Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1901-12-10

; Inevitably endangers the interests OF all.
The ornamental rule in our national life,
! theru which underlies all others. Is hat
on the whole and IN The Iona run we shall
4 30 up or down together. here are eXcep-
| lions, ana in Times OF prosperity some VIII
prosper far more and in Tunes OF ADVERSE
| ~ some viii suffer far more than others,
but, speaking generally, period OF COCO
! 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.
l1e points TO the fact that IN the past
| the ignorant or reckless agitator mas
! been the really effective friend OF The
evils which he has been nominally oppOs-
ms In dealing with business interests
/ for the government to undertake by
crude and ill-considered Legislation to DO
what may turn out to be bad would be
/ 10 incur the risk OF such far-reachlng ma
tional disaster that u would be prefer
/ able to undertake nothing at all. The
men who demand the impossible or the
undesirable serve as the allies OF the
war, for they hamper those who would
endeavor 70 find out IN rational fashion
what the wrongs. really are and 10 what
4 extent. and IN what manner IL Is prac-
tcable 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
I be remecies provided. OF these evils the
chief is over capitalization, because o.
| Us many baleful consequences. lie says:
| The conviction OF the American people
that the great corporations. known as
trusts, are In certain Of their fea lures and
! tendencies hurtful TO the general welfare
us based upon sincere conviction that com
bination and concentration should be not
prohibited. but supervised and within
reasonable limits controlled. and in my
| judgment this conviction Is right"
| As a remedy for these evils he says
The first essential in determining how
TO deal with the great industrial com
binatlons 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 inter-
state business. Publicity is the only sure
remedy which we can now invoke What
further remedies are needed In the way
OF = governmental regulation or taxation
Fan only he determined after publicity
has been obtained by process OF law and
IN the course OF administration. The frst
requisite is knowledge. full and complete
-knowedge, which may be made public
to the world.
Artificial bodies. such az 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
| fuu and accurate Information as TO their
operations should be made public regu-
larly at reasonable intervals"
The large corporations. commonly
eallsd 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 az no state has
any exclusive interest I'm or power over
their acts Il has in practice proved i'm
possible TO get ADEQUATE regulation
through state action Therefore in the
should. without interfering with the pow
er of the states in the matter itself also
assume power OF supervision and regula-
ton over all corporations doing an inter-
state business This Is especially true
where the corporation derives a portion
/ or It's wealth from the existence OF some
monopohstlc element or tendency In its
business There would be no hardship IN
such supervision Banks are subject 10
II, and In their case II Is now accented
as a simple matter OF course. Indeed II
| Is probable that supervision Of corpora
lions blythe national government need
not go 50 idr as " now the case with the
supervision exercised over them by so
conservative a state as Massachusetts, In
order 70 produce excellent results
The president believes that 1t will he
a. II now exists, bur II congress thinks
otherwise he recommends that a c)nstftl.
tonai amendment he subm tied that vii
cot fer the DO ve' necessary.
To connection with he trusts h rec
ommends LEGISLATION creating q cabinet Of
hctI. TO e." known IS seciafary Of rn,-
% e,ce, whnae drties wouif be- ia IoaI
win all on srlOng concernffg c0mmcrca
leftr and tha merchant maine
Would ExcIudr the Chinese.
The message tontains a strong recon-.
mendation for a. e reena ctf1ent AZ mo
or ne present chinese exclusion act in
Whlch connection he says
wages are higher to-day'in the United
states IMAM ever before IN our history
ana af nENer man ~ any other conn
Try. 4 ne standard Of living Is also lgNer
than ever before Every eforl on sis.
ator and administrator should De hhnttO
secure the permanency OF this coaaitl3G
OF things and its Improvement alierever
possible. Not only mist our tabor be
protected by the tariff but II should also
be protected so far as Il is possible from
the presence in this country OF any la
borers brought over BY contract or of
those VINO, coming freely Vet represent
"a standard Of living 80 depressed that
market and drag themfto a lover level
regard u as Necessary. with this end
IN view, to reenact Immediately the law
strengthen Il wherever necessary in or
der to make Its enforcement entirely ef-
He also recomhends such legislation nv
an amendment 40 the interstate commerce
law. as viii pwtect the labor OF one state
from competfg with the prison labor OF
another stap. and also that the govern
ment cease being party 10 this competi-
ton by nov purchasing goods made either
by convictlabor or that Ia which women
and children are caused 10 work excessive
hours OrYat night.
In the labor unions of the present he sees
much thai is good, in which connection he
@yeryfereat good has been ana win hs
accomplished by associations or unions
of wRgeworkers when managed with
foretboueht and when they combine in
sistepce upon their own rights with law
abiding respect for the rights OF others
The display Of these qualities in such
bodies vs. a duty TO the nation no less
than TO the ASSOCIATIONS themselves
Finally there must also In many cases be
action By the government in order 10
safeguard the rights Ard interests OF all
Under our constitutipn there Is much
more scope for such hction by the state,
ana the municipality than by the nation
Bot on polna such as those touched ON
above the national govtrnment can act
when all Is said ami done, The rule OF
Brotherhood remains al the indlspansable |
prerequisite to success ln the kind OF ma |
fonal life for which 1--we strive. Each |
man must work for himself. and unlesn |
IN so works no outsit help can avail |
Tim hut each man ml3f remember also
|Iekf ~ a indeed nv brothers keeper