The Elbert County tribune., 1905-12-07

Inc message OF President RooSe-
Telt, read at the first session of the
Fifty-ninth Congress, congratulates
the people on the continued prosper
ity of the nation. The close relation
ship and mutual dependence upon
each other of capital and labor are
pointed out, and the message con-
tnues:
Corporations.
Yet while not merely admitting. but in
ststing upon this. 1t Is also true that
or supervision some of the exceptional
men use their energies not in ways that
are for the common good. but in ways |
The fortunes amassed through corporate
organization are now SO large, and vest
such power in those that WELD them, as
TO make ii matter of necessity to give
to the soyereien-that is. to the Govern
ment, which represents the people as
wholesome effecti~e power OF supervis-
ion over their corporate use. In order TO
every big corporation should be held re-
sponsible by, and be accountable to. some
sovereign strong enough TO control its
conduct am in sense hostile to cor
porations. This is an age of combination
tion will be not only useless, but in the
end vicious, because of the contempt for
law which the failure to enforce law In
recognize In cordial and ample fashion the
arancIss immense sood erected by corporatee
the wealth OF intellect energy and hdel-
lty devoted to their service and there
fore normally to the service of the public.
by their officers and directors. The cor
poration has come to stay. just as the
do and has done great good. Each should
be favored 50 long as 1t does good. But
acts against law and justice.
The President shows the impossi-
bility of the individual states deal
ing. successfully with corporation
greed, and the necessity of comforting
power upon the general government
even to the extent of a proper amend
ment to the constitution. He says:
1t has been a misfortune that the
national laws on this subject have hither-
TO been of negative or prohibitive rather
that they have in part sought to pro-
hibit what could not be effectively pro-
hibitions confounded what should be
allowed and what should not be allowed.
all restraint competition, whether this
restraint be reasonable or unreasonable;
generally hurtfu Events HSs usfaess have shown n
that it is not possible adequately TO
kind by incessant appeal to the courts.
Ihe Department OF Justice has for the
to the enforcement Of the anti trust legls-
iatlon than to anything else. Much has
has beep aGc9tmbpsned tbd pareaslaTy ~ t marked
tions; but it is increasingly evident that
there will be very insufficient beneficial
result in the way of economic change.
The successful prosecution Of one device
to eyade the law Immediately develops.
another device to accomplish the same
purpose; What is needed is not sweeping
pIohibition Of every afrangement. good or
bad. which may tend to restrict competi-
ton. but such adequate supervision and
regulation as will prevent any restriction
of competition from being to the detri-
ment of the public-as well as such
supervision and regulation as will pre-,
a IN No faFra f.f.. .rl
with restriction OF competition
tn, The T. first I co{nsideration o{ to be kept In
ative and should be given to some ad-
mnistrativo body created by the Congress.
If given to the present Interstate Com
Interstate Commerce commission. such
commission should be made unequivocally
administrative. do not believe in the
government interfering with private bust
ness more than is necessary. | do not
believe in the government undertaking
any work which can with proprlety be
left in private hands But neither do
overseeing any work when it becomes
therein unless there is governmentai
indicate the exact terms of the law which
of the Congress to certain existing con-
ditions with which 1t is desirable 10 deal.
In my Judgment the most important pro
vision which such law should contain
is that .conferring, upon some competent
administrative body the power to decide.
o.
whether given rate prescribed by a rail-
road is reasonable and Just. and If it is
found to be unreasonable and unjust,
then. after full investigation of the com
plaint to prescribe the limit of rate
beyond which II shall not be lawful to go
the maximum reasonable rate. as it is
commonly called-this decision to go into
erect within within reasonable time and 10
review by the courts. II sometimes hap
pens at present not that a rate is too
high but that favored shipper is given
too low rate. In such case the commits
sion would have the right 10 fix this
already established minimum rate as
the maximum and it would need
only one or two such decisions
panies of the practice OF giving improper
minimum rates l call your attention TO
the commission power to initiate or
originate rates generally. but to regulate
roads upon Complaint and N after inyestis si
CATION a heavy penalty should be ex
acted from any corporation which fails
TO respect an order o; the commission 1
regard this power to establish a maximum
rate as being essential to any scheme OF
regulation. The first necessity is to Sc
cure IL tan and unless It is granted to the
ing the subject at all
Continuing. the President earnestly
disclaims any spirit of hostility to
the railroads. pointing out thes bene-
fits to be derived by the fair-dealing
roads in the even-handed administra-
tion of justice In this both the hon
est railroad man and the honest ship
per alike would be benefited. Ending
the subject, the President saws:
The question of transportation lies at
the root OF all Industrial success and the
revolution in transportation winch has
taken place during the last half century
has been the most important factor In the
growth of The new Industrial conditions.
Most emphatieally we do not wish 10 see
the man OF great talents refused the re-
ward for his talents. Still less do we wish
10 see him penalized: but we do desire to
see the system OF railroad transportation
handled that the strong man shall be
given no advantage over the weak man
We wish to insure fair treatment Tor
the small town for The big civ. for Inc