Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1902-09-27

can be done by law. It is difficult to say
exactly how much, because experience has
Taught ao4 US that In dealing with these sub
reefs where the lines dividing the rights
and duties Of the State and Of the Nation
are In doubt, 1t has sometimes been diff
ucult Tor Congress to forecast the action Of
I 9ne courts upon Its legislation. Such legis-
lation whether obtainable now. or obtain
able only after constitutional amendmenD
snould provide for reasonable supervision,
the most prominent feature of which at
; nrsc snonlo De publicity; that is, the max
ing puolic both to the governmental au-
tnorilies and to the people at large, the es-
sentlaI raets, In which the public Is con-
cerned e Ihis would give US exact knowl-
only In doubt, but the subject of fierce con-
troVersy. Moreover the mere fact of the
puDlcation would cure some very grave
evils, Tor the light of day Is a deterrent to
Wrong-dotng. 1t would doubtless disclose
other evils, with which for the time being
we could devise no way to grapple. Finally,
1t would disclose others that could be Crap
pied with and cured by further legislative
action.
/ advocate action which the President
only can advise and which he has no pow
er In himself to take. Under our present leg
lSiatlVe and constitutional limitations, the
national executive can work only between
narrow lines in the field Of action concern
ing great corporations. Between those
handed justice will be dealt and is being
dealt to all men, without regard to per-
sons.
wish to repeat with all emphasis that,
desirable though 1t Is that the Nation
should have the power l suggest it Is equal
ly desirable that 1t should be used with
wisdom and Self-restraint. The mechan-
ism OF modern business Is tremendous in
Its size and completely, and ignorant inter-
meddltng with 1t would be disastrous. We
should not be made timid or daunted by the
size of the problem; we should not fear
to undertake 1t; but we should undertake
minds
the sinister spirits of rancor, ignorance and
vanity. We need to keep steadily in mind
the fact that besides tangible property in
each corporation, there lies behind it the
case of each very successful corporation,
THIS Is usually the spirit Of some one man
or set of men. Under exactly similar con-
d1t1ons one corporation will make a stupen-
dous success. where another makes stu.
pendOus failure, simply because one is well
managed and the other is not. While max
Ing 1t clear that we do not intend to allow
Wrong-doing by one of the captains Of in
dustry, any more than by the humblest
private in the industrial ranks, we must also
In the interests Of all Of US avoid cramp-
Ing strength which If benefcently used
will be for the good Of all of US. The mar
Yelous prosperity we have been enjoying in
the past few years has been due primarily
to the high average of honesty, thrift and
business capacity among our people as
whole; but some Of 1t also has been due to
the ability of the men who are the indus
trial leaders of the Nation. In securing
just and fair dealing by these men, let us
remember to do them justice in return, and
this not only because it is our duty, but
sakes, but for ours. We are neither the
friend of the rich man as such, nor the
friend of the po0r man as such; we are the
friend of the honest man, rich or poor; and
shall obey the law alike, and receive Its
protection alike