The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-09-13

York Tribune, Charles Stewart
Il Smith Of that city, a man largely
Al. and honorably identified with the
financial and commercial life of the
metropolis, reflects the growing interest
which Is being taken In President
Roosevelt's candid discussion of the
trust" problem. He does not agree
with the presidents ideas as to what
should be done with the trusts" al
though he concurs in his. statements
as to the need of additional regulation.
And he insists, with Il good deal or
force and logic that II the law Is to
regulate unions of capital 1t must In
fairness, regulate also unions OF labor
and correct. so far as law can. the
major and growing abuses of both.
Mr.. Smiths prescription for trust
evils is state legislation. He opposes
the granting to congress. or to com
mission working under congressional
authority and executive appointment.
of power to interfere with the COM
plicated mechanism OF business. though
it is difficult to see why congress could
not exercise such power quite as wisely,
as conservatively and with as much
gain to the public welfare as the legis-
latures of the various states. If it be
contended that the interstate COM
merce commission. our largest expert
ment in this direction. has not been in
all respects a successful exemplification
of the effectiveness of federal control
over Interstate commerce. the reply Is
that conditions as to railway practices
have materially changed for the better
since that commission was created and
could have been made to change more
rapidly If there had been. in the first
place. enough law on the statute books.
and. in the second place, an executive
force behind that law such as Is re-
presented in the person Of Theodore
Roosevelt. Mr.. Smith admits that
there should be examination by govern
ment authority of the accounts and
records of corporations in general. the
same as is now eXacted of state banks
and trust companies. He simply prefers
TO put this power of supervision in state
not amounted to much. instead of put
ting it, as the president argues, in
federal hands. where. if public senti-
ment is vigilant and the public interest
is deeply affected, there is reasonable
certainty of effective action.
Mr.. Smith offers but one remedy for
the present more serious abuses of
labor unions. He advocates that they
be held in damages equally responsible
with corporations for violation of law.
To this end. he urges their incorpor-
atom, though there can be no COM
pulson to such an end. We are not
so sure that there Is much need of adj
ditional law on this subject, the COM
mon law and the statute laws against
violence and crime covering most of, If
not all, the ground. But of what use
are laws when public opinion in the
locality of their violation will not toler-
ate their enforcement? The papers
last night told Of how at Lee Park. in
Luzerne county, yesterday 300 children
left school and refused to return until
the four children in attendance whose
fathers or brothers had gone to work
in the mines We're dismissed. In the
face of such q condition of perverted
public sentiment and prejudice, which
exists very generally in the theater of
strike disturbance, not only in the an
thracite region but elsewhere when
labor troubles are in progress. and
which involves direct challenge of a
fundamental American right, of what
practical value would more laws be?
The truant law already applies to those
children and their parents, but OF
course it will not be enforced.
1t is notable, however that this gen
eral subject of controlling great busi-
ness combinations and correcting i'm
partially their abuses Is already re-
ceiving the study and public discussion
of thinking and practical men, for rea-
sons aside from politics or buncombe
President Roosevelt, by his courage
and unmistakable honesty, has lifted il
up where, in the future. we may look
for real argument from substantial
sources in place of the traditional slush
| of demagOgues.
Company X of the Eighth regimen,
should be given an indefinite furlough