The Savannah morning news., 1902-08-26

trusts, or big corporations. and the re-
suit is at present that we have a
great, powerful, artificial creation
winch has no creator to which 1t is
responsible.
Real, Not Nominal Sovereign.
OF course, it is a mere truism that
the corporation is the creature of the
state; that the state is sovereign Now,
L want to make real and not a nomi-
nal sovereign; to have some one sover-
elgn to which the corporation shall be
really, and not nominally responsible.
What hope to see is power given
10 the national legislature which shall
make the control real. 1t would be an
excellent thing if we could have all
the states act on somewhat similar
lines. so that it would be unnecessary
for the national government to act, but
all of you know perfectly well the
states will not act on somewhat similar
lines.
Nothing has been done in the direc-
ton of intelligent dealing by the states
as collective body with these great
corporations. Here in Massachusetts
you have what I regard as on the whole
excellent corporation laws. 1 think
that most of our difficulties-here
again remember 1 am not promising
the millennium, it is not in my power to
promise it-would be in fair way of
solution if we had the power to put on
the national statute books, and lid rut
on them, laws for the nation much like
those you have here on the subject of
corporations in Massachusetts.
Power Used with Caution.
$50 you can see, gentlemen I am
not advocating anything very revolu-
tfonary. / am advocating action to
prevent anything revolutionary. Now,
If we can get adequate control by the
nation of these corporations, then we
can pass legislation which will give
US the power of regulation and super
vision over them. If. the nation had
that power, mind you, I should advo-
cate strenuously as I knew how that
power should be exercised with eX-
treme caution and self-restraint. No
good will come from piunging in with
out having looked carefully ahead.
THE first thing we want is public
ity, and l do not mean publicity as a
favor by some corporations. I mean
1t is right from all corporations af-
fected by law. l want publicity as
to the essential facts in which the
public has an interest. want the
knowledge given to the accredited rep
resentatives of the people of facts on
which those representatives can, if
they see fit. base their actions later.
The publicity itself would cure many
evils. Some of these things 1 have
said can be done now. A good deal
is being done now.
Present Laws to Re Enforced.
GAS far as the antitrust laws go,
they will be enforced. No suit will be
undertaken for the sake of seeming
to undertake it: Every suit that is
undertaken will no hoCI1f1 haroItca
great lawyer and upright man whom
we are so fortunate to have as Attor-
ney General, Mr.. Knox, believes that
there is violation of the law which
we can get at, and when the suit is
undertaken it won't be compromised
excepting on the basis that the govern
ment wins.
Then l believe, L am not going
to say I am sure, but 1 believe it
is possible to frame national legs-
lation which shall give us more power
than we have now, at any rate over
corporations doing an interstate bust
ness. l cannot guarantee that, be-
cause in the past it has more than
once happened that we have got laws
on the statute books which those who
made them intended to mean one
thing and when they came up to de-
ciSion it was found that the inten-
ton had not been successfully put
L
dhtional legislation can be had.
think we have got to make up our minds
to the fact, that no matter what our
reverence to the past may be, our duty
to the present and to the future will
force US to see that more power is con-
ferred upon the national administra-
ton"
The President and those with him
then left the hall. while the organ
played 1.-The Star-Spangled Banner"
Guest of the Governor.
Although rain was falling large
crowds cheered the President on the
way to the Hotel Touraine, where he
spends the night At the hotel he was
the guest of Gov. Crane at a dinner
The guests numbered about twenty
five, and included Mayor Collins, Sec
rotary Moody and Senator Lodge.
Tomorrow morning at S:35 the pres
idential party Will leave for Maine,
Lowell being the first stop.