The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-09-12
UP THE
LABOR QUESTION

As to what our opponents say in ref
erence to capital and labor, individual or
of answer is to point to what we have
actually done, and to say. that if econ
tlnued In power we shall continue to car
ry out the policy we have been pursuing.
and to execute the laws as resoiutely as
we have executed them in the past. In
my speech of acceptance / said:
I'VE recognize the organization of capi-
tai and the organization of labor as nat
ural outcomes of our Industrial system.
Each kind of organization is to be IA
vored SO long IS il acts in spirit Of jus.
Each is to be granted the full protection
of the law, and each in turn is to be held
to strict obedience to the law; for no
man is above it andsno man is. below it.
The aumblest individual is to have his
rights safegualded as scrnpulously as
those of the strongest organization, for
each is to receive justice, no more and no
less. The problems with which we have
to deal in our modern industrial and So
cial life are manifold; but the spirit in
which it is necessary to approach their
solution is simply the spirit of honesty, of
courage and OF common sense.
The action of the attorney general in
enforcing the antitrust and interstate
commerce laws, and the action of the last
congress in charging the scope of the
interstate commerce law, and in creating
the department of commerce and labor,
with a bureau of corporations, have for
the first time Upeneds-a chance for the
and adequately with the questions affect
ing society, whether for good or for evil,
because of the accumulation of capital in
great corporations. and because of the
new relations caused thereby. These laws
are now being administered with entire
efficiency; and as, in thei;~working, need
Is shown for amendment or addition to
WHETHER bet ef~les secure the proper
publicity. or better to guarantee the
rights of shippers. or in any other direc-
tion--tllis need will be met. It is now as
serted that the common law, as devel-
oped. affords complete legal remedy
against monopolies." But there is no
common law of the United States. Its
rules can be enforced only by the state
courts and officers. No federal court or
officer could take any action whatever
under them. II was this fact, coupled
with the inability of the states to control
trusts and monopolies, which led TO the
passage of tbegfedeTal statutes known as
the Sherman anti trust act and the inter-
state commerce. act: and it is only
through the exercise of the powers con
ferred by these acts, and by tile statutes
OF the last congress experimenting them,
that the national government acquires
any jurisdiction over the subject. To say
that action against trusts and lnonopoies
should be limited to the application of the
common law is equivalent to saying that
the national government should take no
action whatever to Regulate. tfem.-ss So
Undoubtedly. ,ethe multiplication of
trust trusts and md their increase il power has
ficials charged With the duty of enforcing
the law to take 1.-the necessary protedure. .
Such structure upon the failure OF the
officials of the national government to
do their duty in this matter is certainly
not wholly undeserved- as far as the adj
minstration preceding President McKin-
ley's is concerned; but it has no appli-
cation at all to Republican adninistra-
ton II is also undoubtedly true that
what is most needed is Officials having
both the disposition ard the courage to
enforce existing law" This is precisely
the need that has been met by the COZ.
sistent and steadily continued action of
the department of Justice under the
present administration