The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-05-19
A LIVELY DEBATE.
Continued from First Page).

tiers the growth of the individual,
whether he chooses to conduct his bus
mess personally or transfer il - a
corporation.
We seem to be threatened now With
a o serious departure from these
laws and principles.
The recently proposed legislation in
respect to fixing rates OF transportation
by the United States government
through n commission for the entire
country may be a most significant oe-
ginning. 1t is true the proposition Is
put forward. not with the avowed pnr-
pose TO fix and establish the prices
at which transportation is to be sold,
but under the guise of the correction
of abuses, by granting power to the
commission to substitute in a particu-
lar case a rate or price which. in The
judgment of the commission is jus. or
reasonable in the place OF one Judged
by it to be unjust or unreasonable.
This would be akin to the govern
ment saying to manufacturers that
they are charging an extortionate prize
for a product and hereafter
charge only a lesser price to be fixed
through commission or otherwise. Ii
the department of commerce and labor
were clothed with power to set asi1e
the price of n article which ii re-
garded as ex~tortionate, and substitute
therefor a lower one, would not that
be the power to ultimately fix the
prices of all your products? The right
to name n price is, of course, me
right in the end 10 name all, and the
right to name ali may mean, if The
power be used the absolute suppress
sion of hat enterprise which now finds
its most beneficent activity in cOndrct-
ing the great and ramifying industrial
interests of this country restrained oi.-
ly by tn constitution and the common
law and the great natural laws Of
trade.
am not denying the power Of The
right or the policy of governmental
regulation by proper and a methods
of the performance by the railways Of
their public duties.
To correct abuses is one thing, to SUI
pervise and direct the earning power Of
the operations of a business of what
ever character is quite another.
I am only pointing cut that if the
government in it's regulation Of COM
mon carriers, shall go beyond the po,nr
Of correcting illegal well-defnei abuses
and unjust discrimination, it may IN
Intentionally, possibly ,unconsciously,
be entering upon a policy Of govern
mental paternalism, from which retreat
will be difficult if not impossible.
May not the corporate manufactures
or the corporate merchant be LCL-
fronting, in the near future, the same
| problem with which the carriers have
been brought face to face, namely sug-
gested additional legislation on The
| plea that existing legislation has not
accomplished it's purpose? If so, If he
| precedent is established that a comlnis-
sion shall make rates for the RAILWAYS,
Imay not the eq tally illogical and
| harmful step follow that the govern
| ment shall make prices for the manu-
facturer and the merchant?
The remedy for corporate evils lies
| not in suppression nor in undue gov
ernmental regulation nor government
tai control. Suppression by static
| has been tried, and has failed. Gov
ernmental regulation beyond the linilts
of correcting irregularities and abuses
| means a paternalism which will SAP
not only the energies and initiative
! of the individual. but must retard The
development of the country, and may
| possibly threaten the foundations upon
which free government is based.
The remedy lies IN an intelligent aho
| thorough recognition of the benefits &c
be derived from large corporate instead
| of small individual activity; it lies IL
| throwing the searchlight Of public
knowledge and public scrutiny upor
| all corporate action and methods which
can, by illegal abuses and discrim;na
tons, inlict injury and injustice upoI
others of equal rights; it lies in wise
and judicous laws in respect to the for
nation of corporations, the amour
and character of their capitalizatio1
and the scope Of their corporate pow
ers, and in a system Of governmental
[ supervision and inspection which cal
s, successfully detect and punish all IN
fractions Of the law.
1t lies not in the restriction OF h
earning power or the profits OF corpo
ratiOns thus formed or thus supervised
The profits of corporations, legitimate
ly organized, and legally and honestl.
conducted should be no more restrict
ed by governmental action than th
profits of the individual engaged i
similar pursuits.
I'm Ter such conditions, and they ar
easily attainable, the we'll manage
corporation has great usefulness TO
the good of the individual citizen an
of the entire country, and in it Their
is no menace to the structure Of on
free institutions.
THE open SHOP" ENDORSED
The resolutions adopted endorse
the open shop as embodying N
true spirit of American liberty, deI
recated 1.-The crimes and outrages o
personal liberty daily occurring du
ing the Chicago Transfers striE
commended the ltterance of Preslder
Roosevelt when he declared hat tn
state is back of tie city and the natio
back Of the state, n commended tn
L - 49, - no n t.