Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1905-01-31
above all OF the very people who often
betray alarm and anger when the
proposition Is first made.

above all OF the very people who often
betray alarm and anger when the
proposition is first made.
Neither this people nor any other
free people will permanently tolerate
the use OF the vast power conferred
by vast wealth, and especially by
wealth In its corporate form. without
lodging somewhere In the government
the still higher power OF seeing that
this power, In addition 10 being used
In the interest OF the individual or
individuals possessing l.. Is aleo used
for and not against the interests of
the people as whole. Our peculiar
form of government, government in
In which the nation Is supreme
throughout The union In certain re-
| spects, while each of nearly half a
hundred states is supreme In its part
| Of the union in certain other respects,
renders The task Of dealing with these
conditions especially difficult. No
finally satisfactory result can be ex.
pected from merely state action. The
action must come through the fed.
eral government. The business of the
country Is now carried on In way
of which the founders OF our consti.
tuition could by no possibility have
had any idea,
All great business concerns are
engaged in interstate commerce, and
Ii was beyond question the intention
OF the founders OF our government
that interstate commerce in all its
branches and aspects should be under
national and not state control. Ii
the courts decide that this intention
was not carried out and made effec-
tive In the constitution as il now
stands. then in the end the constitu-
ton, II not construed differently, will
have to be amended so that the
original undoubred intention may be
made effective. But, of course, a
constitutional amendment Ii only 70
be used as last resort, II every eff
fort Of legislation and administration
shah have been proved Inadequate.
Meanwhile the men in public life
and the men who direct the great
business interests of the country
should work not in antagonism but
in harmony toward this given end,
In entering a field where the pro
gress must OF necessity be so largely
experimental it Is essential that the
effort TO make progress should be
tentative and cautious, aWe must
grow by evolution. not by revolution.
must be also no halt; and those who
are anxious that there should be no
sudden and violent changes must re-
member that precisely these sudden
and violent changes will be rendered
likely il we refuse 10 make the need
ed changes In cautious and moderate
manner.
At the present moment the greatest
need is for an increase In the power
of the national government 10 keep
the great highways of commerce open
alike to all on reasonable and equit-
able terms Less than century ago
these highways were still, as they
had been since the dawn of history,
either waterways, natural or artificial.
or else ordinary roads for wheel ve-
hicles drawn by animal power. The
railroad. which was utterly unknown
when our government was formed
and when the grea, principles of our
jurisprudence were laid down, has
now become almost everywhere The
most important. and, in many large
regions. the only form Of highway
for commerce. The man who con
trolls its use can not be permitted 10
control it In his own interest alone
II is not only just but II Is in the
interest Of the public that this man
should receive the amplesl payment
for the masterful business ca
pacity which enables him 10
benefit himself while benefit
ing the public; but In return
he must himself recognize his duiy
TO the public. He will nor and can
not do this II our laws are SO defect
i've that In the sharp competition of
the business world the conscientious
man is put at a disadvantage by his
less scrupulous fellows. 1t is in the
interest OF the conscientious and pub
lic-spirited railway man that there
should be such governmental super
vision of the railway traffic of the
country as 70 require from his less
scrupulous competitors. and from un-
scrupulous big shippers as well, that
heed TO the public welfare which he
himself would willingly give, and
which Is of vital consequence to the
small shipper. Every important rail-
road Is engaged in interstate com
merce. Therefore. this control over
the railroads must come through the
national government
The control must be exercised by
some governmental tribunal. and il