The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-08-26

"At present IL we pass laws nobody can
tell whether they will amount TO anything
Now that has two bad effects. In the
FIRST place tho corporation becomes ipdif-
ferent to the lnw-making body. and IN
the next place. gentlemen. the aw.making
body gets into that most perniclous Gus
tom Of passing a law. not with reference
TO what will be done under IL but with
reference TO Its effects on the opinions OF
inc voters That is bad thing. when
any hody Of law makers passes law not
solely with reference TO whether that law
VIII do good or III, hut with the knowledge
that not much will come Of II and vet
that perhaps the people, as a whole win
likely think It was good. II does not speak
well for tho law makers snd Il docs not
speak very well for the people. either.
what hope to see ia power given 10 the
National legislature which shall make the
control real II would be an excellent thing
" we could have all the states act on
somewhat similar lines so that II would
be unnecessary FOR the National govern
ment TO act, but al OF you know perfectly
well the state will not act on somewhat
similar lines.
! STATE AND NATION CONFLICT.
Nothing has been done in the direction
Of Intelligent dealing by the states as
collective body with these great corpora.
lions. Here In MASSACHUSETTS, you nave
what I regard rs on the whole, excellent
corporation laws, think that most or
cur dinicultes--hcre again remember / am
not promising the millennium ut is not in
my power TO promise would be Ia q
tslr way or solution Il we had the power
to put on the National statute books.
| and did put on them, laws Tor the nation
much Ike those you nave here on the
subject or corporations In Massachusetts.
SO you can see. gentlemen. I anu not ad-
| Yocating anything very revolutionary.
am advocating action TO prevent any ming
revolutionary Now, II we can get absolute
control by The nation OF these corporations
then we can pass legislation which ulu
give MS the power OF regulation ana super
vision over them II the nation had hau
that power mind you, should advocate
as strenuousy Gs I knew how that power
Should be exercised with extreme caution
and selfras,raiut No good VIII come from
p ungiDg In without having looked Gaze.
fully ahead.
"Fhe hrst hing We want is pubpcity.
and do not mean publicity as favor uy
some corporations / mean q as a right
from an corporations affected by the law
want pubHcity rs 10 the essential tacts,
in which he punlc mas an interest /
want the knowledge given to the accred'teI
representatives OF the propl, of tho racts
OF which those representatives. can II
they see 49, base their ncuons aror me
publicity Itself would cure many owns
| some OF these things / nave SAID can ns
done now good dca is being done
now As far as the antitrust laws 20.
they viii be enforced. No SUIT WIN ne
undertokcn for the sake Of seeming to
undertake It. Every suit that is undertaken
wll be begun because the great lawyer
and upricht man whom we are so tortu-
nate to have as attorney general. MIR Pnn-
ander Knox, believes that there is wo-
laticn Of the law which we cam get at
and when Tho suit Is undertaken II wont
he compromised. excepting on the basis
that the government wins.
"of course, gentlemen, no laws amount
10 anything unless they are administered
honestly and fearlessly
MORE CENTRALIZED GOVERNMENT.
THEN ] BELIEVE / AM GOING TO
SAY AM SURE OF 1T, BUT BELIEVE
/ 1T is POSSIBLE TO FRAME NATIONAL
I LEGISLATION WHICH SHALL GIVE US
MORE POWER THAN WE HAVE NOW,
AT ANY RATE OVER CORPORATIONS
DOING AN INTERSTATE BUSINESS /
/ CAN NOT GUARANTEE 1T. BECAUSE
IN THE PAST IT MORE THAN ONCE
HAPPENED THAT WE HAVE GOT
! LAWS on TEE STATUTE BOOKS
WHICH THOSE WHO MADE THEN IN
TENDED TO MEAN ONE THING AND
WHEN THEY CAME UP TO DECISION
IT WAS FOUND THAT THE INTENTION
HAD NOT BEEN SUCCESSFULLY PITT
INTO EFFECT BIT ! BELIEVE THAT
ADDITIONAL LEGISLATION CAN BE
HAD. THINK WE HAVE GOT 70
MAKE UP ouR MINDS TO THE FACT
THAT 40 MATTER WHAT OUR REvkR
ENcE TO THE PAST MAY Re OUR