Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1902-12-03

lesser evil forget the greater good.
The evils are real and some of them
are menacing, but they are the out.
growth, not of misery or decadence,
but of prosperity-of the progress of
our gigantic industrial development.
This industrial development must not
be checked, but side by side with It
should go such progressive regulation
as Will diminish the evils. We should
fail in our duty if we did not try to
remedy the evils, but we shall sue
ceed only II we proceed patiently,
with practical common sense as well
as resolution, separating the good
from the bad and holding on to the
former while endeavoring to get rid
of ,-le latter.
Trusts and Tariff.
In my message to tie present con-
gress at its first session | discussed
at length the question of the regula-
tion of those big corporations COM
monty doing an interstate business,
often with some tendency to monop-
oily, which are popularity known as
trusts. The experience of the past
year has emphasized, in my opinion,
the desirability of the steps | then
proposed. A fundamental requisite
of social efficiency is a high standard
of individual energy and excellence;
but this is in no wise inconsistent
with power to act in combination for
aims which cannot so well be achiev-
ed by the individual acting alone. A
| fundamental base of civilization is the
inviolability of property; but this is
in no wise inconsistent with the right
of society to regulate the exercise of
| the artificial powers which 1t confers
upon the owners of property, under
the name of corporate franchises. In
such a way as to prevent the misuse
of these powers.
Corporations, and especially combi-
nations of corporations, should be
managed under public regulation. Ex-
perience has shown that under our
system of government the necessary
supervision cannot be obtained by
state action. II must therefore be
achieved by national action. Our aim
is not to do away with corporations;
on the contrary. these big aggrega-
tions are an inevitable development
of modern idustrialism. and the effort
to destroy them would be futile unless
accomplished in ways that would
work the utmost mischief to the en-
tire body polite. We can do nothing
Of good in the way OF regulating and
supervising these corporations until
we fix clearly in our minds that we
are not attacking the corporations.
but endeavoring to do away with any
evil in them. We are not hostile to
them; We are merely determined that
they shall be so handled as to sub
serve the public good. We draw the
line against misconduct, not against
wealth. The capitalist who alone OF
in conjunction with Ais fellows, per
forms some great industrial feat by
which he wins money is well-doer
not wrong-doer. provided only he
works in proper and legitimate lines.
We wish to favor sucn man when
e does we'll We wish to supervise
and control his actions only to pre-
vent him from doing Ill. Publicity
can do no harm to the honest corpora
ton: and we need not be over-tender
about sparing the dishonest corpora
tion.
In curbing and regulating the com
binations of capital which are or may
become injurious to the public we
must be careful not to stop the great
enterprises which nave legitimately
reduced the cost of production, not
to abandon the place which our coun-
try has won in the leadership OF the
international industrial world. not to
strike down wealth with the result
Of closing factories and mines. OF
turning the wage-worker idle In the
streets and leaving the farmer with
out market for what he grows. In
sistence upon the impossible means
delay in achieving the possible, ex-
actly as. on the other hand. the stub
born defenses alike OF what is good
and what is bad in the existing sys.
TEN. the resolute effort to obstruct
any attempt at betterment betrays
blindness to the historic truth that
wise evolution is the sure safeguard
against revolution.
! No more important subject can