Arizona republican., 1905-12-06
the blow. Taken as a whole we must all go up or go down together.
 CORPORATIONS

all go up or go down together.
 CORPORATIONS.
 Yet, while not merely admitting, but insisting upon this, it is also true that where there is no governmental re- straint or supervision some of the ex- ceptional men use their energies not in ways that are for the common good, but in ways which tell against this common good. The fortunes amassed through corporate organization are now so large, and vest such power in those that wield them, as to make it a matter of necessity to give to the sovereign-that is, to the government. which represents the people as a whole some effective power of supervision over their corporate use. In order to insure a healthy social and industrial life. every big corporation should be held responsible by, and be accounta- ble to, some sovereign strong enough to control its conduct, 1 am in no sense hostile to corporations. This is an age of combination, and any effort to prevent all combination will be not only useless, but in the end vicious, because of the contempt for law which the failure to enforce inevitably pro- duces We should, moreover, recog- nize in cordial and ample fashion the immense good effected by corporate agencies in country such as ours, and the wealth of intellect, energy, and fidelity devoted to their service, and therefore normally to the service of the public, by their officers and directors. The corporation has come to stay, just as the trade union has come to stay. Eacn can do and has done great good. Each should he fla vored so long as it does good. But each should be sharply checked where it acts against law and justice.
 So long as the finances of the nation are kept upon an honest basis no oth- CT question of internal economy with which the congress has the power to deal begins to approach in importance the matter of endeavoring to secure proper industrial conditions under which the individuals-and especially the great corporations-doing an in terstate business are to act The makers of our national Constitution provided especially that the regulation of interstate commerce. should come within the sphere of the general gov ernment. The arguments in favor of their taking this stand were even then overwhelming. But they are far stronger today, in view of the enor- nous development of great business agencies, usually corporate in form Experience has shown conclusively that it is useless to try to get any ade- quate regulation and supervision of these great corporations by state ac- tion. Such regulation and supervision can only be effectively exercised by sovereign whose Jurisdiction is COCK tensive with the field of work of the corporations-that is, by the national government. I believe that this regu- lation and supervision can be obtained by the enactment of law by the con- gress. If this proves impossible it will certainly be necessary ultimately to confer in fullest form such power upon the national government by a proper amendment of the Constitution. It would obviously be unwise to en- deavor to secure such an amendment until it is certain that the result can not be obtained under the Constitu- ton as 1t now 1s The laws of the congress and of the several states hitherto, as passed upon by the courts, have resulted more often in showing that the states have no power in the matter than that the national govern HiehI HSS poWer, So that tnere at pres ent exists a very unfortunate condi- tion of things, under which these great corporations doing an interstate busi- ness occupy the position of subjects without sovereign, neither any state government nor the national govern ment having effective control over them. Our steady aim should be by legislation, cautiously and carefully undertaken. but resolutely persevered in. to assert the sovereignty of the national government by affirmative action.
 Continued on Page g.