The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1901-12-04

inevitably endangers the interests of all.
The fundamental rule in our national life,
on the whole and in the long run we shall
go up or down together. There are excep-
lions. 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 nominally oppos-
ing. In dealing with business interests
for the government to undertake py
crude and ill-considered legislation to do
what may turn out to be bad would be
to incur the risk of such far-reaching ma
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
endeavor to find out in rational fashion
what the wrongs really are and to what
extent and in what manner 1t 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 OF
its many baleful consequences lie says:
THE conviction of the American people
trusts, are in certain of their features and
tendencies hurtful to the general welfare.
is 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 remedy for these evils he says:
The first essential in determining how
to deal with the great industrial COM
oinations is knowledge Of the facts
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
can only be determined after publicity
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
Artificial bodies, such as corporations
and joint stock or other associations de-
pending upon any statutory law for their
to proper governmental supervision. and
full and accurate information as to their
operations should be made public regu-
The large corporations. commonly
called 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 as no state has
any exclusive interest in or power over
their acts 1t has in practice proved i'm
possible to get adequate regulation
through state action. Therefore in the
should. without interfering with the DOW
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
of its wealth from the existence of some
moniopolistlc element or tendency In its
such supervision. Banks are subject to
it, and in their case 1t 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 Massachusetts, in
order to produce excellent results"
The president believes that II will be
| possible to secure the needed remedies
for the trust evil under the constitution
as 1t now exists, but IL congress thinks
otherwise he recommends that a constitu-
tional amendment be subm tied that will
cor fer the DO ye' necessary.
In connection with the trusts he rec
ommends legislation ere ting a cabinet Of
nctr. TO he Known IS sect etary of mn
with all gu sstions concern'i commerce.
lsEer and the merchant maine.
Would Exclude the Chinese.
The message contains a strong rec pm
rendation for Z e reenactment at once
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 coun-
Try Ine standard hafda Of living Is also higher
lator and administrator should be bent to
secure the permanency of this condition
OF things ana Its wherever
| protected by the tariff, but 1t should also
be protected so far as II Is possible from
the presence IN this country Of any Ia
those who. coming freely. yet represent
a. standard of living so depressed that
market and drag them to lower level
regard 1t as necessary. with this end
In view, to reenact Immediately the law
| excluding Chinese laborers and 70
strengthen 1t wherever necessary in or.
der to make its enforcement entirely ef-
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
ton by not purchasing goods made either
by convict labor or that In which women
and children are caused to work excessive
In the labor unions of the present he sees
much that is good. in which connection he
Every great good has been and will be
accomplished by associations or unions
| Of wageworkers when managed with
| forethought and when they combine in
| sstence upon their own rights with law
abiding respect for the rights of others.
The display of these qualities in such
! bodies Is 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 to
| safeguard the rights ard 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 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 unless
he so works no outside help can avail
| him. But each man must remember also
| that he is indeed his brothers keeper.
| and that while no man who refuses to
| walk can be carried with advantage to
| himself or anyone else, vet that each at
| times stumbles or halts, that each at