Hutchinson gazette., 1901-12-05

eiioctlye unless undertaken after calm inquiry
pnd with sober self-reptralnt, Much OF th'
legislation directed At tho trusts would nave
been exceedingly mlschloyoua had II not also
been entirely ineffective, In dealing with
business interests, for the government to IN
dortake by crude aud lll'oonaldered loglsla
ton 10 do what may turn out TO bo bhd
would bo 10 incur the risk Of such lar'reach'
Ing national dlgnaler that II would DO prefer
able 10 undertake nothing at all,
IAN this Nv true, aud y0t II Ia also true
that there are real and grave eylls, one ol
tho chief being capitalization bocauae
ot It's many bhleful c0nseq qucnoeai ana q reRo'
luto and practical EFFORT must be made 10
correct those evils,
Government Supervision,
"It IL no Limitation upon property rlghta
or freedom OF contract to require that when
men receive from government the privilege OF
doing business under corporate form, when
frees them from individual responsibility,
and enables them TO call Into their enterprlaeA
the capital OF the public, they ahall DO 10
upon absolutely truthful representations az 70
tho value VI the property In which the capl.
tai Is TO b0 Invested, Corporations engaged
In interstate commerce should BIO regulated
| II they nro found to exercise u license work
| Ing 10 tho public injury, II should be as
much the aim OF those who seek for social
botttrmont TO rid the business world OF
| crimes OF cunning as TO rid the entire body
polite OF crimes OF violence, Great corpora,
| and safeguarded by our institutions ana II
| In therefore our right rSd our duty 10 SEQ
that they work In harmony with these lnstl'
! tutlons,
Publicity Remedy for Trusts.
"Tho first essential In determining how TO
| deal with the great industrial combinations
| iB knowledge OF the facts-publlcliy, 10 inc
interest obAho public, the government should
have tho right TO inspect and examine tho
workings OF tho great corporations engaged
IN Interstate business, Publicity Ia tho only
sure remedy which wo can now invoke Whht
further remedies nro needed In the way OF
governmental regulation. or taxation, can
only bo determined after publicity has been
obtained by process Of law, and In the course
ot administration. Tho first requisite Ia
knowledge, full ana complote-knowlodgc
which may be made public TO tho world
Artificial bodies, such 10 corporations ana
lont stock or other associations, depending
upon any statutory law for their existence or
privileges should bo subject TO proper gov
ornmental supervision, ana fnll ana accurate
Information as TO their operations should bo
made public regularly at reasonable Intervals
THE large corporations, commonly called
trusts, though organized In ono state, always
do business In many states, often doing very
little business In the state where they are
Incorporated, There In utter lack OF uniform
ity In the state laws about them and rs no
state has any exclusive interest In or power
over their acts, II has In practice proved lm-
possible TO get adequate regulation through
state action Therefore, In the interest OF the
whole people, the Nation should, without ln'
terforng with the power OF the states In The
matter Itself, also assume power OF super
ylslon and regulation over all corporations
doing an Interstate business, This Is espe-
clally true where tho corporation derives q
portion OF It's wealth from tho existence OF
some mOnopollstic element or tendency In lls
business, There would be no hardship In
such supervision banks are subject TO Y, and
In their case II 10 now accepted AS a simple
matter Of course, Indeed, II Is probable that
supervision OF corporations by the National
government need not 90 30 far as Is now the
ease with the supervision exercised over them
by 80 conservative n state 10 Massachusetts,
In order TO produce excellent reSultB.
IL believe that q law can bo framed which
will enable the National government TO exer-
Glga control along the lines above Indicated
proht!ng by Che experience gained through
the passage and administration OF tho Inter.
state Commerce Act. II, however, the judg-
mont OF tho Congress Is that II lacks the
constitutional power to pass such an act,
then a constitutional amendment should be
submitted 10 ccl,er The. peYeg
There should 10 Created Cabinet ofhcer;
TO be known ~ Secretary OF Commerce and
Industries, as provided in tho bill introduced
ut tho last session OF the Congress-, II should
DO his province TO deal with commerce IN It's
broadcet sonso including among many other
things whatever concerns labor and all mat
AcIh hutNNlHk NV klNbN bhhlhNe9 NNAppihNVho
and our merchant marine.
Restriction on Immigration
with tho sole exception Of the farming
interest no ono matter ls OF such Vital mo-
ment to our whole people as the welfare OF
tho waEe.workers. IL tho farmer and the
wage. worker are well on, II Ia absolutely
certain that all others will bo well on, too
II Is therefore matter for hearty oongratn-
lntlon that on tho whole wages arc 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 over before, Every etort OF leg
slator and administrator ohould be bent to
secure the permaneney OF this condition OF
things and Its Improvement wherever posi-.
bic. Not only must our labor be protected
by the tarif, but II should also be protected
30 far as It Ia possible from the presence IN
this country OF any laborers brought over by
contract, or Of those who, coming freely
yet represent q standard Of living 80 de-
pressed that they can undoreell our men IN
the labor market and drag them to lower
lovcl | regard II as necessary, with this
end In view, to re-enact Immediately the law
excluding Chinese laborers and TO strcngth-
on II wherever necessary In order 10 make
It's enforcement entirely effective.
80 far az practicable under the conditions
ot government work, provision should be
made to render tho enforcement Of the eight
hour law easy aud certain. In all indus
tries carried on directly or Indirectly for the
United States government women and chill
dren should be protected from excessive
hours Of labor, from night work, and from
work under unsanltary conditions,
"Tha most vital problem with which this
country and, for that matter the whole civ
lliEod world, has to deal, Ia tho problem
clal conditions, moral and physical, In large
cities, and for another side the effort to deal
with the tanglo OF far-reachlnB questions
which we group together when wo speak OF
NJ 81 al haa nA util
be accomplished BY associations or unions OF
wage workers, when managed with fore
thouSht, and when they combine nslstenco
upon their own rights with law-abldlng re.
Bpect for tho rights OF others the display OF
these qualities in such bodies is duty to the
Nation no less than to the associations them
selves Finally there must also In many
cases bo action by the government In order
to safeguard tho rights and interests OF ALL
Under our Constitution there is much more
scope for such action by the state and the
municipality than by the Nation. But on
ponts such AZ those touched on above the
National government can act,
"our present immigration laws are unsa;-
i5tactory. We need every honest and ell
Gent Immigrant ht'ed to become an Amerl-
can citizen, every Immigrant who comes here
to stay, who brings here a strong body,
stout heart, a good head, and 4 resolute pur-
pose to do his duty well In every way and TO
bring up his children as law-abiding and
God fearing members OF the community. But
thore should be a comprehensive law enact
ed with tho object Of wording threefold Inn
provement over our present system. First,
We should aim TO exclude absolutely not only
all persons who are known to be believers In
nnarchIstIo principles or members Of an
archistic societies, but also nll persons who
arc Of a low moral tendency or OF unsayory
reputation. This means that we should re-
Qulre a more thorough system OF inspection
abroad and n more rigid system Of examnn-
ton at our immigration ports, the former be.
ing especially necessary.
THE second object OF n proper immigra-
llon law ought to be to secure by q careful