The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-09-10
WANTS NATIONAL LAWS
President Says That Trusts Must
Be Restrained.
ROOSEvEIT'S BOSTON SPEECH

Attacks ON Illegal Combinations. He A.
'ssrts. 30 Far From Being Against
Property. Are For tho Proteetio" OF
Property He Still Places Publicity
Rostou.-The weeks work for Presi-
dent Roosevelt In his trip through New
England began in earnest when he de-
parted from the beautiful summer
home of the junior Senator Of Massa.
chusetts. Henry Cabot Lodge. at Ma
hant. and amid the enthusiasm OF the
greatest number Of people lie has faced
since the Pittsburg visit OH July 4. rode
into Lynn under cavalry escort and
spoke from platform at City Hall.
Then he was taken to Boston by spe.
cial train. and on arrival went to SYM
phony Hall. there addressing great
gathering of Boston business men. His
speech was devoted almost entirely 10
consideration Of the trust question.
From, the hall the President went TO
the Hotel Touraine. where little later
In the evening he was the guest or
Governor Crane ut dinner. On the tol-
lowing morning the Presidential party
started for Maine.
President Roosevelt spoke In part rs
follows:
II am glad to have the chance Of say
Ing n few words to you this evening.
There are several matters that should
like to discuss. and can say In all sin
cerity that when I come here to New
England. when I come TO Boston. l
like to 60 over as many subjects M
possible, so that I can get light on
them
II have great faith In your judS.
ment. want to take up this evening
the general question OF our economic
and social relations with specific ref
ererce 20 that problem with which
think our people are greatly concern.
ing themselves-the problem or our
complex social condition as intensified
by the existence Of the great corpora
tions which We rather loosely desig.
mite as trusts. But I wish to say one
or two things rs preliminary. In the
first place have not come here to say
TINT I have discovered a patent cure
all for the trusts.
1T is a little difficult to set clearly
before us all Of the evils. but 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 !eing
against property when I ask that the
question OF trusts b. taken up. am
acting In the most conservative sense
In property's interest. When great
CORPORATION Is sued for violating the
antitrust law II Is not move against
property: 1t Is a move In favor OF prop
erty, because when you can make IL
evident that all men. big and small
alike, have to obey the law. you are
puttinc the safeguard Of law around
all men.
ut would he very difficult for any
set of laws on our part to deal COM
pletely with problem which becomes
international In It's bearings. but
great deal can he done In various ways
now. A great deal Is being done and
great deal more can he done II We can
see that the power Is put somewhere
to do It. On the whole. our system or
government has worked marvelously
we'll. But while must firmly believe
In fixity Of policy. do not believe that
policy should he fossilized. and IL 1t is
to be changed We must change our
governmental method to meet 1t.
Now. I want laws to enable us to
deal with II. no matter what shape 1t
takes. I want to see the Government
TO be able to get at 1t definitely. 80
that the action Of the Government can.
not 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 incorporated except to get incor'
porated. and Its actions may he taken
In entirely different communities. COM
munities which may object very much
to the methods Of incorporation In the
State named. I do not think you can
get action by any State. action by all
the States. that will give us satisfac'
tory control of the trusts or big corp0r'
ations, and the result is at present that
we have n great. powerful. artificial
creation which has no creator to winch
1t II responsible.
"Of course It Is mere trulsm that
the corporation Is the creature OF the
State; that the State Is sovereign.
Now. want to make real and not
nominal sovereign; to have some one
sovereign to which the corporation
shall h. really and not nominally re-
sponsible.
what hope to see is power given
to the National Legislature which shall
make the control real.
II believe 1t is possible to frame ma
tional legislation which shall give us
more power than We have now-at any
rate. over corporations doing IN inter
state business. l think We have got
to make up our minds to the fact that
IL Il proves OH effort that We have not
under the Constitution rs it Is suffi-
cient power In dealing with these great
corporatiOns. then. no matter what our
reverence for the past may be. our duty
TO the present md to the future will
force us to see that more power Is con-
.erred upon the National Administra-
tion. And when the power has been
conferred II will rest with the National
Government to exercise 1t. At present
We are going to do the best we man
with strawless bricks"