New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-05-18
No CANAL RULE ATTACK.
Manufacturers Refuse to Pass Reso-
luton against Open Market.

bv President Samuel Spencer OF the Southern
Railway and Eugene y. Foss, OF MASSACHUSETTS
the latter on reciprocity; the report OF lle
committee on resolutions. which caused hNe-
" debate and the rejection Of the portion Oh inc
report which called upon the lsthmlah Cahai
Commission to use American maze soouS ~
canal construction work.
1-bo DAVIS ,,roeramrne was opened by Mr.. Foss
In advocacy of reciprocity with foreign nations
In lengthy paper he discussed the subject his
toricaly and economically. He was followed by
President Spencer, who spoke in part as follows:
The act TO regulate commerce. passed by Con- on,
81 certain e class Of common carriers. The Anti
Trust of 1880. known as the sherman anu t
sage be directed solely against the so-caIIeo
gagged in Industrial pursuits other than that OF
Transportation. The two acts were ln'eeoea 10
portaton conducted by common carriers by rail-
The other with the manufacture and sale OF COM
Il has since been determined by judicial decree cree
the anomalous and confusing result {h disoh{ Inc
The Other The onIv wav he can establish that
uniformity and stability in rates demanded by the
The act Of isao Was Intended not to control or
regulate. but practically TO suppress the growth OF
the industrial corporations Perhaps the most Qt
enactment has been the continuous and enormous
increase in the number of such corporations thelr
tciency and their combination into larger units
agencies for economy and usefulness have grown
until they practically Teprsssnt the progressive rd i'm
individual TO corporate direction OF industry may,
tn some cases, be due 10 force Of circumstances,
contrary the preference Of the individual. there
has been the result OF that individual choice whlc
is the very essence Of industrial and co:nnerclaI
tion is but tn indvidnaI exp1nded
1irm or CORPORATION large or small it is the am
bition, the enterprise and the achievement Of the
individual that make It successful The spirit OF
industrial and commercial combination, founded
the fundamental laws Of economy Of production
ss5Iddns IeA9u uB0 'uOIlnqIIlslp J5dB9qO - pUG
diminish the personal activity of any citizen. eX-
neighbor So long as that competition is fair and
legal. tie individual cannot unduiy suffer 1t is
the part of government. OF course. TO see that
the held Of composition is kept open equally TO
iGtanss or even Inc Fo OF one me gofb
Of the individual whether he chooses to conduct
We seem TO be threatened now with a most Sc
rious departure from these fundamental laws and
principles The recently proposed legislation In
tinted states government through one commission
for The entire country may be most significant
ward, not with the avowed purpose fix and es-
sold, but under the guse Of the correction OF
abuses. by granting power TO the commission. 10
which in the judgment Of the commission. is just
or reasonable in the place of one judged by it 10
This would be akin TO the government saying to
ma acturers that they are charging an extor-
u te5 price Tor product and must hereafter
chaTge only lesser price. 10 be fixed through COM
merce and Labor We're clothed with power to set
extortonate ana substitute therefor lover one
w9d not that be the Po%ea to Intimately fix the
price IS Of the right IL the end all
be used the absolute suppression Of that enterprise
which now finds its most benefcent activity in
this country restrained only by the Constitution
trade INC x s''' d laws u
am not denying the power or the right or the
Al hN- and
safe methods Of the performance by the railways
thing to supervise and direct the eaams Cover oo oT
the operations OF business of whatever character
am only pointing out that if the government
beyond the point Of correcting illegal well Defined
abuses and unjust Discrimination. it may uninten-
Ilonally, possibly unconsciosly. be entering upon
retreat viii Be difficult If not possie winch
Nay not the corporate manufacturer or the cor
oTa5e merchant be confronting in the near future.
een brought face TO face, namely, suggested addi-
ton has not accomplished its purpose? II 30 If mo
precedent Is established that commission shall
illogical and harmful step follow that the govern
nlert shall make prices for the manufacturer and
The remedy for corporate evils lies not in sup
n governmental control Suppression by statute
mas befn lllei and has failed. Governmental regu-
1a5o pe9ond Ihe limits OF correcting irregularities
ana abuses means paternalism which will sap not
but retard the development Of the country
and Nd may POSSIBLY threateq the foundations upon
The remedy lies in an Intelligent and thorough
corporate instead Of small individual activity: 1t
les IN throwing the searchlght Of public knowl-
edge and public scrutiny upon all corporate action
and methods which can by Illegal abuses and dis
Others Of equal rights II lies ard judicious
laws in respect to the formation of corporations
and the scope Of their corporate powers. and in a
system Of governmental supervision and inspection
which can successfully detect and punish AN in
fractions Of the law.
It lies not in the restriction Of the earning power
Ut the pr9itS OF corpora ions thus formed or thus
S5lperySed The profits Of CORPORATIONS. legitimate
should be no more restricted by governmental ac-
lion than the profits Of the individual engaged in
Under such conditions. and they are easily at
l5li5aple the Wei managed corporation has great
and Of the entire country. and in II there is no
menace TO tho structure Of free institutions.
The resolutions adopted Endorsed the open
shop as embodying the true spirit of American
liberty. deprecated the crimes and outrages on
personal liberty daily occurring" in the Chicago
strike. commended the declaration of President
Roosevelt that the State is back of the city and
the nation back of the State in suppressng such
violence, commended the position taken by Chi
cago citizens regarding the strike, called upon
The Department of Commerce and Labor 10 in
Vestigate the laws of other countries which have
preferential duties and demanded that Con-
sress and the President act quickly TO pro-
tect American markets from the rising tide Of
discrimination, commended the work of the
Merchant Marine Commission and approved the
passage Of bin for the upbuilding of Amer
lean shipping in foreign trade
The resolution calling upon the Isthmian Canal
Commission 10 use exclusively in the constrjic-
ton OF the canal American made goods except
EUCh goods not produced in this country
aroused a spirited discussion.
The visitors We're entertained at Ceorgia
barbecue carry ms afternoon, and committee
reports occupied the afternoon session
Tomorrow, da. of ~