Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1905-08-11
The Swim specIhc Company, Atlanta. &C.

go as We are now trying 70 meet It
SO much for one feature Of our for.
eigu policy. Now for n feature OF
our domestic policy. One Of the main
features Of our national governmental
policy should be the effort to secure
adequate and effective supervisory and
regulatory control over all great cor
porations doing an interstate business.
Much Of the legislation aimed TO pre-
vent the evils connected with the enor-
nous development Of these great cor.
porations has been ineffective, partly
because 1t aimed at doing too much,
and partly because IL did not confer
ON tho government a really efficient
method Of holding any guilty corpo.
ration to account. The effort 10 pre-
vent all restraint Of competition,
whether harmful or beneficial, has
been ill-judgedj what is needed is not
50 much the effort to prevent combina.
tion rs a vigilant and effective control
Of the combinations formed, so as TO
secure just and equitable dealing on
their part alike toward the public gen.
orally, toward their smaller competi.
tors, and toward the wage-workers in
their employ.
Under the present laws we have in
tho last four years accomplished much
that is Of substantial value but the
difficulties in the way have been so
great as TO prove that further legis-
iation is advisable. Many corpora
tiOns show themselves honorably dc
to obey the law; but, unfortu.
nately, some corporations, and very
wealthy ones at hat exhaust every
effort which can be suggested by the
ability, or secured by the most
lavish expenditure Of money, 10 de.
feat the purposes Of the laws on the
books.
Not only the men in control Of these
corporations, but the business world
generally, ought to realize that such
conduct is in every way perilous, and
constitutes a menace TO the nation gem.
and especially to the people Of
great property,
! earnestly believe that this is true
of only a relatively small portion of
the very rich men engaged in handling
the largest corporations in the eoun.
try but the attitude Of these compar
few men does undoubtedly
tho country, aud above all harm
the men Of large means, by the lust,
but sometimes misguided, popular in.
dignation to which il gives rise. The
consolidation in the form of what are
popularity called trusts of corporate
Of immense value has tend.
ed TO produce unfair restraints of trade
Of am oppressive character, and these
unfair restraints tend to create great
artificial mOnopoies. The violations
Of The law known as the antitrust law.
which a meant TO meet the condl
thus arising, have more and more
confined to the larger eombi
nations, the very ones against whose
policy OF monopoly and oppression the
piiey Of the law was chiefly directed.
Many of these combinations by secret
methods and by protraeted litigation
are still unwisely seeking to avoid the
consequences of their illegal action.
The government has very properly ey.
moderation in attempting to en-
the criminal provisions Of the
but il has become our con.
that in some cases, such as that
of at least certain Of the beef packers
recently indicted in Chicago, 1t is i'm.
possible longer TO show leniency. More.
over, II the existing law proves to be
inadequate, SO that under established
Jules Of evidence clear violations NAV F,
% readily proved, defiance Of the
must Inevitably lead to further