The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-08-12
tion generally. and especially to the
people OF great property.
Must Be More Severe. 5

II tHe very TlCIl men 3ellSABou ~ lluiluhts
the largest corporations In the coun-
try; but the attitude OF these eompar-
atively few men does undoubtedly
harm the country, and, above all.
harm the men OF large means, BY the
Just, but sometiveB misguided, pop
uar indignation 10 which 1t gives rise.
{ The consolidation IN the form OF what
arc popularity called trusts of corr
/. poratc interests Of immense value has
tended to produce unfair restraints
Of trade Of an oppressive character.
and these Unfair restraints tend to
create great artificial monopolhs.
1.-THE violations Of the law known az
the antitrust law, Which Was meant
to meet tho conditions thus arising,
have more and more become confined
to the larger combinations, the very
ones against whose policy ofnonop-
oily and oppression the policy Of the 4
law was chiefly directed. Many Of !
and by nrotracted ltgatlon, are still 4
quences Of their legal action. The :
government has Very properly exer.
cIsed moderation Ia attempting to en-
force the criminal provisions q Of the
statute, but II has become our convlc.
ton that In some cases, such&as that
OF at least certain Of the beef pack
ers recently Indicted In Chicago, i Is +
In,poss BILE longer to show tendency.
Moreover, If the existing law
proves to be inadequate, so that under
established rules OF evidence clear vio-t5
latons may not be readily proved,
dnflunce OF the law must Inevitably
lead to further legislation This les-
4 islaton may be more drastic than
would prefer. II 30. It must be dis
I'll tinctly understood that 1t Will be be.
cause Of the stubborn determination
OF some Of the great combinntiona IN
striving to prevent the. enforcement
OF the law as It stands, by every
device, legal and illegal.
"Vsry many of these men SEEN 70
think that the alternative q simply.
between submitting To the mud Kind
OF governmental control we advocate
~ and the absolute freedom to do what
ever they think best. They are greatly
IN error. Either they Will have to
b submit to reasonable supervision and
regulation by the national authorities,
or else they Will ultlm ately have to
submit to governmental action Of a 4
far more drastic type.
Government Supervision.
PERSONALLY, think our people would
be most, unwlse II they let any exas-
peration due to the acts OF certain
great corporations drive them into
drastic action, and ] should oppose
such action. But the groa: corpora
lions are themselves to blame lf$Iby
their opposition to wnas IS legal and
Just they fostor the popuia. feeling
which tells for such drastic action.
"some great corporations resort to
every technical expedient to render
enforcement Of the law Impossible, and
their obstructive tactics and refusal
to acqulesce In the policy Of the law
have taxed to the utmost tho maohln.
cry Of the Department Of Justice. In
my Judgment, Congress- may we'll In
uuire whether 1t should not seek other
means for carrying into effect the law.
believe that all corporations eng aged
In Interstate commerce should be I'M
der the supervision Of the national
government.
E ~ d. not believe in taking stems
hastily or rashly. and It may be that
all that is necessary In the immediate
future Is to pass an interstate coln-i
n,erce bill. comforting upon some
branch of the executive government
the power OF effective action to reme-
dy the abuses In connection with rail-
way transportation But IN the emu Y
and in my Judgment at time not
very far off we shall have to, or, at
least, we hall find that we ought To-
take further action as regards all
"a corporations doing interstate business.
The enormous increase in Interstate
trade, resulting from the industrial
development OF the last quarter of q
century, makes It proper that the
Federal government should. SO far as
may be necessary. to carry Into effect
its national policy. assume degree
OF administrative control Of these
great corporations,
ut may we'll be that we shall find
that the only effective way OF exer-
cising this supervision Is to require
all corporations engaged In Interstate
commerce. to produce proof satisfac-
tory, Say. to the Department OF
Commerce. that they are not parties
to any contract or combination Or
engaged In any monopoly IL inter-
state trade In violation OF the anti
trust law and that their conduct OH
certain other specified points Is prop
er; and moreover, that these corpor-
ations shall agree. with penalty Of
forfeiture OF their right to engage In
such commerce, TO furnish any evl-
dence of any kind as to their trade
between the States whenever 80 re-
CURED by the Department OF Com
merce.
ut Is the almost universal policy OF
tho several States. provided by stat
Ute that foreign corporations may
lawfully conduct business within their
boundaries only when they produce
certificates that they have complied
with the requirements OF their re-
spectlve States In other words, that
corporations shall not enjoy the priv
ileges and Immunitles afforded by the
State governments without first COM
plying with the policy OF their laws,
Now the benefits which corporations
engaged In interstate trade enjoy I'M
der the United States government are
lncalculable and IN respect Of such
trade the Jurisdiction of the Federal
government Is supreme when It chooses
to exercise It.
More Power for Executive.
"When, as Is now the case, many
of the great corporations consistent
~ straln the last resources OF legal
teohni cality to avoid obedience to a
law for the reasonable regulation Of
their business, the only way effeotve'
ly to meet this altitude on their part
ls to alive to tho Executive Department
Of the government a more direct and
therefore moro efficient supervision
and control Of thelr management.