The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1904-12-09

sire, to convince you there is force
az work IN the right direction, all the
with which 4 nave come among you,
asking your good will and encourage
ment.
",rhe day has gone by when ~ corpor-
alton can be handled successfully IN
defiance OF the public will. even though
that Will be unreasonable and wrong
public may be led, but not driven,
and prefer to go with It and shape
or III dify, In measure, Its opinion
rather than be swept from my bearings,
with loss to myself and the interests
Violent prejudice exists towards cor
porate activity and capital today, much
of 1t founded In reason, more In appre-
hension. and large measure Is due to
the personal traits of arbitrary unreas-
onabie, incompetent, and onensive men
In positions OF authority. The accom-
plishment of results by indirection, the
endeavor to thwart the Intention, II not
the expressed letter of the law Qthe Wa,
of the people), a disregard of the rights
OF others. disposition to withhold
what Is due, TO force by main strength
or inactivity result not justified, de-
claimant and his indispositIon to become
involved in litigation, has created a sem
timent harmful In the extreme and a
disposition to consider anything fair
that gives gain to the Individual at the
expense OF the company.
IF corporations are to continue to do
ed to these tney IN bsr are eese ,
tatlves that have resulted In the pres
ent prejudice against them must be rel
egated to the background The corpor-
arions must come out into the open
and see and be seen. They must take
the public into confidence and ask for
what they want, and no more, and be
prepared to explain satisfactorily what
advantage will accrue to the public IL
they are given their deslres; for they
are permitted to exist not that they
may make money solely. but that they
may effectively serve those from whom
they derive their power.
Publicity, and not secrecy, will win
| hereafter, and laws be construed by
their intent and not by their letter. 9TH
erwise public utilities will be owned and
operated by the public which created
efficient and the result less satisfactory
BUREAU OF CORPORATIONS.
| The bureau of corporations has made
careful preliminary Investigation Of
many important corporations. It will
make special report on the beef indus
The policy OF the bureau is to acom-
pllsh the purposes of It's creation by
cooperation, not antagonism; by making
| constructive legislation, not destructive
| prosecution, the immediate object of It's
injuries; by conservative investigation
of law and fact. and by refusal TO
issue incomplete and hence necessarily
Inaccurate reports. Its policy being thus
one of open inquiry into, and not at
tack upon, business, the bureau has
/
dence. but better STILL the cooperation
OF men engaged In legitimate business
The bureau offers TO the congress the
means of getting at the cost OF produc-
| tion OF our various great staples of
commerce.
or necessity the careful investigation
| of special corporations will afford the
commissioner knowledge OF certain busi-
| ness facts, the publication of which
might be an improper infringement OF
private rights. The method Of making
| nf Ieyaf topC
affords. under the law, a means for the
protection of private rights The con-
gress will have all facts except such
as. would give to another corporation
Information which would injure the le-
| gitimate business of a competitor and
destroy the incentive for individual su-
The Bureau has also made exhaustive
examinations Into the legal condition un-
der which corporate business Is carried
on in the various States; into all judicial
decisions on the subject; and into the va
rious systems of corporate taxation In
use. l call special attention to the report
OF the chief of the Bureau; and earn
estly ask that the Congress carefully con-
slider the report andrrecommendations of
the Commissi9ner on this subject eFl
INSURANCE.
The business OF insurance vitality af-
fects the great mass of the people of the
United States and is national and not To-
cal In Its application. 1t involves a null
titude OF transactions among the people
of the different States and between Am
erican companies and foreign govern
ments. l urge that the Congress care
fully consider whether the power of the
Bureau OF Corporations can not constltu-
tionally be extended to cover Interstate
transactions in insurance. ils rs
Above all else, we must strive to keep
the highways of commerce open to all on
equal terms; and to do this is It necessary
Whether the shipper or the railroad is to
blame makes no difference; the rebate
must be stopped, the abuses of the pri-
vate car and private terminai-track and
sde-track systems must be stopped. and
the legislation OF the Fifty-eighth Con-
gress which declares II to be unlawful for
give, solicit, accept, or receive any rebate
concession, or discrimination In respect
of the transportation of any property In
Interstate or foreign commerce whereby
such property shall by any device what
ever be transported at less rate than
that named In the tariffs published by the
carrier must be enforced. For some time
after the enactment of the Act to Reg
ulate Commerce II remained a mooted
question whether that act conferred upon
the Interstate Commerce Commisson the
power, after II had found o. challenged
rate to be unreasonable, TO declare what
thereafter should, prima facie, be the rea-
sonable maximum rate for the transpor-
tation In dispute. The Supreme Court fin-
ally resolved that question i'm the mega
tive. so that as the law now stands the
Commission simply possess the bare pow
eF TO uenOunCe particular rate as un-
reasonable. While am of the opinion
that at present II would be undesirable
VI II were not impracticable, finally to
clothe the Commission with general aLI-
thority to fix railroad rates, do believe
that, as a fair security to shippers
Commission should be vested with the
power, where given rate has been chal-
lenged and after full hearing found to be
unreasonable. to decide, subject to judi
cial review, what shall be reasons BILE
rate to take Its place: the ruling of the
Commission to take effect Immediately
and to obtain unless and until IL Is re-
yersed by the court of review. The Gov
ernment must in increasing degree super
wise and regulate the workings of the
railways engaged In Interstate commerce
and such Increased supervision In the
only alternate to an increase OF the pres
ent evils on the one hand or a still more
radical policy on the other. In my judg-
ment the most important legislative act
now needed as regards the regulations of
corporations IL this act to confer on the
Interstate Commerce Commission the
power to revise rates and regulations
the revised rate to at once go Into ef-
feet, and to stay In effect unless and un-
til the court OF review reyerses II.
Steamship companies engaged In Inter-
state commerce and protected IN our
coastwise trade, should be held to a
All ohaarUanca ~ the "a oOun.