The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1905-12-08
To the Senate and House of Repre-
Senfdttyes:

The people of this country continue IL
ENJOY ems great eat prosperity. Undoubtedly Their
and this ebb and flow will be felt more q
less by all members of the Community
d both by the deserving and the undeserv,
ing lsz Against the wrath of the Lord the
NJ %s food OF OIL d man can not avail in times
but partially repair the disaster A gen.
eral failure of crops would hurt all of US
e agan ne # 5 the folly Of man mars the gen
nocent of the folly will have to pay part
of the penalty incurred by those who are
guilty OF the folly A panic brought on by
the speculative folly Of part of the bust
business community. But such stoppage
of welfare. though it might be severe,
would not be lasting. In the long run
n rne one vital factor IN the permanent
Individual character of the average
American worker, the average American
'cltlzen, no matter whether his work be
mental or manual. whether he be farmer
or wage worker, business man or profess
SiOnal man.
In our industrial and social system the
interests OF all men are so closely inter-
oWined mat IN the immense majority of
cases straight dealing man who by his
efficiency, by his integrity and Industry
benehts himself must also benefit others
Mormialy the man of great productive
capacity who becomes rich by guiding the
labor of many other men does so by en-
apllng them to produce more than they
could produce without his guidance; and
Doth ne and they share in the benefit,
which comes also to the public at large
The superficial fact that the sharing NAV
be unequal must never blind us to the
underlying fact that there IS this sharing,
ana mat the benefit comes in some degree
TO each man concerned. Normally the
wage, worker the man Of small means,
ana the average consumer, as well as the
average producer, are all alike helped by
mahlng conditions such that the man Of
exceptional business ability receives an
exceptional reward for his ability Some
thing can be done by legislation to help
me general prosperity; but no such help
Oh permanently beneficial character can
be given to the less able and less FORUM
ate; save as the results of a policy which
snail lnure to the advantage of all industri-
Gus ana efficient people who act decently;
that any benefit which comes to the less
able and less fortunate must Of necessity
come even more to the more able and
more fortunate. If, therefore, the less
more fortunate brother co strike at the
conditions under which they have both,
though unequally, prospered the result
VIII assuredly be that while damage may
Win an even heavier load the one who
strikes the blow. Taken as a whole we
must all go up or go down together.
Corporations.
Yet, while not merely admitting, but in
slStlng upon this, it is also true that |
WI Where there Is no governmental restraint |
or supervision some of the exceptional |
men use their lergies not in ways that |
are Tor the common good, but in ways
which tell against this common good. |
organization are now so large and vest |
such power in those that WELD them, as |
10 make 1t matter of necessity to give |
TO the soyereign-that is, to the Govern
nfC hn
WHOLESOME effective power of sur ervis-
Ion over their corporate use. In OF der to
insure a healthy social and industrj u life,
every , pig corporation should be HI ID TT
sponslble by, and be accountable to some
sovereign strong enough to cont oil its
conduct. l am in no sense hostile to cor
porations. This is an age of combination
and any effort to prevent all combina-
ton will be not only useless, but in the
end vicious, because of the contempt for
law which the failure to enforce law in
evitably produces We should, moreover,
immense good effected by corporate
agencies in country such as ours, and
the wealth of intellect energy, and fidel-
lty devoted to their service land there
1ore normally to the service Of the public
by their officers and directors. The cor
poration has come to stay, just as the
trade union has come to stay. Each can
be favored so long as 1t does good. But
each should be sharply checked where it |
acts against law and justice.
So long as the finances of the nation
question Of internal economy with which. !
Congress has the power to deal begins
70 approach in Importance the matter of
sndeavoring to secure proper industrial c
and especially the great corporations r
doing an interstate business are to act. ,
The makers Of our national constitution +
provided especially that the regulation
n a g ot ncho, |
In tie sphere of the general government | $
The arguments in favor of their taking a
this stand were even then overwhelming. t
But they are far stronger to-day, in view o
OF the enormous development of great b
business agencies. usually corporate in D
form. Experience has shown conclusively n
that 1t Is useless to try to get any ade- t
auate reguatGn and d, supervision of these
regulation and supervision can only be a
effectively exercised by a sovereign whose r,
jurisdiction is coextensve with the field e
IF work of the corporation-that is, by the q
1ational government. l believe that this +,
regulation and supervision can be obtained r.
by the enactment Of law by the Congress. r;
4 this proves impossible, it will certainly RI
De necessary ultimately to confer in r,
fullest form such power upon the national G,
government by a proper amendment of the c,
constitution. 1t would obviously be I'M ir
wise to endeayor, to secure such an
'esult can not be obtained under the Ii
constitution as 1t now is. The laws Of OF
he Congress and Of the several states CT
II h Jrto. as passed upon by the courts | b.
ave resulted more often in showing that re
he states have no power In the matter re
has that the national government has OF
,Lwer; SO that there at present exists II
very unfortunate condition Of things, | it
Inde which these great corporations do pt
ny an interstate business occupy the al
osition of subjects without a sovereign, T
either any state government nor the ma NJ
ionAl government having effective con- XII
rol over them. Our steady aim should m
% by legislation, cautiously and carefully 70
ndef taken, but resolutely persevered in, | &C
0 assert the sovereignty Of the national "a
overnment by affirmative action. It
This Is only In form an innovation. W
n substance it is merely a resolution, &c
Or from the earliest time such regula- az
lon of industrial activities has been LEI
ecognized in the action of the law-mak- W.
lg bodies; and all that I propose Is to Ell
leet the changed conditions in such man. TO
or as will prevent the commonwealth ex
bdicating the power 1t has always pos us
essed, not only In this country but also
/ England before and since this country WI
ecame separate nation Sc
It has been a misfortune that the tn
ational laws on this subject have hither- la
, been Of negative or prohibitive rather TO
ian an Affirmative kind and still more eff
lat they have in part sought to pro- ra
hit what could not be effectively pro- ad
lifted. and have in part In their pro- ag
Noble Heart the First Requisite.
Ill |