The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1901-12-05

inevitably endangers the interests OF all.
The fundamental rule in our national life,
the rule which underlies all others, is that
on the whole and In the long run we shall
20 UP or down together. There are excep-
tons, and in times OF prosperity some will
prosper far more and In times or adversi-
~ 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 period OF hard times all
feel the stress to q greater or less degree
He points TO the fact that In the past
the ignorant or reckless agitator mas
been the really effective friend OF inc
evils which he has been nominally oppos-
ing 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 De
TO incur the risk of such far-reaching ma
tional disaster that IL would be prefer
able TO undertake nothing al all. The
men who demand the impossible or the
undesirable serve as the allies OF the
forces with which they are nominally az
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 II 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
trusts, are in certain OF their features and
tendencies hurtful TO the general welfare,
is based upon sincere conviction that COM
biIation and concentration should be not
prohibited but supervised and within
reasonable limits controlled, and In my
Indignant this conviction -s!sA -
As remedy for these, evils he says:
The first essential in determining how
10 deal with the great industrial COM
b!natons 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-
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
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
full and accurate informa ton as to their
operations should be made public regu-
larry at reasonable intervals"
The large corporations, commonly
called trusts, though organized in one
state, always do business In many states,
often doing very little business in the
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
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 reGula-
ton over all corporations doing an inter-
state business This is especially true
where the corporation derives q portion
Of Its wealth from the existence OF some
opolistic-elemeHt- or tendency in It's
business.. There would be no hardship in
II, and In their case 1t is now accepted
as a simple matter of course Indeed II
Is probable that supervision OF corpora
tons by the national government need
not 60 SO far as Is now the case with the
supervision exercised over them by 20
conservative q 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 tho constitution
otherwise he recommends that a constitu-
ttonai amendment be subm tied that will
COZ fer the DO We, necessary.
In connection with the trusts he rec
ommends legislation creating cabinet Of
flcer, to BE- known as seen etary OF :om-
9. ces whose d, ties would be to deal
with all al stions concern'f z commerce.
lsher and the merchant marine.
Would Exclude the Chinese.
The message contains a strong recon-
rendation for T. e reenactment at JYce
or 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. The standard of living 10 also hIehos
than ever before. Every effort Of otis.
lator and administrator should be bent e
Of things and its Improvement whsrevel
possible. Not only must our labor b.
protected by the tariff, but 1t should alss
be protected so far as 1t Is possible from
the presence In this country of any Ia.
borers brought over by contract or o,
those who. coming freely, yet represent
standard of living so depressed tina,
they can undersell our men in the laboI
market and drag them to lower level
! regard It as necessary. with this enc
excluding Chinese laborers and Il
strengthen 1t wherever necessary in or
der to make its enforcement entirely ef
| fective."
He also recommends such legislation. h,
| an amendment to the interstate Commerce
law, as will protect the labor of one sta
from competing with the prison labor O.
| another state. and also that the govern
ment cease being party to this competi
| tion by not purchasing goods made sithe
by convict labor or that In which womeI
| and children are caused to work excsseiy,
| hours or at night.
In the labor unions Of the present he see,
much that is good. in which connection h,
says:
accomplished by associations or union
| OF wageworkers when managed wifi
forsthought and when they combine in
| sistence upon their own rights with Law
abiding respect for the rights Of others
The display OF these qualities in sucl
bodies is a duty to the nation no les
than to the associations themselves
Finally there must also In many cases b
| action by the government in order I,
safeguard the rights and interests OF Ali
Under our constitution there is mucj
more scope for such action by the stat
and the municipality than by the nation
hut on points such as those touched OF
above the national government can act
| when all In said and done. the rule O
1 brotherhood remains as the indispensabl
prerequisite to success In the kind of "a
tionai life for which we strive. Eacl
man must work for himself and unles
he 80 works no outside help can avai
| him. But each man must remember ais
that he 10 indeed his brothers keeper
| and that while no man who refuses 4
| volE Gan he rried With a1yaufa o.