Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-09-08
CONTROL OF TRUSTS
President Again Takes Up
Question, Saturday.
Says Advocacy of Government Control
Not New Idea.
Has Advanced This Remedy in Former
Utterances.

Lexington. Ky. Sept. president
Roosevelt and his party. today. passed
through the states of West Virginia
Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee. The re-
ceptions during the day in West Nir-
sinia and Ohio were enthusiastic but
eventfuI. Stops were made today al
Grafton. Wheeling. BenwOod. Cam
bridge, GAINESVILLE. Newark. Columbus
Washington court house. Wilmington,
Midland City. Cincinnati, Lexington
and Somerset
AT Wheeling the President made the
only formal speech of the day, treating
of the trusts and general Industrial
conditions. At Cambridge some one in
the crowd held up large picture of
Mckinley and called attention to the
anniversary of the tragedy at Buffalo
one year age. This incident was looked
on by all with disfavor. At Columbus.
the President paid touching tribute to
Mckinley and at all other places dur
ing the rest of the day. especially at
Cincinnati and Lexington. he refused
to respond At any length to thu calls of
the crowds at depots.
In the course of his Wheeling speech
the President said:
In every governmental process. the
aira that a people capa bile of self-rov-
eminent should steadfastly keep in
mind. is TO proceed by evolution rather
than by revolution Now in dealing
with the problem of change in our
great industrial civilization, I think we
must set before ourselves desire not
1,
the same time not to bring ourselves to
IA complete standstill by attempting the
Impossible.
Now / have said that there can be
no patent remedy offered. There is not
any one thing which can be done to
remedy all the existing evils. I am suf-
ficiently fortunate to be defending now.
as President. precisely the remedies
that l advocated two years ago.
II am advocating them not in any
partisan spirit, because, gentlemen. this
problem is a problem which affects the
life of the nation as whole. l am adj
vocating them simply as an American
citizen who for the time being stands
as the chief executive and the special
representative Of his fellow American
citizens of all parties.
"A quarter of century ago there
had been no development of industries
such as to make it a matter OF the
least importance. whether the nation
or the state took charge of the great
corporations and supervised the great
business and Industrial organizations.
There had then been no radical change
in any essential features in the ways
of commerce from the days when the
pboenician galleys piled the waters or
the Mediterranean.
suddenly. during our own lifetime
as a nation-a lifetime trivial in dura-
ton compared to the period of record
ed history--there came revolution IN
the means of intercourse which mace
n change in commerce and in all that
springs from commerce, in INDUSTRIAL
DEVELOPMENT. greater than all the
chanres of the preceding thousands OF
years.
Now the biz corporations. although
nominally the creature of the state, usu-
ally do business in other states. and In
verv Ia rye numuer of cases. The wide va
riety of state laws on the subject of cor
porations has brought about the fact that
the corporation is made in one state pu'
does almost all its work in entirely OH +
ferent states * mas proved utterly ini-
nossible to get anything like uniformity
If legislation among the states. Some
states have passed laws about corpora
tions which. If they had been effective.
would have totally proved that the pur-
nose was not achieved-but | think tnat
nv legislation. additional power IN the
way of regulation of at least number OF
those great cor 3Orations can De cor
ferred But | firmly believe that IN tne
and nower must be given. probably
through constitutional amendment. to
the national government to exercise III
f,iIl si,pervison and regulation OF those
great enterprises
That is the doctrine that | advocated on
the stump two years ago.
..Some of my ultra conservative friends
have professed to be greatly shocheu a,
of corporations. | would explain "
these gentlemen once for all that they err
whenever they think that | advocate on
the stump. anything ! VIII hos ny i, =
poipt Is made that working along these
lines will take time. So II will.
1.-THE first thing is TO give the na.aona ~
sovernment the power, w, h he ,, p" IN Z
snirit as free as possible from raneor.
but with the nrmest determine tloh -
make big men and little men alike oney
the laws What we need first y power.
Having gotten the power. gentlemen, re-
r,anher that the work won't be ended
r. WIN he iry,-Isrfriy -begun.- And let me
say again and again and again. that YOU
viii mt get The n,ilhntgm., But YOU VIII .i
he in a position TO make long strides IN
;ase alrs %bEs stssB s1s onsst
mana cement -ef these corporations. both
as regards the general public and AZ re-
~ r,3s flfeir reIa tionehfps among them
Selves And finally. in making evident
the remaining faults. those that are not
ina ginary and are not cured by the light
OF day Itself. II will give us an inteili-
GENT nroposition as TO the methods to
take in getting at them.