Sistersville daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1902-1905, 1902-10-15

be required to do business in every state
and bcallty upon precisely the same terms
and conditions There should be no dis
service. Such corporations serving the
PUBLIC as carriers and in similar capacities
should be compelled to keep the avenues
the same terms and to observe the law
as to Its iniunctions against sitting COM
petition. Moreover, corporations upon
which the. people depend for the neces.
their business so as to regularly and rea-
sona1ly to supply the public needs.
Affairs Should Be Made Public.
They should be subject to visitorial SUI
perysion, and full and accurate informa-
ton as to their operations should be made
regularly at reasonable Intervals. Secrecy
In the conduct and results OF operation
is unfair to the non-managing stockhold
ers, and should, as well as for reasons Of
state, be prohibited by law.
II these serious evils were eradlcated
and 4 higher measure OF administrative
responsibility required in corporate officers,
Il f)ng step would be taken toward allay-
ing the reasonable. apprehension that the
unchecked aggression or the trusts VIII
result in practical monopoly or the i'm
portant business of the country.
If it be true that n state can auMorize
or permit monopoly Of production with
over production as sucn. although ii in
directly affects interstate commerce, may
not the United States regulate interstate
commerce over which it has exclusive con-
troll. even though 1t indirectly affects pro-
duction, over which, as such, it has no
control!
If congress under its power r. regulate
interstate commerce may utterly destroy
a combination and forfeit its property in
interstate transit, as the Sherman act
provides, because IL retains such COM
mercc. it seems reasonable TO say that 1t
can in the exercise OF the same power
deny TO 4 combination whose life 1t can
not reach the privilege of engaging in in
terState commerce except upon such terms
as congress may prescribe to protect that
commerce from restraint. Such n regula-
ton would operate directly upon com
merce and only indirectly upon the in
strumentalities and operations of produc-
ton.
If the Sherman act exhauSts the power
Of congress over monOpOlieS. the Ameri-
can people find themselves hOpelessly I'M
potent, facing situation fraught with the
most alarming possibilities. with WhlCh
neither the federal nor state governments
can deal.
While states may regulate the produc-
tion and sale of articles within their own
borders, at these borders their authority
JEFFERSON. in his letter of March Is. 17Sa,
to Madison. says Of the constitution:
This Instrument forms us into one state
ms To certain objects. and gives us leg
iSlative and executive body Tor those oo-
tcctS."
Attitude cf the Supreme Court.
One hundred years later the supreme
court of III" United states declared that
in the matter OF intcr~tat" commerce the
United States are hu; one ".'' .'". AMI
are and must br Inject To OF. stem OF
regulations. AMI 1T 10 .."...;ILe or
systems"
These era inrHi""tnG mi vital state
mtutS OF the - ~iual rNE2a>" n found
ing this Ioyr!l.....:i.. L ".n.:ac Tor ua-
tional coHtSo! x iHtcry"u.>a. nj Of the
extent Of The NATIONAL -nw.~ over it,
These statements We're. maur. respectively.
by that great leader OF the constructive
period who was most iea!ouS for the re-
served rights of the states against the
encroachmcnt- OF the new national SOW
ereigpty, and by one Of the wisest judges
who have interpreted the constitutions
purpose and meaning. In the light OF
such statements, then, can Il he possible
that the people Of the United States. feel