Evening star., 1902-08-23

limited space the contrast strikes the on
locker as more violent than formerly. On
the whole, people earn more and live
better than ever before. and the progress
of which We are so proud could not have
taken place had il not been for the great
upbuilding of industrial centers, such as
our commercial and manufacturing cities.
But together with the good there has come
a measure of evil. Life is not so simple
as 1t was and surely both for the individual
and the community the simple life Is
normally the healthy life. There is not in
the cities the same sense of common un-
derlying brotherhood where there is still
in country localities, and the lines of social
cleavage are far more clearly marked.
Abuses of Wealth.
"A great fortune if not used Alright makes
its possessor in a peculiar sense a menace
to the community as a whole. just as
great intellect does if it is unaccompanied
by developed conscience, by character. But
obviously this no more affords grounds for
COndemning wealth than it does for con-
demning intellect. Every man of power by
the very fact of the power is capable of
doing damage to his neighborS, but we can
not afford to discourage the development
of such men merely because it is pos
SThle they may use their power to wrong
ends. If We did so we should leave our his
tory blank, for We should have no great
statesmen, soldiers merchants, great
men of arts, of letters or of science Doubt
less on the average the most useful man
to his fellow citizens is apt to be he to
whom has been given what the psalmist
prayed for, neither poverty nor riches. But
the great captain of industry. the man of
wealth, who alone or in combination with
his fellows. drives through our great business
enterprises, is a factor without which this
country could not possibly maintain its
present Industrial position in the world.
Good, not harm, normally comes from the
piling up of wealth through business enter
prises. Probably the most serious harm re-
sulting to us, the people of moderate means,
Is when we harm ourselves by letting the
dark and evil vices of envy and hatred to-
ward our fellows eat into our natures"
Some Good State Laws.
Some of our states have excellent laws
laws which it would be we'll indeed. to
have enacted by the national legislature
But the wide differences in these laws even
between adjacent states. and the uncer-
tatnty of the power of enforcement result
practically in altogether insufficient con-
troll L believe that the nation must assume
this pow r of control by legislation and If
it becomes evident that the Constitution
will not permit needed legislation then by
constitutional amendment.
The immediate need in dealing with trusts
is to place them under the real, not nominal.
control of some sovereign to which, as its
creature, the trusts shall owe allegiance,
dGiu III muse COURTS the sovereign 5 orders
may, with certainty be enforced This is
not the case, with the ordinary so-called
trust today, for the trust is a large state
corporation, generally doing business in
other states also, and often with ten
dency to monopoly. Such a trust is an
artificial creature not wholly responsible
to or controlable by any legislature. nor
wholly subject to the jurisdiction of any
one court. Some governmental sovereign
must be given full power over these arti-
fetal and very powerful corporate beings.
Under National Control.
In my judgment this sovereign must be
the national government. When it has
been given full power. then this full power
can be used to control any evil influence
exactly as the government is now using
the power conferred upon it under the
Sherman antitrust law. Even when the
full power has been conferred it would be
highly undesirable to attempt too much,
or to begin by stringent legislation. The
mechanism of modern business is as deli
cate and complicated as it is vast and
nothing would be more productive of evil
to all of us and especially to those least
well off in this worlds goods than ignorant
meddllng with this mechanism and above
ALL If the meddling was done in a spirit
of class or sectional rancor. 1t is desirable
that this power should be possessed by
the nation, but ii is quite as desirable that
the power should be exercised with modera-
ton and Self-reStraint. The first exercise
of that power should be the securing of
publicity among all great corporations do
ing an interstate business. The publicity
though non-inquisitorial should be real and
thorough as to all important facts with
which the public has concern"
The Start From Hartford.
HARTFORD, Conn, August 23.-Presi-
dent Roosevelt and party left Hartford for
| Willimantic this morning by their special
train at sol o'clock. A large throng Of
people gave the distinguished visitor a
rousing send off, TO which he responded by
repeatedly lifting his hat as he stood on
the rear platform of his car. the Mayfower