Crittenden press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1879-1907, 1906-12-06

sAd OF those who asserted that It did not
- far enough and would accomplish
Railroads have shown increased earnings
end some OF them unusual dividends;
while during the same period the mere
AAking effect OF the law has produced
an unprec edented, a hitherto unheard Of.
number OF voluntary reductions IN
freights and fares by the railroads since
the founding of the commission there has
sever been time OF equal length IN
which anything like so many reduced
tariffs have been put into eject on
August Il. for instance, two days before
the new law went into effect the COM
mission received notices of over a,uVO
separate tariffs which represented reduce
lions from previous rates.
II must not be supposed, however. 3hll
with the passage of these laws II Will be
possible to stop progress along lht me
Of increasing the power OF the national
government over the use Of capital in
Interstate commerce. For example. there
will ultimately hc need OF cnllf-lne the
powers of the interstate commerce CONE
mission along several dilerent ines SO
as TO give 1t "A larger and more eihclent
control over the railroads.
Need of Federal Legislation.
1t cannot too often be repeated that eN-
pericnCe has COnClusiVelN shown lhe ln.
possibility OF securing by the actions OF
nearly half a hundred different state
legislatures anything but ineffective
chaos i'm the way OF dealing with the
great corporations which do not operate
Exclusively within the limits of any one
state. In some method, whether by a
national license law or In other fashion
we must exercise, and That AT an carry
date, far more complete Control thah
at present over these great corpora
uons-a control that VIII among other
things prevent the evils of excessive
overca pitalization, 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 viii tend to put stop To the Se'uI,
ing Of nuId!u1te prOntS ID; ld\ofeu
individuals ut the expense whether OF
the general public, the stockholders, or
the Wageworhers. Our effort should De
not so much to prevent tonsouddIoh as
such, but so 70 supervise and control u
as to see that II results m no udrW 10
the people. The reaCtoualN or ullIaCoH-
servatiye apOlogists for the misuse OF
wealth asStil the effort TO srrul" Such
control step toward socialism, As
matter OF fact il is thCs" reactuhirles
and ultracouservatiVtS who are them
selves most potent N in'r,1-luI S"Gli,lSt
tiC feeling one Of the most 'iicitnt
methods Of averting the consequences OF
. dangerous agitation, Wnlch lS 80 per
cent wrong, Is TO remedy the -' per cent
OF evil as TO which tlD CITATION rs wen
founded The best way to avert the very
undesirable move for the governmental
ownership of railways IL 10 secure by
the government on behalf OF the people
whole such adequate control anu
regulation of the great interstate COM
mon ca; ers as will do away with the
evils which give rise To the agitation
against them. SO the proper anNdpte
90 the lar gerous and wicked agitauon
agains' the men Of wealth as sIth is 10
secure by p"Oper legislation ana 'N'Cu-
tive action the abolition OF Ire grave
abuses which actually do obtain in con-
nectior with the business use Of wealth.
under or present system-or rather no
uystenI- %. failure to exercise any ade-
auate control at all. Some persons speak
control would do away with the freedom
OF indviduA! initiative and dwarf indi-
Vidua effort. This is not a fact. IL
would be q vertabe calamity to fail TO
put a premium upon individual initiative,
individual capacity and effort; upon me
energy character and foresight Whlch
Il Is so important TO encourage IN me me
individual But az n matter OF fact the
Aeadeuing and degrading effect OF pure
socialism, and especially OF IT'S extreme
form communism, ano the OBSTRUCTION "a
bring about, are in part achieved by the
wholly unregulated competition wnlch
results in single individual OF coIpor
alton rising at the expense OF all others
until his or its rise effectually checks all
competition and red uces former compeu:
tors to a Position OF utter interiority and
IN 'naCting and enforcing such legis-
htiOn as this congress already mas 10 us
credit We are WORKING on ., Uoue Ir',r.
The '.ecded reform by the joint action OIL
thr moderate men. the plain men VINO
- not wish anything hysterlcal oI
n resolute commonsense fashion WIN
fhe real and great evils OF the present
system. The reactionaries ana the Vo-
knit extremists show symptoms OF loln-
ing hands against us. Both assert, lor
instance. that il loEioal, We should 90
90 government ownership OF railroads.
and the like: the reactiOnaries, because
an sIIrh an issue they think the people
would stand with them. while the eN-
tremists care rather to preach dlsGnhitnt
and agitation than TO achieve SOLID re-
suits As "A matter ~ fact, our position
II as remote from that OF the bourbon
PeacticuaIy as from that Of the impiiG-
ficabie OF sinister visionary We hold
0hat the government should not conduct
The business of the nation, but thht ~
should exercise such supervision as WIZ
insure its being conducted IN tue lhi'f-
eat OF the nation. Our aim IS 50 Tar as
NAV be. to secure for all decent hard
working men. equality ot opportunity and
equality Of burden
Combinations Are Necessary.
The actual working OF our laws has
shown that the enort TO prohibit all com
N is not ineffective. Combination II
capital like combination Of labor - 80
necessary element Of our present indHS-
trial system. II is not possible completely
70 prevent il: and II II were possible.
such complete prevention would do dam
age to the body pohtic. What W" need
rs not vaiuly to prevent all continuation
Tut 10 secure such rigorous and adequate
control and supervision of the cowhina-
tionS A. to prevent their lnJurlnE the
public. or existing in such form ~ inev-
(iably to threaten injury for the mere
tact that = combinations Aa5 secured
practically complete control of a neccs-
earv of life would under any circum-
stances show that such combination was
10 he presumed To he adverse lu the pub
9ir interest II Is unfortuuat' hat our
present Laws should forbid all combIEI-
uuns, instead Of sharply discriminating
Between those combin tons which do
evil Rebates, for instance, are AS often
due 10 the pressure OF big shippers (as
was shown in the investigation Of the
STANDARD on company and as has been
shown since by the investigation of the
tobacco and sugar trustsD ~ To the initl-
alive OF big railroads. OFTEN railroads
would like To combine for the purpose OF
preventing a big shipper from maintain
ing improper advantages At the expense
Of small shippers and Of the general pub
lie such a com bination, instead Of being
forbidden by law, should b~ favored. In
ether words, il should be permitted 10
railroads to make agreements, provided
these agreements were sanctioned by the
interstate commerce commission and
we're published With these two condi-
lions complied with IL is impossible 10
see what harm such 4 combination could
Ir,.. q 10 tl.l