The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1907-12-06

er XEklNf CtaEllOrAtieeR MatA HA@ StM g.
\ sgeugn5ze TINT yhfs auzntrol vlust eoc1le,
The only question - rs to what GOV
Ornamental body can most wisely eXer.
else it. The courts will determine the
limits within which the federal author
ity can exercise 1t, and there will still
remain ample work within each state
for the railway commission Of that
! state, and the national interstate con-
merce commission will work In har
mony with the several state commits
sions, each within its own province. to
achieve the desired end.
Tho Antitrust Law.
Moreover, In my Judgment there
should be additional legislation looking
to the proper control Of the great bust
ness concerns engaged In interstate
business, this control to be exercised
for their own benefit and prosperity
no less than for the protection Of in
vostors and ot tho general public. AS
I have repeatedly said in messages to
congress and elsow here, experience has
definitely shown not merely tho unwis'
dom, but the fut1llty, Of sndoavoring to
put a stop to all business combinations.
Modern Industrial conditions arc such
that combination b nst only necessary,
but inevitable. 1t - - tn tho world Of
business just % It u % n tie world
Of labor, and It y a. t11s toAsstxs to put
an end to ali eoeposatie1s, b all big
combinations of capital. - b desire to
put an md 10 oombl0at1ons Of labor.
CORPORATION aod hbw uniea aitks have
come to stay. Each II properly man
aged y q eodao0 Of good and not evil.
Whsuevsr in slGhsr thsss y s~n 1t
should be promptly hsld - aceount,
bot it should receive hsarty saeourase-
meat 70 long - It b pro9ssU managed.
1t II profoundly immoral - put or
keep on tho. statute books 4 law nomi-
nally In tho interest Of public morality
that really puts a premium upon pub
lie .immoralitJ By Undertaking 70 for
bid honest meo from doing what must
be done under modern business eendi-
lions 20 that tho law ttDelf provides
that its own tnfract1oa must b the
condition precedent upon business sue
cess. % TO aim at ths accomplishment
Of too much usually means ths accom-
pllshmsnt Of too littls,auA eftsa tn do
Ing OF positive Aanass>
Net Repeal bs< Amendment
The antitrust Nv sAsuh Hot - re-
p>aleA. bat Il sAssA b made both
moro s9Asat and nsss IN AarDoay
VIII actual ssaatt1eas- It should Be
70 ansnAsA o. to fs<Sid snly tAs Md
e oaanbt1aosa Witch does harm - tAo
general public, socA aansaAnsat - b
accompanied BY q 10 b IN f1eadsGt It
grant Of su1srvtssJ pswr - Do
asvsrnmsat s-R osss 10 ssaasss
snearsd In interstate b1s1nsA 1Ah
should 10 aoescspaaisd by Dssvkioo
for tho coupulso<y publication Of &C.
counts and the ~ b3sct1on q bssks and
papers to tho inapsedoo At TIE gov
srnmsnt oAac1ak A beginning las A.
ready been made for such supsevisaon
By tho est1blishnnent q ~ bureau Of
corporations.
The antitrust law should not prohibit
com binauons that DO no injustice to
the public, still less those the existence
Of which is On tho whole of bsasft
to the public. But even II this feature
Of the law were abolished there would
remain n an equally Objectionable fea-
ture the difficulty and delay now Incl
dent to its endorsement Tho govern
ment must now submit to irksome and
repeated delay before obtaining 4 Anal
decision Of tho courts upon proceedings
instituted. and eva 4 favorable d.
roe may mean IN empty victory.
Moreover, b attempt = esatA thsoe
oorporsdsos BY hwvutts means 10 n
pose upon both ~ dspartzssot Of
justice and tAs courts IN hossstoSs
burdsn- It = ut fsa1hIs 10 eaRzy q
more han 4 unait,d number q sueh
suits. such Z Nv - b Esa1ly GGse
tive must Of eeuxso b administered
by IN executive body and not merely
by means Of laWsutts. The design
should be to prevent the abuses Incl.
dent to the creation OF unhealthy and
improper combina lions instead Of wait
ing until they are in existence and
then attempting to destroy them BY
civil or criminal proceedings.
Law Should Be Explicit.
A com bination should not be tolerat-
ed if it abuse the power acquired by
combination to the public detriment
No corporation or association of any
kind should be permitted to engage in
foreign or interstate commerce that Is
formed for the purpose of or whose
operations create q monopoly or gen.
eral control Of the production, sale or
distribution Of any one or more Of the
prime necessities of life or articles Of
general use and necessity. Such CON-
binations are against public policy.
They violate the common law. The
doors of the courts are closed to those
who are parties to them, and I believe
the congress can close the channels Of
interstate commerce against them for
it's protection. The law should make
its prohibitions and permissions as
clear and definite as possible, leaving
tho least nOssihle room for arbitrary