Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1901-12-04

inevitably endangers the interests OF all
The fundamental rule in our national life
the rule which underlies ali others, is that
on the whole and in the long run we shall
tlons, and in times of prosperity some will
prosper far more and in times of ADVERSE
| ty 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 a period of hard times all
feel the stress to a greater or less degree.
| He 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 nominalIy oppoS-
1 ing In dealing with business interests
crude and ill-considered legislation to do
what may turn out to be bad would be
70 incur the FISK OF Such 1ar-reSchlnS ma
! uopai disaster that il would be prefer
| able to undertake nothing at all. The
men who demand the impossible or the
forces with which they are nominally at
war, for they hamper those who would
enoeayor to ind out in rational fashion
| 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
| be remedies provided. OF these evils the
Chief is over capitalization, because o.
| its many baleful consequences lie says:
| The conviction of the American people
! that the great corporations, known as
I trusts, are in certain of their features and
| tendencies hurtfu to the general Welfare,
| is based upon sincere conviction that com
L
| prohibited, butSs supervised and within
| reasonable limits controlled, and in my
| judgment this Conviction is right -
As a remedy for these evils he says
"Ihe first essential in determining how
bnatons w is Im4 Of tq com
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 now invoke. What
!
| of governmental regulation or taxation
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
to the world.
Artificial bodies, such as corporations
pending upon any statutory law for their
existence or privileges. should be subject
| fun and accurate information to their
operations should be made public regu-
Larry at reasonable Intervals
The large corporations connmo only
called trusts, though organized in one
state, always robustness 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 exclusive interest in or power over
their acts 1t has in practice proved i'm
through state action. The e f IN t6e
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 regJIla-
ton over all corporations doing an inter
state business. This is especially true
where the corporation derives portion
of its wealth from the existence of some
business. There would be no hardship in
such supervision. Banks are subject to-
1t, and in their case it is now accepted
as simple matter of course. Indeed it
is probable that supervision of CORPORA
tons 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 it will be
possible to secure the needed remedies
for the trust evil under the constjtUtion
as 1t now exists, hut if congress thinks
otherwise he recommends tGat a c9nstitu-
tional amendment be subm tied that viii
cor Ter the DO Te' necessary.
In 'connecrtHn with the trusts he rec
ommends legislation creating a cabinet Of
n =. ce, whose ties. wouf.i be to deal
with all qu' Stfons conceru'i commerce.,
l&tor and the merchant marine. =
Would Exclude the Chinese.
The message contains, a strong recon-
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 .coIn,
try. The standard of living is also hiehnr
than ever before Every effort of &. rs =
lator and administrator should be bent to
secure the permanency of this condition
possible Not only mast our labor he
protected by the tariff. but it should also
the presence in this country of any Ia
borers brought over by contract or OF
standard of living so depressed III III
they can underseII our men in the labor
market and drag them to a lower level
l regard 1t as necessary, with this end
in view, to reenact Immediately tht, law
e etLan dig Ghins ines laborers and to
der to make its enforcement entirely CT
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
another state, and also that the govern
ment cease being q party to this comDefi-
ton by not purchasing goods made eitf.a, |
by convict labor or that in which women
and children are caused to work excessive
hours or at night =
much that is good, in which connection he
VERY great good has fieea ana Iii
accomplished by ASSOCIATIONS or unions
of Wagsworkers when managed with
forethought and when they combine in
Sistence upon their own rights with law
abiding respect for the rights of others.
The display of these qualities ia such
bodies is a duty to the nation no less
than to the associations themselves 1
Finally there must also in MANY ca Ne |
action by the government in order TO |
sa feguard the rights ard Interests of ali
Under our constitution there is much |
more scope for such action by the state |
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 The rule of |
brotherhood remains as the Indispensable
prerequisite to success in the kind of ma /
tionaI life for which We strive Each |
man must work for himself, and unlessI
he so works no outside help can avail |
him. But each man must remember also |
that he is indeed his brothers Keeper I
and that While no man who refuses to /
walk can be carried with advantage to
himself or anyone else, yet that each at 7
times stumbles or halts, that each at .