The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-08-26
ROOSELELT
IN. BOSTON
Continued From First PAGE.

out OF Lnem. "A good many actions in a
good many different ways will be re-
CURED before we get many of those
evils even partially remedied. We have
got to, first of all, think clearly-we
have got to probably experiment some
what. We must, above all, show by our
actions that our interest is permanent
and not spasmodic, and we have got to
see that all the steps are taken toward
the solution.
1T is a little difficult to set clearly
before us all of the evils, but I think
that those gentlemen, and especially
those gentlemen of large means, who
deny that the evils exist are acting
with great folly. I am far from be-
ing against property when 1 ask that
the question of trusts be taken up.
am acting in the most conservative
sense in property's interest. When a
great corporation is sued for violating
the antitrust law it is not a move
against property; it is a move in favor
Of property, because when you can
make it evident that all men, big and
small alike, have to obey the law, you
are putting the safeguard Of law
around all men. When you make it
evident that no man shall be excused
for violating the law, you make it evil
| dent that every man will be protected
from violation of the law.
Il am inclined to think that much
the greatest trouble in any immediate
handling of the question of the trust
comes from our system of government.
While I most firmly believe in fixity of
policy, do not believe that that policy
should be fossilized, and if it is to be
changed we must change our govern
| mental method to meet it.
Suit Already Brought.
Some time ago the attorney gen
eral took action against a certain trust
There had been considerable discus
sion as to whether the trust aimed at
would not seek to get out from under
the law by becoming a single corpora
ton. l want laws to enable us to deal
with 1t, no matter what shape it takes.
L want to see the government able to
I get at it definitely, so that the action
or the government cannot be evaded
by any turning, within or without
federal or state statutes. At present
we have really no efficient control over
a big corporation which does business
IN more than one state. Frequently
the corporation has nothing whatever
to do with the state in which it is in
corporated, except to get Incorporated
and its actions may be taken in en-
trely different communications
munitias which may object very much
to the methods of incorporation in the
| get action by any state, action by all
the states, that will give us satisfac-
tory control of the trusts or big cor
porations, and the result is at present
that we have a great, powerful, artifi-
c1al creation which has no creator to
which it is responsible.
"Of course it is a mere truism that
the corporation is the creature of the
state; that the state is sovereign. Now
| want to make real and not a nam
1nal sovereign; to have some one SOW
ere1gn to which the corporation shall
be really and not nominalIy RESPONSE
BILE.
Laws Would Be Dubious.
cat present if we pass laws nobody
can tell whether they will amount to
anything. Now that has two bad eff
fects. In the first place the corpora
ton becomes Indifferent to the law
making body and in the next place,
gentlemen, the law making body gets
into that most pernicious custom of
passing law, not with reference to
what will be done under it, but with
preference to it's effects on the opinions
of the voters. That is bad thing.
When any body of law makers passes
a law not solely with reference to
whether that law will do good or i'll,
but with the knowledge that not much
will come Of it and yet that, perhaps.
the people, as people, will likely think
IL was good It does not speak well for
the law makers and it does not sneak
very well for the people either.
"Wha t I want to see is power given
to 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 SINH
lar lines.
Nothing has been done in the d.
rect1on of intelligent dealing by the
states as collective body with these
great corporations. / am not advocat-
ing anything very revolutionary. / am
advocating action to prevent anything
revolutionary. Now if we can get
adequate control by the nation of these
corporations then we can pass legis-
latlon Which will give us the power of
regulation and supervision over them.
II the nation had that power, mind
you, | should advocate as strenuouslv
as know how that power should be
exercised with extreme caution and
self-restraint. No good will come from
plungimg in without having looked
carefully ahead.
Laws VIII De ENFORCED,
The first thing we want is publicity
ana do not mean publicity as a favor
by some corporations. 1 mean it as
right from all corporations affected
by the law.
AS far as the antitrust laws go
they will be enforced No suit will
be undertaken for the sake of seen,-
ing to undertake it. Every suit that is
Undertaken will be begun because the
great lawyer and upright man whom
we are so fortunate as to have as at
torney 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 gov
eminent wins.
OF course, gentlemen, no laws
amount to anything unless thew are
administered honestly and fearIesslv T
believe-I am not going to say I am
sure of 1t, but 1 believe-it is possible
to frame national legislation which
snail give US more power than we now
nave, at, any rate over corporations do
ing an interstate business. I cannot
guarantee that because in the past II
mas more than once happened that we
nave got laws on the statute books
winch those who made them intended
to mean one thing and when thew
came up to decision 1T was found that
the intention had not been successfully
put into effect But I believe that adj
oltlonal legislation can be had
More Power Wanted.
Il think we have got to make IN
our minds to the fact that no matter
what our reverence to the past NAV ne
our duty to the present and to the fin
ture will force us to SEQ tba+ rooro