The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1904-12-16

shortly lay before you in q special mes
sage the full report Of the investigation
OF the bureau Of labor into the Colorado
mining strike. as this Is strike In which
certain very evil forces which are NOR
or less at work everywhere under thu
conditions OF modern industrialism, be-
came startlingly prominent.
Corporations.
When we come to deal with great cor
porations the need for the government t.
act directly Is far greater than in the
case of labor. because great corporations
can become such only by engaging In in.
terstate commerce. and Interstate com.
merce Is peculiarly the field Of the gen.
eral government 1t is an absurdity to ex-
pect to eliminate the abuses In great cor
porations by state action. It is difficult to
be patient with an argument that such
matters should be left to the states, be-
cause more than one state pursues the
policy Of creating on easy terms corpora
tions which are never operated within
that state at all. but In other states
whose laws they ignore. The national
government alone can deal adequately
with these great corporations To try to
deal with them In an Incorporate, de-
structive. or demagogic spirit would. in
all probability, mean that nothing what
ever would be accomplished. and. with
absolute certainty that If anything were
accomplished 1t would be Of harmful
nature. The American people need to
continue to show the very qualities that
they have shown-that Is. moderation.
good sense, the earnest desire to avoid
doing any damage, and yet the quiet de-
termination to proceed step by step,
without halt and without hurry, in cam
mating or at least in minimizing what
ever Of mischief or Of evil there Is to in
terstate commerce in the conduct OF
great corporations. They are acting in
no spirit Of hostility to wealth. either in
dividual or corporate. They are not
against the rich man any more than
against the poor man. On the contrary
they are friendly alike toward rich man
and toward poor man, provided only that
each acts in spirit Of justice and de-
cency toward his fellows Great corpora
lions are necessary, and only men of
great and singular mental power can
manage such corporations successfully.
and such man must have great rewards.
But these corporations should be man
aged with due regard to the interest OF
the public as whole. Where this can
be done under the present laws It must
be done. Where these laws come short
others should be enacted to supplement
them.
The bureau Of corporations has made
careful preliminary investigation OF many
important corporations. 1t will make a
special report on the beef industry.
Bureau Of Corporations,
The policy of the bureau Is to accom- |
olish the purposes Of its creation by CO. |
operation. not antagonism: by making |
legislation. not destructive |
the immediate object of its |
inquiries; by conservative investigation
IT law ard fact. and by refusal to issue
Incomplete and hence necessarily inaccu-
ate reports. Its policy being thus one
II open inquiry into, and not attack up
m. business. the bureau has been able to
,ain not only the confidence. but, better
TILL the cooperation OF men engaged In
legitimate business.
The bureau offers to the Congress- the |
means OF getting at the cost Of produc-
Ion of our various great staples OF com
aerce.
Rebates.
Above all else, we must strive to keep
he highways OF commerce open to all
n equal terms: and to do this It is nee
ssary to put complete stop to all re-
ates. Whether the shipper or the rail.
bad Is to blame makes no difference: the
ebate must be stopped, the abuses OF
Re private car and private terminal
'ack and side-track systems must bt
.opped, and the legislation of the Fifty
ghth Congress which declares It to be
nlaWful FOR any person or corporation tc
Ter. grant, give. solicit. accept, or re-
1--WE any rebate. concession. or oiscrim- |
alton In respect of the transportat ton OF
~ property In interstate or foreign
whereby such property shall J
any device whatever be TRANSPORTED
q less rate than that named in tho | ]
RMS published by the carrier must be | +
forced. While am Of the opinion tina,
present 1t would be undesirable, II Il
ere not tmpracticable. finally to clothe n
Interstate Commerce Commission '
tn general authority to fix railroad =
tes. do not believe that. as q fair se. | [
rity to shippers. the Commission should 4
Vested with the power. where q given | !,
te has been challenged and after full
airing found to be unreasonable. to de. I
10. subject to judicial review, what | i
all be q reasonable rate to take its :
ice; the ruling Of the commission to
ke effect Immediately. and to obtair /:
less and until II Is reversed by the {
lrt OF review. In my judgment the Il
st important legislative act now need. !
as regards the regulation Of corpora
ms is this act to confer on the Inter- Il
te Commerce Commission the power +
revise rates and regulations. the re- t
ed rate to at once go into effect, and
stay In effect unless and until the | 7
'rt Of review reverses 1t.
Much space II here devoted to Q
lsideration OF the problem Of thu
'per housing Of the poor in our
lat cities, and the importance Of a
'per solution Of the question shown.
this subject the message says: t
here should be severe child Labor and 6
tory inspection laws. It is very desir-
e that married women should not -7orf
factories. The prime duty Of the mar
to work, to be the breadwinner: the
me duty OF the woman IL to be the
Their. the housewife. All questions OF
IN and finance sink into utter insig-
canoe when compared with the ire
ndous. the vital importance Of trying Z
shape conditions so that these two
Ties Of the man and OF the woman car
fulfilled under reasonably favorable l
II race does not have
nty Of children. or II the children dc {
grow up. or II when they grow VI
" are unhealthy in body and stuntec
vicious In mind. then that race Is de-
lent. and no heaping up Of wealth. m
endor OF momentary material prosper.
can avail in any degree as offsets. =