The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1901-12-06


ed, bur supervised and within reasonable
limits controlled, and in.my judgment this
conviction IL right.
It 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 rs to the value Of
the property in which the capital is to be
invested. Corporations engaged In inter-
state commerce should be regulated II
they are found to exercise n license work.
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
corporations exist only because they are
created and safeguarded by our institu-
tions, and It is therefore our right and
our duty to see that they work In harmo-
ny with these institutions.
j, Publicity Needed.
The first essential in determining how to
deal with the great Industrial combina-
tions Is knowledge of the facts-pubicity.
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 tho only sure remedy which
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
tained by process OF law and in the course
of administration. The first requisite is
knowledge full and complete-knowledg
which may be made public to the world.
Artificial bodies, such as corporations
nkAI l.t.. lx<fr tnnr aHf atn aAo a
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 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. and as no state has any ex-
elusive interest in or power over their
acts 1t 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
in the matter itself. also assume power OF
supervision and regulation over all corpo-
rations doing an Interstate business. This
Is especially true 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 II Is
now accepted as q simple matter OF
course Indeed 1t Is probable that super
vision of corporations by the national gov
ernment need not go so far as Is now the
case with the supervision exercised over
A. -. Ntt,1 .Na tA a n G.
sachusetts in order to produce excellent
results.
Would Frame n Federal Law.
When tho constitution was adopted, at
the end of the eighteenth century, no hu-
man wisdom could forctell the sweeping
changes. alike in industrial and political
conditions, which were to take place by
the beginning Of the twentieth century.
At that time 1t was accepted as matter
of course that the several states We're the
proper authorities to regulate so far as
was then necessary the comparatively IN
significant and strictly localized corporate
bodies of the day. The conditions are now
I wholly different, and wholly different ac-
ton Is called for. / believe that law
can be framed which will enable the ma
tional government to exercise control
along the lines above indicated, profiting
by the experience gained through the pas
sage and administration Of the interstate
commerce act If, however. the judgment
of the congress Is that 1t lacks the consti-
tutional power to pass such an act, then
constitutional amendment should be
submitted to confer the power.
There should be created a cabinet off,
Ger, to be known as secretary of COM
merce 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 broadest sense.
including. among many other things,
whatever concerns labor, and all matters
affecting the great business corporations
and our merchant marine.
The course proposed Is one phase OF
what should be a comprehensive and far
reaching scheme of constructive states
manship for the purpose of broadening
our markets, securing our business inter
ests on n safe basis and making firm our
new position in the international indus
trial world, while scrupulously safeguard
ing the rights OF wageworker and capi-
talist, of investor and private citizen, so
as to secure equity as between man and
man in this republic.
Chinese Exclusion.
With the sole exception of the farming
interest no one matter Is of such vital
moment to our whole people as the wei.
fare of the wageworkers. II the farmer
and the wageworker are we'll OF. 1t is abb
| solutely certain that all others will be
we'll of too. 1t is therefore a matter for
hearty congratulation that on the whole
wages are higher today 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 pos
| sible. Not only must our labor be protect
ed by the tariff, but 1t should also be pro-
tected so far as It Is possible from the
presence In this country of any laborerc
| brought over by contract or of those who
coming freely. yet represent standard
| of living so depressed that they can un'
dersell our men In the labor market and
drag them to lower level. regard II as
necessary. with this end In view. to re-
enact Immediately the law excluding Chi
nese laborers and to strengthen u
wherever necessary in order to make Its
enforcement entirely effective.
The national government should demand
the highest quality of service from It:
employees and in return II should be 9