The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1906-12-08

faislfsd The prediction. both Of those who
asserted that II would ruin the railroads
and Of those who asserted tina II old not
go far enough and would accomplish
nothing. During the last hve months the
railroads nave shown increased earnings
and some OF them unusual diVldendss
while during the same period the mere
taking effect Of the law has produced
an unprecedented, a hitherto unheard OF,
number OF voluntary reductions IN
freights and fares by the railroads. since
the founding OF the commission, mere mas
never been a time OF equal length m
which anything like so many reduced
tariffs have been put into eneet On
August q, for instance, two DAYS oeIcfe
the new law went into efect, the COM
mission received notices OF over s.e0o
separate tariffs which represented reduc-
ions from previous rates.
II must not be supposed, however. tnat
with the passage OF these laws II VIII De
possible to stop progress along the line
OF increasing the power OF the national
government over the use OF capital IN
interstate commerce. For xample mere
will ultimately be need Of charging the
powers Of the interstate commerce COM
mission along several different lines, 50
as TO give It a larger and more eficient
control over the railroads.
Need of FEEDERS Legislation.
Il sAnnOt too often be repeated that ox-
p~eriODcs has conclusiyely shown the I'M
possibility OF securing by the actions o.
wall AlnAA y "a
Legislatures anything but inenectlpe
chaos In 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 =
natonAl license law or In other fashion,
We must exercise. and that at an, early
date, a far more complete control than
at present over these great corpora
tions-a control that will among other
things prevent the evils of excessive
overoapitalization. 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 a stop to the secur.
ing Of inordinate profits by, favored
individuals at the expense whether OF
tho general public, the stockholders, or
the wRgeworkers. Our effort should be
not 20 much to prevent consolidation as
SUCH, but so to supervise and control II
as to see that II results in no harm to
the people. The reactionary or ultracon-
servative apologists for the misuse OF
wealth assail the effort TO secure such
control as q step toWard socialism. As a
matter Of fact 1t is these r~eactionaries
and uitraconservatives who are them
selves most potent in increasing soclaNs-
tic eeSing. One OF the most efficient
methods Of averting the consequences OF
a dangerous agitation, which Is 80 per
cent. wrong, is to remedy the 20 per cent;
OF evil as to which the agitation is well
founded The best way 70 avert the very
AlaO GbAN ~ 10
ownership OF railways Is TO secure BY
the government on behalf OF the people
as a whole such adequate control ana
regulation Of the great interstate COM
mon carriers as will do away with the
evils which give rise to the agitation
~aRAtAa4 than 60 the nreses a..!dotS
to the dangerous and wicked agitation
against the men Of wealth as such Is TO
secure by proper legislation and execu-
tive action the abolition OF the grave
abuses which actually do obtain in con-
~nection with the business use Of wealth
unaeR our present system-or rather no
system-of failure to exercise any ade-
quate control at all. Some persons speak
as II the exercise OF such governmental
control would do away with the freedom
OF individual initiative and dwarf indi-
viduel effort. This Is not a fact. IL
would be a veritable calamity to fail to
put a premium upon individual initiative,
Individual capacity and effort; upon the
energy, character and foresight which
II Is so important to encourage. In the
individual. But as a matter OF fact the
deadahing and degrading effect Of pure
socialism, and especially Of its extreme
form communism, and the destruction Of
individual character which they would
bring about, are in part achieved by. tne
wholly unregulated competition which
results In a single Individual or corpor-
aton rising at the expense of all others
until his or rs rise efectually checks all
competition and reduces former COMPETE
tors TO q position OF utter inferiority n
subordinAuon.
In SaAeting and enforcing such legis-
lattoa a. this congress already has to rs
credit, we are working on a coherent
plan, with the steady endeayor TO secure
Che naO4ed reform by the joint action OF
the moderate men, the plain men VINO
do Q wish anything historical or
dAnRse0As, but who do Intend TO deal
In rNeolute commonsense fashion with
the real and great evils Of the present
system. The re~actionaries and the .Vlo-
lent extremists show symptoms OF join
ing hands against US. Both assert, for
instezeA that II logical, we should go
10 Government ownership OF railroads
and the lAe; the reactionaries, because
on such an issue they think the people
would stand with them, while the ex-
tremists care rather to preach diseontent
and agitation than to achieve solid re-
suits. Az a matter OF fact, our position
is as remote from that OF the bourbon
reaetienaTY as from that OF the lmprac-
tlcabls or sinister visionary. We mold
that ~ government should not conduct
the business Of the nation, but that II
BhbaaiA exercise such supervision as VIII
insure its being conducted In the inter
est of the nation Our aim Ia, 80 far as
may -. 10 secure, for all decent, hard
working nen, equality OF opportunity and
equality Of burden.
Combinations Are Necessary.
TIE satual working Of our laws has
J shown that the effort to prohibit all com
/. binAdhon. good or bad, ID noxlous where
] II " not ineffective. Combination OF
! capital Hike combination of labor is a
] necessary element Of our present indus
! trial system. II Is not possible completely
! to prevent It; and If It were possible,
] such 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 ~iniuring the
] public, or existing in such form as inev-
+, itably to threaten i~njury-fOr the mere
! fact that a combination has secured
q practically complete control Of a neces-
{ sary of life would under any circum-
[ slaatEs SLOW that such combination was
to be presumed to be adverse to the pub
: lie Interest. IL is unfortunate that our
q present laws should forbid all combina-
: lions, instead of sharply discriminating
7 between those combinations which do
I evil. Rebates, for instance, are as often
( due TO the pressure OF big shippers las
was shown in the investigation Of the
{ Standard Oil company and as has been
: EhoEn since by the investigation Of the
Q tobanao and sugar trusts as to the initi-
alive OF big railroads. Often railroads
0 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
q lie. such a combination, instead Of beine
/ forbidden by law, should be favored. In
+ other words, II should be permitted "a
l. railroads to make agreements, provided
i these agreements were sanctioned by the
s Interstate commerce commission and
Il were published. With these two condi'