Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-12-03

and the Joint Traffic association case
has produced no practical effect upon
the railway operations of the country. |
Such associations. in fact, exist now
as they did before these decisions and
with the same general effect. InI
justice to all parties we ought prob |
ably to add that it is difficult to see |
how our interstate railways could be |
operated with due regard to the inter-
est of the shipper and the railway
without concerted action of the kind
afforded through these associations
This means that the law as con-
strued by the supreme court is such
that the business of the country can
not be conducted without breaking ii"
AS l have elsewhere said:
Not a New Proposition.
"All this is substantially what have
said over and over again. Surely i'll
ought not to be necessary to say that
it in no shape or way represents any
hostility to corporations as such. OnI
the contrary, it means frank recogni-
ton of the fact that combinations of
capital. like combinations of labor, are
natural result of modern conditions
and of our national development Asl
| far as In my ability lies. my endeavor
| power by either and to favor both SC
| long as they do well. The aim of the
national government is quite as much
! to favor and protect honest corpora
| tons, honest business men of wealth,
as to bring to justice those individuals
and corporations representing dishon-
est methods. Most certainly there will
| be no relaxation by the government
| authorities in the effort to get at any
! great railroad wrecker-any man who
| by clever swindling devices robs in
vestors, Expresses wageworkers and
does injustice to the general public.
But any such move as this is in the
/ interest of honest railway operators.
aof honest corporations and of those
who when they invest their small saw
ingS in stocks and bonds wish to be
assured that these will represent
money honestly expended for legitimate
! business purposes. To confer upon
the national government the power for
J overcapitalization. But it alone would
mean an Increase in the value, an in
crease in the safety. of the stocks and
bonds of law abiding, honestly man
aged railroads and would render it far
easier to market their securities.
believe in proper publicity. There has
been complaint of some of the investi-
cations recently carried on, but those
who complain should put the blame
where it belongs-upon the misdeeds
which are done in darkness and not
upon the investigations which brought
them to light. The administration is
responsible for turning on the light,
but it@is act responsible for what the
i, light showed. ask for full power to
be given the federal government, be-
, cause no single state can by legisla-
ton effectually cope with these pow
;, erful corporations engaged in inter
state commerce and. while doing them
full justice. exact from them in return
full justice to others. The conditions
of railroad activity, the conditions of
our immense interstate commerce, are
such as to make the central govern
ment alone competent to exercise full
supervision and control.
Grave Results of Abuses.
1.-THE grave abuses in Individual
2 cases of railroad management in the
D past represent wrongs not merely to
the general public, but above all.
wrong to fair dealing and honest cor
porations and men of wealth, because
they excite q popular anger and dis
: trust which from the very nature of
the case tend to include in the sweep
of Its resentment good and bad alike
L From the standpoint of the public
cannot too earnestly say that as sooIl
as the natural and proper resentment
u aroused by these abuses becomes III
s discriminate and unthinking it also be
/, comes not merely unwise and unfair
l. but calculated to defeat the very ends
s. which those feeling it have in view
J. There has been plenty of dishonest
Il work by corporations in the past
l. There will not be the slightest let-up ir
y the effort to hunt down and punish ev
y cry dishonest man. But the bulk OF
II our business is honestly DONE In the
e natural indignation the people feel ovel
J. the dishonesty it is all essential thai
9 they should not lose their heads an(
a get drawn into an indiscriminate rait
Ii upon all corporations. all people Of
Is wealth. whether they do well or Ill
G Out of any such wild movement gooC
% will not come. cannot come and never
% aas come. On the contrary, the sures
way to invite reaction is to follow tn
&c lead of either demagogue or visionar
. In sweeping assault upon propert
values and upon public confidence
which would work incalculable dam
age in the business world and woul
produce such distrust of the agit@.or
that in the revulsion the distrust woul
IL extend to honest men who in SINGER
u, and sane fashion are trying to remed
~ the evils"
IL The antitrust law should not be re