River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1901-12-05

! inevitably endangers the interests OF all
1 the rule which underlies all others, is that
/ on the whole and in the long run we shall
+ 90 up or down together. There are eXcep-
/ IONS, and IN times Of prosperity some VIII
prosper tar more and in times Of ADVERSE
4 ~ some will suffer far more than others
/ but, speaking generally, a period of good
4 times means that all share more or less
/ IN them, and In a period of hard times all
+ feel the stress 10 a greater or less degree.
lie points to the fact that in the past
the ignorant or reckless agitator has
/ 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 by
crude and il-cOnsidered legislation to do
what may turn out to be bad would be
to incur the risk of such far-reaching ma
I tional disaster that it 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 nominally at
war, for they hamper those who would
what the wrongs really are and to what
extent and in what manner it is prac-
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
th.ef Is over capitalization. because o.
its many baleful consequences lie says:
The conviction OF the American peopIe
that the great corporations, k1own as
trusts, are in certain of their features and
tendencies hurtful to the general welfare,
Is based upon sincere conviction that COM
oinqtion 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
70 deal with the great industrial COM
binations 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
| or governmental regulation or taxation
can only be determined after publicity
mas been obtained by process of law and
IN the course of administration. The first
requisite IS knowledge, full and cOnlnlete
knowledge which may be made public
to the world.
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
tull and accurate information as to their
operations should be made public regl-
larly at reasonable intervals"
Ihe large corporations, commonly
called trusts, though organized in one
state, always do business in many states
[
state where they are Incorporated There
is utter lack of uniformity in the state
laws about them and as no state has
any excl 'tVe interest i'm or pOwer over
thcir acts It 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-
tlon over all corporations doing an inter-
t. I'll
where the corporation derives a portion
or Its wealth from the existence Of some
monopolsuc element or tendency in its
business There would be no hardship in
such supervision. Banks are subject "a
1t, and in their case Ii Is now accented
as n simple matter of course Indeed n
= probable that supervision OF corpora
uons by the national government need
not go so far as is now the case with the
supervision exercised over them bv So
conservative a state as Massachusetts in
order 10 produce excellent results
The president believes that n will he
possible TO secure the needed remedies
Tor the trust evil under the constitution
a. as ~ TOW exists, bur If congress thinks
otherwise he recommends that a c1natitu-
toual amendment be subm tied tnat win
COZ Ter the 30 Ne' necessary
IA connectiap with the trusts Ia zee
Qnimcnus legislation creating cabinet of-
hSer to be- known IS secretary Of ,eri-
n elce. whose IA ties wouid be Ia ,laaI
with all ~ slons concerning commerce
Would Exclude the Chinese.
The message con- aims a strong rec
flendauon Tor q reenactment at once
( or the present Chinese exclusion ACT in
winch connection he saws:
Wages are higher to-day In the United
states than ever before in our histOrS,
/ ana iar higher than In any other coun-
| try. The standard Of living Is also higher
than ever before. Every effort of ,.7esis
/ lalor ana administrator should be bent to
secure the permanency of this conditl5G
OF things nd its Improvement wheraver
possible. Not only must our labor he
protected by the tariff but it should also
be protected SO far q s il IS possible from
sll5 presence IN this country Of any la
norerj brought over by contract or of
those wEo. coming freely, yet represent
standard of living so depressed fbat
thty can underseil our men in the labor
market and drag them to 2 lower Level
| regard II as necessary. with this fend
IN view, 10 reenact Immediately tho law
excluding chinese lahorers aud 10
strengthen it wherever necessary Il, ~,
tective." @''Siy IL
/ lie also recommends such legislation ~,
On alhenament 10 The interstate commerce.
law, as VIII protect the labor OF one STATS
from competing with the prison Labor ~
another state. and also that the go,yer,,
meht cease being party to this compefi-
/ tloh by not purchasing goods made either
by convict labor or that in which worno,,
ana children are caused TO work excessive
hours or at night.
\ In the labor unions Of the present he secs
much that is good, in which connection he
/ SAYS: '0'' 'ie
Very great good has been and win ~
accomplished by associations or unions
4 OF wagewOrkerS when managed WIFI
] forethought and when they combine ~
I sistence upon their own rights win Law
abiding respect for the rights of others
/ The display of these qualities In sncb
I bodies Is a duty To the nation no Iess
I than 10 the associations Themselves
/ Finally there must also in many cases Ia
action by the government in order ~
safeguard the rights ard interests az ali
+ Under our constitution there is much
! more scope for such action by the stare
and the municipality than by the nation
! But on points such as those touched on
above the national government can act
| When all is said and done. tae r,Iln N
brotherhood remains as the iudisnenSo HE
prerequisite 90 success in the Kind Of ma
ttoual life for which Wa strive EaCh
man must work for himself and unless
he so works no outsjls help can aN1u
him But each man must remember also
that he Is indeed his brothers Keeper.
and that while no man VINO 70 fuses to
walk can lee carried With ADVANTAGE TO
himself or anyone else, vet that each at
times stumblvs or haltS, thar tacn at