Arizona republican., 1905-08-12

to it is necessary. In the meantime We have made a temporary arrange ment which will last until the senate has had time to take action upon the treaty.
 On the subject of corporations the president said in part:
 "One of the main features of our national governmental policy should be the effort to secure adequate and eff fective supervisory and regulatory con troI over all great cOrpoeatiOns doing an interstate business. Much of the legislation aimed to prevent the evils connected with the enormous develop ment of these great corporations has been ineffective, partly because it aim ed at doing too much and partly be- cause it did not confer on the govern ment a really efficient method of hold ing any guilty corporation to account. The effort to prevent all restraint of competition, whether harmful or bene- ficial, has been ill-jUdged; what is needed is not so much the effort to pre- vent combination as a vigilant and ef- fective control of the combinations formed, so as to secure just and equit- able dealing on their part alike toward the public generally, toward their smaller competitors, and toward the wage-wOrkers in their employ.
 Under the present laws we have in the last four years accomplished much that is of substantial value; but the difficulties in the way have been SO great as to prove that further Iegisla- tion is advisable. Many corporations show themselves honorably desirous to obey the law, but, unfortunately, some corporations, and very wealthy ones at that, exhaust every effort which can be suggested by the highest ability, or se- cured by the most lavish expenditure of money. to defeat the purposes of the
 laws on the statute books.
 Not only the men in control of these
 corporations, but the business world generally, ought to realize that such
 conduct is in every way perilOus and constitutes a menace to the nation gen.
 erally, and especially to the people of
 great property.
 I earnestly believe that this is true
 of only a relatively small portion of
 the very rich men engaged ir~handling
 the largest corporations in the cOun-
 try; but the attitude of these cOmpar- ativeIy few men does undoubtedly harm
 the country, and above all harm the
 men of large means by the just. but sometimes misguided, popular indigna- tion to which it gives rise. The con solidation in the form of what are pOpularly called trusts of corporate in- terests of immense value has tended to produce unfair restraints of trade of an oppressive character and these uu-
 fair restraints tend to create great ar tificial mOnOpOlies. The violations of the law known as the antitrust law, which was meant to meet the cOndi- tions thus arising, have more and more become confined to the larger cOmbina- ] tiOns, the very ones against whose pO- Hey of monopoly and oppression the l policy of the law was chiefly directed. Many of these combinations by secret methods and by protracted litigation l are still unwisely seeking to avoid the 1 consequences of their illegal action
 The government has very properly ex- l ercised moderation in attempting to ! enforce the criminal provisions of the statute: but it has become our VOnvic- | tion that in some cases, such as that ! of at least certain of the beef packers l recently indicted in Chicago. it is inn ! possible longer to show leniency. More over, if the existing law proves to be 1 inadequate, so that under established rules of evidence clear violations may not be readily proved, defiance of the ! law must inevitably lead to further l legislation. This legislation may be
 more drastic than I would prefer. Ii l SO it must be because of the stubborn | determination of some of the great l combinations in striving to prevent the l enforcement of the law as it stands, by ! every device, legal and illegal.