The Washington times., 1904-03-13
Mr. CorteIuou to Merchants.
The Address Of the Secretary to the
Merchants Club in Chicago.

merchants Club IN chicago.
Secretary Cortelyou's address, de
ivered last night in Chicago, is cal
culated to give the general public ia
formation, concentrated and timely,
on the subject of the work of his de-
partment. He describes its operations
as comprising the problem of corpo:-
atoms, the problem of labor, the prob
lem of statistics, the problem of ma
rine affairs, the problem of the stand
ards, and the problem of immigration
He then goes on to define the duties
and powers of the department with
reference to each Of these problems.
One Of the points worth attention
in this part of the speech is that these
problems require a large fund of ac-
curate information, which cannot be
gathered in a day The department
is not fountain of infalhble author
ity springing out of the ground ike a
Pennsylvania oil we'll The list Of
things which had to be studied in de-
termining the authority Of the depart
meht alone Is rather impressive; but
Mr.. Cortelyou mentions in this con-
nection the cheering fact that the IN
formation available Is abundant, and
viii be Of immense assistance IN fu-
ture work.
Another point worth noticing,
which IS made in this speech, is this /:
"What we need IS not more law,
but a better execution Of the law"
That saying might well be eonsid-
cred the epigrammatic statement of
the chief difficulty of the present age.
The weak point in our Government at
present is the executive. When we
have men IN every executive Office,
from the White House down, who Will
enforce existing laws with stern i'm
partiahty-when we can get rid Of
the fatal soft-heartedness and easy
civic virtue which permits the grant
ing Of special privilege so frequently
that the privilege comes to be general
then perhaps there viii be less out
cry against legislators, and whatever
changes are made in the law win be
effective and permanent.
Another weak place in our society
UPON which Mr. Cortelyou puts his
discriminating finger is the develop
ment of classes. Tactful as he Is, the
Secretary can be positive and out
spoken when there is occasion, and he
says empbatically that industrial
questions must be lifted out Of the
atmosphere of class antagonism. He
puts his foot firmly down on attempts
to make the department favor either
labor or capital, and denounces the
present conditions which so nearly
approach industrial war as being I'M
American and unreasonable. He
makes again the arguments which ne
made IN a previous speech, that
neither capital nor labor should ex-
pect any favors from the law, ard
that whenever either one of them dis
regards law its cause Is weakened.
These are a few of the interesting
things III the speech cf Mr. Cor4elyou
He makes it clear that the chief func-
ton of his department is to bring
about a better understanding between
various types and kinds of the people
Of this country. 1t viii collect infor-
nation and make reports; it viii give
expert opinions on disputed eases /;
bu; It viii not deal in force or favor.
So long as Mr. Cortelyou is at the
head of that department he viii carry
cut his policy to the letter. His sue
eessors may elaborate it, but they can
hardly make any radical improve
ment