The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1902-12-06

the most important subjects treated
is as follows:
TRUSTS.
In my message to the present con-
gress at its first session | discussed at
length the question Of the regulation
Of those big corporations commonly
doing an interstate business, often
with some tendency to monopoly,
which are popularly known as trusts.
The experience OF the past yeN has
emphasized, 10 my opinion, the desir-
abuity Of the steps / then proposed.
A fundamental requisite Of social
efficiency is high standard Of indiv-
idual energy and excellence; bat this
is in no wise Inconsistent with power
to act in ombination for aims which
caunos so well be achieved by the
individual acting alone. A funda
mental base of ciVili2abion Is tns
luviolability OF property; out this is
in no wise Inconsistent with the right
OF society to regulate The exercise Of
the artificial powers which it conters
upon the owners of properly, under
the name of corporate franchises. ln
such way as to prevent the misuse
Of these powers. Corporations, aud
especially combinations of corpora
tons, should be managed under pub
lie regulation. Experience has shown
that under our system OF government
the necessary supervision cannot be
obtained by state action. 1t must
therefore be achieved by national
action. Our aim is not to do away
with corporations; on the contrary
these big aggregatlons are an inevita-
BILE Development of modern indus
trialism, aud tho effort to destroy
them would be futile unless accom-
plished In ways that would work the
utmost mischief to the entire body
politic We can do nothing Of good
In the way of regulating and super
vlsing these corporations until we fix
clearly Ia our minds that we are not
attacking the corporations, but en-
deavoring to do away with any evil in
them. We are not hostile to them;
we are merely determined that they
shall be so handled as to subserye the
public good Wedraw the line against
misconduct, not against wealth. The
capitalist who, alone or in conjunction
with his fellows, performs some great
industrial feat by which he wins
money is a welldOer, not wrongdoer,
provided only he works in proper aud
Legitimate lines. We wish to favor
such a man when he does we'll We
wish to supervise and control his
actions only to prevent him from
doing i'll. Publicity can do no harm
to the honest corporation, aud we
need not be over tender about sparing
the dishonest corporation.
In curbing and regulating the com
binations of capital which are or may
become Injurious to the public we
must be careful not to stop the great
enterprises which have legltimately
reduced the cost of production, not tC
abandon the place which our county
has won n the leadership Of the in
ternatlonal Industrial world, not tt
strike down wealth with the result Of
closing factories and mines, Of turning
the wage workers idle in the streets
and leaving the farmer without Q
market for what he grows. Insist
ence upon the impossible means delay
In achieving the possible, exactly as
on the other hand, the stubborn de-
Tense alike Of what Is good and what
is bad in tue existing system, The
resolute effort to obstrnct any attempl
at bettermeut, lbetrays blindness t
the historic truth that wise evolution
is the sure safeguard against revo
luton,
No more Important subject car
come before the congress than this o
the regulation Of Interstate business
This country caaAot agoId 60 ~
supiue 90 the plea that uuder ou
peculiar system Of government we ar'
helpless IN the presence Of The ney
I conditions, and urable TO graph