The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1906-12-06

friendiinsss and cancellation between oon-
tending parties; and the giving each side
s equal opportunity to present fully Hods Ia
prevent many disputes from developing
into serious strikes OF lockouts. and in
other cases, would enable the commits
sion to persuade the opposing parties to
come to terms.
'In this age OF great corporate and la
6or combinations neither the. empo;ye.rs, p,,;o.r,v nor
the mercy of the stronger party to a dis
. pute. regardless Of the righteousness Of
measure would be In the line OF securing
recognition OF the fact that In many
strikes the public has itself an Interest
which cannot wisely be disregarded; an
ience, for the question of Just and
sidered. In all legislation of this kind
IL Is well to advance cautiously, testing
each step by the actual results; the step
proposed can surely be safely taken, for
the decisions of the commission would
yet would give a chance for public opin..
ion to exert its full force for the right"
Control Of Corporations.
A considerable portion OF the message
is devoted to the subject of federal con-
troll of corporations in what he refers to
the passage at the last session Of the
rate, meat inspection and food laws, and
says that all Of these have already justi-
lied their enactment, but recommends
the amendment of the meat inspection
law so as to put dates, on the labels OF
meat products, and also to place the
cost of inspection on the packers rather
than on the government, Continuing on
this subject OF the control OF corporations
by the federal government he says:
"It cannot too often be repeated that ex-
perience has couclusively shown the inn
possibility of securing by the actions Of
nearly half a hundred different state
chaos in the way Of dealing with the
exclusively within the limits OF any one
state In some method. whether by
national license law or in other fashion,
we must exercise, and that at an early
date. far more complete control than
az present over these great corpora
tions-a control that will among other
pvercapitalizatlon, and that will compel
the disclosures by each big corporation
OF its stockholders and of Its properties
and business, whether owned directly or
thru subsidiary or affiliated corporations.
This Will tend to put stop to the secur.
ing of inordinate profits by favored
individuals at the expense whether OF
The general public, the stockholders, or
the wagewOrkcrs. our effort should be
not so much to prevent consolidation as
such, but so to supervise and control II
rs to see that IL results in no harm to
the people. The reaCtOnary or ultracon-
aervItive apologists for the misuse OF
wealth assall the effort to secure SUCH
control as a step toward socialism. AS
matter OF fact II Is these reactionaries
and ultraconservatives who are them
selves most potent In Increasing socialis.
methods of avertinR the consequences OF
dangerous agitation, which Is 10 per
II evil as to which the agitation is well
founded. The best way to avert the very
undesirable move for the governmental
ownership OF railways y, Is TO sec secure eopiS Sy
as a whole such adequate control and
regulation OF the great Interstate com
mon carriers as Will do away with the
evils which give rise to the agitation
against them. So the proper antidote
% the dangerous and wicked agitation
'gainst the men Of wealth as such Is TO
secure by proper legislation and execu-
live action the abolition of the grave
abuses which actually do obtain In con
lection with the business use OF wealth
Under our present system-or rather no
system-of failure to exercise any ade-
ouate control at all. Some persons speak
IS II the exercise OF such governmental
control would do away with the freedom
~ individual initiative and dwarf indi.
vidual effort. This Is not a fact. u
would be "A yeritable calamity TO fail TO
put premium upon individual iniuatiye.
Individual capacity and effort; upon inc
.nergy character and foresight which
, Is so important to encourage In the
Individual. But as a matter OF fact the
ieadening and degrading erect OF pure
'oclalism. and especially OF It's extreme
'orm communism. and the destruction or
ndividual character which they would
ring about, are In part achieved by the
wholly unregulated competition which
-csults in n single individual or corpor-
ntil his or its rise effectually checks all
'ompetition and reduces former compet,
tors to a position OF utter inferiority ana
I'm enacting and enforcing such legis-
alton as this congress already has to It's
credit, we are working on coherent
the needed reform by the Joint action OF
the moderate men, the plain men who
10 not wish anything hystericai or
dangerous. but ,. who DO intend sass, 20 sth Gen,
system. The rsactionaries and the .vio-
lent extremists show symptoms Of join
instance, that II logical. We should 20
to government ownership Of railroads
md the like the reactionaIies, because
would stand with thsm. while tho eK-
treinists care rather to preach discontent
and agitation than to achieve solid re-
is as remote from that Of the bourbon
reactionary as from that OF the imprac.
ticable or sinister visionary. We hold
the business OF the nation. but that y
should exercise such supervision as VIII
insure It's being conducted In the inter
may ma be, to secure, for ali decent, hard:
working men. equality OF opportunity and
equality OF burden.
Combin ations Are Necessary.
"The actual working OF our laws has
| shown that the effort to prohibit all COM
binati0n good or bad 's d@SioSs,oT %heof
| capital like combination of labor is n
| necessary element of our present indus
trial system. 1t is not possible completely
suoh complete prevention would do dam,
| age to the body polite. What we need
is not vainly to prevent all combination
| but to secure such rigorous and adequate
| control and supervision OF the combina-
| tions as to prevent their injuring the
public. or existing In such form as iney.
ltably to threaten injury-for the mere
| fact that combination has secured
| practically complete control OF neces'
| sary OF life would under any circum'
| to be presumed to be adverse to the pub
| lie Interest. II is unfortunate that oui
present laws should forbid all combina'
lions. instead of sharply discriminating
between those combinations which dc
| evil Reba tes, for instance. are as OTTER
due to the pressure Of big shippers Ia
was shown In the investigated Of tn
Standard OIL company and as mas bee
shown since by the nvesusauon OF in
| alive of big railroads. Often railroad
would like to combine for the purpose
preventing a big shipper from meinta,s
OF small shippers and OF the general pnt
lie. such combination. instead OF bein1
other words, II should be permitted
railroads to make agreements. provide
these agreements were sanctioned by a
| Interstate commerce commission an
were nublished With these two cond
lions Complied with It is impossible
see what harm such combination eou
do to the public at large. it Is pupi
ineapabie OF full enforcement becaui
both judges and juries realize that
full enforcement would destroy the pus
ness OF the country; for the result Ia
make decent railroad men violators