Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1907-12-07

wealthy men, or men who pose as such,
or are unscrupulously or foolishly eager
10 become such indulge In reckless spec
ulatlon-especially II 1t is accompanied by
dlshonesty-thcy ieopardze not only their
own future but the future of all their in
nocent fellow-ctizens, for they expose
the whole business community to panic
and distress"
He advises against any general tariff
legislation ,hls Session Of congress, and
says:
In country of such phenomenal
growth as ours II IL probably well that
every dozen years or so the tariff laws
should be carefully serutinized so as TO
see that no excessive or improper bene-
fits are conferred thereby, that proper
revenue is provided, and that our
foreign trade is encouraged There
must always be as mnimum
tariff which will not only al
low for the collection of an ample rev.
enue but which will at least make
good the difference in cost of production
here and abroad; that ls the difference in
the labor cost here and abroad for the
well-being of the wage-worker must ever
be a cardinal point of American policy
N''N fN''NiNAi 9ilbNih bt dBflhhtlltu pun
iy from a business standpoint; both the
time and the manner Of the change being
such as to arouse the minimum of agi-
tation and disturbance In the business
world, and to give the least play for
selfish and factlonal motives The sole
consideration should be to see that the
sum total of changes represent the pub
lie good. This means that the subject
cannot with wisdom be dealt with in the
year preceding a presidential election, be-
cause as matter of fact experience has
concIusively shown that at such a time
1t Is impossible to get men to treat 1t from
the standpoint OF the public good. In my
Judgment the wise time to deal with the
matter Is Immediately after such cleo
ton"
He asks for the repeal OF the tariff on
paper and wood pulp
He reviews and enlarges upon his pre-
vious recommendations for the enact
ment of federal Inheritance and income
tax laws.
Attention is called to the prosecution of
wealthy offenders against the national
laws, and in this connection he asks that
the laws under which these prosecutions
are brought be strengthened and made
more definite
few years ago there was loud com
plant that the law could not be invoked
against wealthy offenders There is no
such complaint now The course Of the
department of Justice during the last
few years has been such as to make 1t
evident that no man stands above the
law that no corporation is SO wealthy
that It cannot be held to account The
department OF justice has been as
DrOmut tO propap6 npaiuqt tho ,yaoIt,iast
malefactor whose crime was one OF greed
and cunning as to proceed against the
agitator who inctes to brutal Violence,
Everything that can be done under the
existing law, and with the existing state
OF public opinion, which so profoundly
influences both the courts and jurles, has
been done. But the laws themselves need
strengthening in more than one impor-
tant point; they should be made more
definite so that no honest man can be
led unwittingly to break them, ana so
that the real wrongdoer can be readily
punished
Moreover there must be the public
opinion back of the laws or the laws
themselves will be Of no avail At pres
ent, while the average juryman undoubt-
edly wishes to see trusts broken up, and
is quite ready to fine the corporation
llhtll lie Is very reluctant 10 ma lUb
facts proven beyond n reasonable doubt
when It comes to sending to Jail a mem
her of the business community for in
dulging in practices which are profound
ly unhealthy but which, unfortunately,
the business community has grown to
recognize as well-nigh normal. Both the
present condition OF the law and the
present temper of iuries render 1t task
OF extreme difficulty to get at the real
wrongdoer In any case, especially by i'm
prisonment. Yet II Is from every stand
point far preferable to punish the prime
offender by Imprisonment rather than to
fine the corporation, with the attendant
damage to stockholders.
The two great evils In the execution Of
our criminal laws to-day are sentimen-
tality and technically. For the latter
the remedy must come from the hands
of the legislatures, the courts and the
lawyers, The other must depend for its
cure upon the gradual growth of sound
public opinion which shall insist that re-
gard for the law and the demands OF
reason shall control all other influences
and emotions in the jury box. Both Of
these evils must be removed or public
discomfort With the criminal law will con-
tinue.