The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-05-11

extraordinary industrial development of
this country, as all of the modern world
are the questions of capital and labor,
and the questions resulting from the
effect upon the public of the organization
into masses of both capital and labor
| believe thoroughly in each kind of or
ganization, but I recognize that If either
kind of organization does what is wrong
the increase in its power for efficiency
that has resulted from the combination
means the increase in its power 10 do
harm: and that therefore, corpora lions,
that Is. organized capital, and union, that
Is, organized labor, must alike be held
to peculiar responsibility to the public
at large, and that from each alike we
have the right to demand not only obed-
fence to the law, but service to the pub
lie (Applause)
Il will take up first the question of or
ganized capital. When this nation was
created such a thing as modern corpor-
alton not only did not exist but could
not be imagined. That is especially true of
the great modern corporations engaged in
interstate commerce.
Now gentlenAn. let me. in the first
place, insist upon this fact, that we should
keep ever before US that the men who
have built up the great railway systems
of this country like the other men who
nave bhlll up the great INDUSTRIES OF tnlS
country, have as a rule-there are excep-
tons, but have as a rule-made for har-
mony as incidents to benefitng and not
to harmng the country.
We cannot afford to do damage to
those men or to those corporations in
the first place because We cannot afford
to do injustice to any man, rich poor.
In the next place. because to do such
damage to them would mean widespread
damage among the wage workers and
among the general power of the public.
All of this I have said I wish kept in
mind soldly in approaching what / am
going to say, for while acknowledging
in the frankest manner the benefits that
have come from the development of these
great Industrial enterprises, / also feel
that We must recognize that the time has
now come when 1t is essential in the in
terests of the public that there should be
power of supervision and regulation
over them. (Applause).
1.-The state can properly deal with the
corporation doing business within its own
limits. The state cannot deal at all with
corporations doing business in many
states. and 1t is an absurdity at once
ludicrous and harmful to leave it in the
power of one state TO create a corpora
ton of gigantic size which shall do all
the work in number of other states and
perhaps with the scantiest regard to the
laws of those states In which 1t actually
does work. (Applause).
Must Increase Control.
PERSONALLY I believe the federal gov
eminent must take an increasing control
over corporations. 1t is better that con-
troll should increase or decrease. than that
1t should be assumed all at once, but
there should be and l trust there will
be no halt in the steady process of as
Stunning such national control and the
first step toward 1t should be the adoption
of a law comforting upon some executive
body the power of increased supervision
and regulation of the great corporations
engaged primarily in interstate commerce
Of the railroads
"And my views on that subject could
not have been better expressed than
they were expressed yesterday I think.
by Secretary Taft in Washington. rs they
were expressed by the Attorney General
in his communication to the Senate COM
mittee couple of weeks ago.
= believe that the representatives of
the nation: that is tie representatives of
all the people, Il. Culd lodge in some execu-
tiVe iody the ptver to establish max
imum rate, the power to have that rate
go into effect practically Immediately and
The power to see that the provisions of
the law apply in full to the companies
owning private cars. Just as much as to
the railroad themselves. Applause) The
courts will retain and should retain. no
matter what the legislature did. the power
to interfere and upset any action that
was confiseatory in its nature. I am well
aware that the action of such body as
have spoken of may stop far short Of
confiscation. and yet do great damage
That possibility we must face. ANY
power strong enough. anv power which
could be gathered sufficiently great to
be efficient would be sufficiently great
to be harmful If abused That is true Of
the power of taxation. The fact that It
is possihle that the power will be abused
cannot be an argument against placing
1t who're we shall have the RIGHT to ex-.
pect that it will be used fairly toward all
Annlansel. One thing 7 wish definitely
understood. If the nower Is granted to me
to create such a board such commits
sion. or to continue in power If 7 so de-
sire commission or board with increased
powers. I shall strive to apnoint and re-
tain men who will do exactly the same
Justice to the railroads as they will exact
from the. railroads
The Other Side.
Now for the otherside of the uues-
ton. There have been many republics
before our time. and again those repub-