The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-08-12

So much for one feature of our foreign policy; Now for one feature GuT eafnres Of mental policy should be the effort to secure adequate and effective super visory and regulatory control over all %aeh of s0hf the an lessIs'on aimed to prevent the evils connected with the enormous development of these great corporations has been inef- doing too mulch. and partly because it did not confer on the government a really efficient method of holding any guilty corporation to account. The wheher all bsfiafnt beneficial. has been ill-judged: what is needed is not SO much the effort to prevent combination as combinations formed. so as to secure just and equitable dealing on their part alike toward the public generally, to- ward their smaller competitors, and to-
 Under the present laws we have in the last four years accomplished much dificulties in the way have been so great as to prove that further legisla- tion is advisable: Many. corporations obey the law; but. unfortInately, some corporations. and very wealthy ones at that. exhaust every effort which can be suggested by the highest ability, or 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 conduct is in every way perilous. and constitutes a menace to the nation gen. orally, and especially to the people of
 T earnestly believe that this is true of only a relatively small portion of the very rich men engaged in handling but the attitude of these comparatively few men does undoubtedly harm the country. and above all harm the men of large means, by the just. but sometimes 1t gives rise. The consolidation in the form of what are popularly called trusts of corporate interests of i'm fair restraints of trade of an oppressive character, and these unfair restraints tend to create great artificial monopo- as the antitrust law, which was meant to meet the conditions thus arising. have more and more become confined to the larger combinations, the very ones expression the policy of the law was chiefly directed. Many of these com bfnations by secret methods and by pro- tnac,n tracted litigation % are still unwisely
 
 their Illegal action. The Government has very properly exercised moderation in attempting to enforce the criminal become our conviction that in some cases, such as that of at least certain of the beef packers recently indicted in Chicago, it is impossible longer to ing law proves to be inadequate, so that under established rules of evidence clear violations may not be readily 1Aan oF ha ln,,, t,,A itably lead to further legislation.
 This legislation may be more drastic than I would prefer; If so, 1t must be distinctly understood that 1t VIII be be- some of the great combinations in striving to prevent the enforcement of the law as it stands, by every device. men seem to think that the alternative is simply between submitting to the mild kind of governmental control we do whatever they think best. They are greatly in error. Either they will have to submit to reasonable supervision and regulation by the national authorities, or else they will ultimately have to submit to governmental action of a far more drastic type. Personally think our people would be most unwise if they let any exasperation due to the acts of certain great corporations drive them into drastic action, and I should oppose such action. But the great cor pOTAtlOnS are tnen1S6lNeS to DldI1e IT by their opposition to what is legal and just they foster the popular feeling which tells for such drastic action.
 Some great corporations resort to forcement of the law impossible, and their obstructive tactics and refusal to acquiesce in the policy of the law have taxed to the utmost the machinery of the Department of Justice. In my Judgment Congress may well inquire whether 1t should not ceek other means for carrying into effect the law. I be- interstate commerce should be under the supervision of the National Gov ernment do not believe in taking steps hastily or rashly, and it may be that all that Is necessary in the i'm mediate future Is to pass an interstate commerce bill conferring upon some power of efrective action to remedy the abuses in connection with railway transportation. But in the end, and In my Judgment at time not very far off, we shall have to, or at least we shall find that we. ought to, take fur ther action as regards all corporations doing interstate business The enorm- ous increase in interstate trade. result ing from the industrial development of the last quarter of a century, makes 1t proper that the Federal Government should, so far as may be necessary to carry into effect its national policy, as sume a degree of administrative control of these great corporations.
 Tt may well be that we shall find that the only effective way of exercis- ing this supervision is to require all corporations engaged in interstate com merce to produce proof satisfactory, that they are not parties to any con- tract or combination or engaged in any monopoly in interstate trade in viola ton of the antitrust law, and that their conduct on certain other specified points Is proper; and. moreover, that these corporations shall agree. with a penalty of forfeiture of their right to engage in such commerce, to furnish any evidence of any kind S to their trade between the States whenever so required by the Department of Com merce.
 the several States, provided by statute, that foreign corporations may lawfully conduct business within their bounda- ries only when they produce certificates that they have complied with the re- quirements of their respective States in other words, that corporations shall not enjoy the privileges and immuntties afforded by the State governments of their laws. Now the benefits which corporations engaged in interstate trade enjoy under the United States Govern ment are incalculable;. and in respect of such trade the Jurisdiction of the Federal Government is supreme when It chooses to exercise 1t
 When, as Is now the case, many of the great corporations consistently strain the last resources of legal tech- nicalitv to avoid obedience to a law for the reasonable regulation of their bus mess the only way effectively to meet this attitude on their part Is to give to the Executive Department of the Government a more direct and there fore more efficient supervision and con- trol of their management.
 Tn speaking against the abuses com mitted by certain very wealthy corpor- ations or individuals, and of the neces-