Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1906-12-08
The exercise Of a judicial

I
senting the federal government. such
as would be provided by a commission
on Cancellation and arbitration. would
tend to create an atmosphere of friend
illness and Cancellation between con
tending parties.
CONTROL OF CORPORATIONS.
1t cannot too often be repeated that
experience has conclusively shown the
impossiblity of securing by the actions
of nearly half a hundred different state
legislatures anything but ineffective
chaos in the way of dealing with the
great corporations which do not oper-
ate exclusively within the limits OF
any one state. In some method, wheth-
er by national license law or in other
fashion, we must exercise. and that at
an early date. far more complete
control than at present over these great
corporations control that will, among
other things. prevent the evils of ex-
cessive DISQUALIFICATION and that will
compel the disclosure by each big cor
poration of its stockholders and of its
properties and business. whether own
1
affiliated corporations. This Will tend
to put stop to the securing of inor-
dinate profits by favored individuals at
the expense whether of the general
public, the stockholders or the wage
workers. Our effort should be not so
much to prevent consolidation as such.
but so to supervise and control 1t as
to see that it results In no harm to the
| people.
| Combination of capital, like combina-
| ton of labor, is necessary element of
our present industrial system. 1t is
| not possible completely to prevent ii,
and If It were possible such complete
prevention would do damage to the
| body polite. What we need is not
vainly to try to prevent all combina-
| ton, but to secure such rigorous and,
adequate control and supervision of
| the combinations as to prevent their
| injurlng the public or existing in such
| form as inevitably to threaten injury,
| for the mere fact that a combination
| has secured practically complete con-
+, troll of a necessary of life would under
| combination was to be presumed to be
adverse to the public interest. 1t is
| unfortunate that our present laws
| should forbid all combinations instead
of sharply discriminating between
| those combinations which do good and
| those combinations which do evil. Re-
| bates. for instance, are as often due to
l he Of oh 10 aS
| shown in the Investigation of the
Standard Oil company and as has been
| shown since by the investigation of
the tobacco and sugar trusts as to the
initiative of big railroads. Often rail-
roads would like to combine for the
| purpose of preventing big shipper
from maintaining improper advantages
at the expense of small shippers and
| of the general public. Such combina-
| ton, instead of being forbidden by law,
| should be favored. In other words, il
should be permitted to railroads to
! make agreements, provided these agree
ments were sanctioned by the inter
| state commerce commission and were
| published With these two conditions
complied with it is impossible to see
what harm such a combination could
do to the public at large.
INHERITANCE AND INCOME TAX.
| The national government has long
derived its chief revenue from a tariff
on imports and from an internal or ex-
| else tax. In addition TO these. there is
every reason why, when next our sys-
| +ap1 Of "a va flor, 10 f,avicaH fha tiona |
government should impose graduated
| inheritance tax and, if possible, grad
uated income tax.
| l am well aware that such a subject
| as this needs long and careful study in
order that the people may become ia
miliar with what is proposed to be
done, may clearly see the necessity of
proceeding with wisdom and self re
straint and may make up their minds
! just how far they are willing to go in
the matter. while only trained leglsla-
tors can work out the project in neces-
sary detail. But feel that in the near
future our national legislators should
enact law providing for graduated
inheritance tax by which steadily in
! creasing rate of duty should be put
upon all moneys or other valuables
coming by gift, bequest or devise to
any individual or corporation. There
can be no question Of the ethical pro
priety of the government thus deter
| mining the conditions upon which any
/ gift or Inheritance should be received.
As the law now stands it is undoubt-
| edly difficult to devise national in
come tax which shall be constitutional
But whether ii is absolutely impossible
/! is another question. and if possible it
is most certainly desirable. The first
purely income tax law was passed by
the congress in 1861, but the most inn
portant law dealing with the subject
was that of 1894. This the court held
TO be unconstitutional
The question is undoubtedly very in
tricate delicate and troublesome. The
| decision of the court was only reached
by one majority. 1t is the law of the
/ land and Of aattrca ia aacanfad a cfIah