Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-03

small means, and the average consumer.
as well as the average producer, are all
alike helped by making conditions such
that the man Of exceptional business abil-
fty receives an exceptional reward for his
ability. Something can be done by legis-
iation to help the general prosperity; but
no Such help Of permanently beneficial
character can be given to the less able
and less fortunate save as the results Of
policy which shall fnure to the adyan-
tage of all Industrious and efficient people
VINO act decently: and this is only another
way o. saying that any benefit which
comes to the less able and less fortunate
must OF necessity come even more to the
more able and more fortunate. If, there
iore, the less fortunate man is moved by
envy OF his more fortunate brother to
strike at the conditions under which they
have both. though dnequally, prospered.
the result will assuredly be that while
damage may come to the one struck at
1t Will visit with an even heavier load the
one who strikes the blow. Taken as
whole. we must all go up or go down to-
gether
Yet. while not merely admitting. but
insisting upon this. it Is also true that
where there is no governmental restraint
or supervision some of the exceptional
men use their energies, not in ways that
are Tor the common good, but In ways
winch tell against this common good.
Inc fortunes amassed through corporate
organization are now SO large and vest
such power In those that WELD them an
70 make 1t matter Of necessity to give
10 the sovereign-that is to the govern
ment, which represents the people as a
who. e-some effective power Of snner-
vision over their corporate use. In order
70 insure healthy social and Industrial
life. every big corporation should he
held responsible by, and be accounta HE
70. some sovereign strong enough to, con-
to corporations. This is an age Of conbi.
nation, and any effort to prevent all com
Dination viii be not only useless but in
the end vicious. because of the contempt
Tor law which the failure to enforce law
| inevitably produces. We should more.
over recognize in cordial and ample fash
ION the immense GOOD effected by cor
porate agencies in a country such as ours,
and the wealth of intellect, energy, and
nde lty devoted to their service, and
therefore normally to the service Of the
spubilc by their officers and directors.
Corporation Here to Stay.
The corporation has come to stay, Just
as the trade union has come to stay.
Each can do and has done great good.
Each should be favored so long as it
does good. But each should be sharply
checked where it acts against law and
justice. $3.50 '-7-'--',-,---- =
The makers of our national
Constitution provided especia ly that the
regulation of interstate commerce should
come within the sphere of the general
their taking this stand were even then
| overwhelming. But they are far stronger
today, in view of the enormous develop
ment Of great business agencies usually
corporate in form. Experience has shown
cOnclusivey that it is useless to try to
get any adequate regulation and super
vision of these great corporations by
state action. Such regulation and SUI
pervisiOn can only be effectively exercised
by sovereign whose jurisdiction is CO.
extensive with the field Of work of the
corporation-that is. by the national
government. 1 believe that this regula-
ton and supervision can be obtained by
the enactment of law by the Congress.
Our steady aim should be by
legislation, cautiously and carefully un-
dertaken, but ersolutely persevered in, to
assert the sovereignty OF the national
government by affirmative action.
This is only in form an innovation
In substance it Is merely a restoration
for from the earliest time such rexula-
| ton Of industrial activities has been
recognized in the action OF the law
making bodies: and all that propose is
| to meet the changed conditions IN such
manner as will prevent the common
wealth Indicating the power 1t has al
ways possessed. not only in this country,
but also in England before and since this
country became a separate nation.
1T has been a misfortune that the ma
| tional laws on this subject have hitherto
been of a negative or prohibitive rather
than an Affirmative kind. and still more
that they have in part sought to prohibit
what could not be effectively prohibited,
and have in part in their prohibitions con-
founded what should be allowed. and
what should not be allowed. It Is gem
orally useless to try to prohibit all re-
straint on competition, whether this res
| straint be reasonable or unrea sonable.
and where 1t Is not useless 1t il generally
hurtful. - The successful prosecution
| Of one device to evade the law immedi-
ately develops another device to accom-
plish the same purpose. What is needed
rnf -