to work excessive
/ hours or at night.
l In the labor unions Of the present he sec.
much that is good. In which connection he
7
Very great good has been and VIII he
/ accomplished by associations or unions
/ OF wageworkers when managed with
lorethought and when they Combine H..
sistence upon their own rights with Ia ~
abiding respect for the rights Of Others
4 The display OF these qualities in s1Irb
i bodies is a duty to the nation no less
than TO the associations themselves
4 Finally there must also in many cases be
/ action by the government in order to
4 safeguard the rights ard interests OF all
Il Under our constitution there is much
/ more scope for such action by the state
/ and the municipality than by the nation.
I Rut on points such as those touched on
/ above the national government can act
when all Is said and done. The rule Of
/ brotherhood remains as the Indispensable
/ prerequisite TO success n tie Kind Of na-
/ tional life for which We strive. Each
man must work for himself and unless
/ he 50 works no outside help can avail
1 him. But zach man must remember also
/ that he IS indeed his bI2taeEs Keeper.
/ and that while no man ~ilg .
/ walk can be carried with advantage 10
\ himself or anysne else. yet that each 81
times stunbles or halts, that each az