The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1902-08-26

II any event to minimize. Tho cornor,
lions, and therefore those oroa+ oornona
tons containing some tendancv - ~
nopoly which we have grown "a sna.L %
rather loosely as trusts arc tho orc
cures OF the State, and the State nor only
mas the right to control them hut is in
duty pound to control them wherever tho
heed lol such control is shown. There is
ciedlly d need OF superVision-need to
eAeloioe Tue power of regulation on the
polt U the representative Of the pub
~ Wherever as in our own country at
Ihe present time, business CORPORATIONS
ps'ome SO very strong, both for benef-
cent work and for work that is not al
ways henehcent. 1t is idle to saw thar
tflere Is no need for such supervision
suIllclent warrant for it is to he found
over ana over again in the various evils
resulting from the present system or
ralner lack of system.
lheie IS IN our country a peculiar
ullnculty IN the way of exercising such
supervision and control because of the
pC'ulldr dlVlslon of governmental power.
wien the industrial conditions were sim
PIE very little control was needed and
no trouble was caused by the doubt as
1N'N1 was lOuSeu uDGGr tho
examination. Now the conditions are
complicated, and we find it difficult IN
frame national legislation, which shall
Dc adequate, while as a matter OF prac-
tcal experience State action has proved
entirely insufficient, and in all human
l~fopaplllty can not or will not be made
SU4nclel1t, TO meet the needs OF the case.
some OF our States have excellent laws
laws which it would be we'll indeed to
nave enacted by the National Legisla-
turo. But the wide differences in these
laws, even between adjacent States and
the uncertainty of the power Of enforce
McEt result practically in altogether in
sufficient control. l believe that the ma
ton must assume this power of control
by legislation, and if it becomes evil
cent that the Constitution will not per-
nit needed legislation, then by constitu-
ticral amendment. The Immediate need
in dealing with trusts is to place them
under the real, not nominal, control Of
some sovereign to which, as it's creature,
the trusts shall owe allegiance, and in
whose courts the sovcreign's orders may
With certainty be enforced. This is not
The case with the ordinary so-called
f, trust today, for -he trust is a large State
corporation, generally doing business in
other States also, and often with a ten
dCncy 10 monopoly. Such q trust is an
artificial creature not wholly responsible
to or comfortable by any legislature, nor
wholly subject to the jurisdiction of any
one court.
some governmental sovereign must be
, given full power over these artificial and
very powerful, corporate beings. IN
my Judgment this sovereign must be the
national government. When it has been
siven full power, then this full power
can be used to control any evil infu-
! cncc, exactly as the government is now
! using the power conferred upon it under
the Sherman Antitrust Law. Even when
the full power has been conferred it
, would be highly undesirable to attempt
too much, or to begin by stringent lcgis-
! lation. The mechanism of modern bust
ness is as delicate and complicated as it
is vast, and nothing would be more pro-
ductiva of evil TO all of us and especially
20 those least we'll off in this worlds
goods. than ignorant meddling with this
mechanism, and above all, if the meddling
was done in q spirit of class or sectional
rancor. It is desirable that this power
! should be possessed by the nation, but it
is quite as desirable that the power
! should be exercised with moderation and
| self-rcstraint
The first exercise of that power
| should be the securing of publicity among
all great corporations doing an Inter
{ state business. The publicity, though
non-inquisitorial, should be real and
I thorough as to all important facts witt
a., which the public is concerned. The full
light OF day is a great discourager OF
, vii. Such publicity would by itself tend
to cure the evils of which there is JUS
complaint, and whore the alleged evils
. arc imagincry it would tend TO show that
such was the case. When publicity is at
tanned it would then be possible to sec
what further hould be done in the way
Of regulation"