Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1902-08-30
TRUSTS HIS THEME.
President Roosevelt Says Congress
Must Control Them.
Present Laws Are Inadequate, He Declares,
End the Constitution Should Be Amend
ed-ImpossibIe for States to
Solve the Problem.

Boston, Aug. 26.-The weeks work
for President Roosevelt in his trip
through New England began in ear
nest yesterday afternoon when he
departed from the summer home of
the junior senator of Massachu-
sets, Henry Cabot Lodge, at Ma
hant, and amid the enthusiasm of
the greatest number of people he has
faced since the Pittsburg visit on
July 4 rode into Lynn under cavalry
escort and spoke from a platform
at City hall. Then he was taken to
Boston by special train and on ar
rival went to Symphony hall, there
addressing great gathering of Bos-
ton business men. His speech here
was devoted almost entirely to con-
sideration of the trust question. He
said in part:
at is a little difficult to set clearly
before us all of the evils, but think
that those gentlemen, and especially
those gentlemen of large means who
deny that the evils exist, are acting
with great folly. I am far from be-
ing against property when I ask that
the question of trusts be taken up.
I am acting in the most conservative
sense in property's interest. When
a great corporation is sued for VIC
lating an antitrust law it is not a
move against property; it is move
in favor of property, because when
you can make it evident that all men,
big and small alike, have to obey
the law, you are putting the safe
guard of law around all men. When
you make it evident that no man
shall be excused for violating the
law you make it evident that every
man will be protected from violation
of the law. L am inclined to think
that much the greatest trouble in
any immediate handling of the ques-
ton of the trust comes from our
system of government. Let me go
back one moment. I want to guar
antee what l am saying. L want you
to understand that my words are be-
ing taken at their exact face value.
Remember, am not saying that even
If we had all the power we could
completely solve the trust question.
Gentlemen, if what we read in the
papers is true they are speaking of
a number of international trusts
now.
at would be very difficult for any
set of laws, on our part, to deal com
pletely with a problem which be-
comes international in it's bearing,
but great deal can be done in vari-
Gus ways now. A great deal is being
done and great deal more can be
done if we can see that the power is
put somewhere to do it.
hoe
rection of intelligent dealing by the
states as a collective body with these
great corporations. Here in Massa-
chusetts you have what I regard as
on the whole excellent corporation
laws. L think that most of our diff
culties-here again remember I am
not promising the millennium; it is
not in my power to promise it
would be in a fair way of solution
if we had the power to put on the
national statute books, and did put
on them, laws for the nation much
like those you have here, on the sub
ject of corporations, in Massachu-
sets.
$50 you can see, gentlemen, I am
not advocating anything very revo-
lutionary. Now, if we can get ade-
quate control by the nation of these
corporations, then we can pass legis-
lation which viii give us the power
of regulation and supervision over
them. If the nation had that power,
mind you, should advocate as siren
uously as / know how that that
power should be exercised with ex-
IRENE caution and self-restraint. No
good will come from plunging in
without looking carefully ahead.
"The first thing we want as pub
LEFTY, and I do not mean publicity
as a favor by some corporation.
mean it as a right from all corpora
tions affected by the law. I want
publicity as the essential facts in
which the public has an interest. ]
want the knowledge given to the ac-
credited representatives of the peo-
pie of facts on which those repre-
sentatives can, If they see fit, base
their actions later. The publicity it.
self would cure many evils. Some
of these things 1 have said can be
done now. A good deal is being done
now. AS far as the antitrust laws
go they will be enforced