Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1907-12-09

ours, and / think IL can be truthfully
paid that the citizens Of no nation pos
sess greater energy and industrial abil-
ity. In no nation are the fundamental
business conditions sounder than In
ours at this very moment and It is
foolish when such is the case for peo-
pie TO hoard money instead Of keeping
II In sound banks. for It is such hoard
ing that Is the immediate occasion of
money stringency. Moreover. as a
rule, the business Of our people Is con-
Quoted with honesty and probty. and
this applies alike TO farms and fac
tories. 20 railroads and banks. to all
our legitimate commercial enterprises
In any large body Of men. however,
there are certain TO be some who are
dishonest, and II the conditions are
such that these men prosper or commit
their misdeeds with impunity their
example Is o very evil thing for the
community. Where these men are
business men of grea- sagacity and %
temperament both INSCRIPTIONS and
reckless, am where the conditions are
such that they act without supervision
or control and at first without effective
check from public opinion. they delude
many innocent people into making in
vestments or embarking i'm kinds Of
business that are really unsound. When
the mlsdeeds Of these successfully dis
honest men are discovered. suffering
comes not only upon them, but upon
the innocent whom they have misled
1t is painful awakening. whenever it
occurs. and naturally when it does oc
cur those who suffer are apt to forget
that the longer II was deferred the
more painful ii would he. In the effort
to punish the guilty it is both wise and
proper to endeavor so far as possible
to minimize the distress of those who
have been misled by the guilty. Yet it
Is not possible to refrain because Of
such distress from striving to put an
end to the misdeeds that are the ulti-
mate causes of the suffering and, as
means TO this end. where possible to
punish those responsible for them.
There may be honest differences of
opinion as to many governmental poll
cles. but surely there can he no such
differences as TO the need Of unflinch-
ing perseverance in the war against
successful dishonesty.
Interstate Commerce.
No small part of the trouble that we
have comes from carrying TO an eX-
= ,.,I9
ance. OF independence in initiative
and action. Ii is wise to conserve this
virtue and to provide for it's fullest
exercise compatible with seeing that
liberty does not become n liberty to
wrong others. Unfortunately this is
the kind of liberty that the lack of all
effective regulation inevitably breeds.
The founders of the constitution pro-
vided that the national government
should have complete and sole control
OF interstate commerce. There was
then practically no interstate business
save such as was conducted by water
and this the national government al
once proceeded to regulate in thorough
going and effective fashion. Condition:
have now so wholly changed that the
interstate commerce by water is insig
nificant compared with the amour
that goes by land, and almost all bii
business concerns are now engaged II
interstate commerce. AS a result 1t cal
be but partially and imperfectly con
trolled or regulated by the action o
any one of the several states, such &C
ton inevitably tending to be eitbe
too drastic or else too lax and in eithe
case ineffective for purposes Of justice
Only the national government can /
thoroughgoing fashion exercise tn
needed control. This does not mea
that there should be any extension c
federal authority, for such authorit
already exists under the constitutio
In amplest and most far reaching form
but ii does mean that there should /
an extension of federal activity. Tn
is not advocating Capitalization. 1t
merely looking facts in the face an
realizing that Capitalization in busine:
has already come and cannot be avoi
ed or undone and that the public ;
large can only protect itself from ce
tain evil effects Of this business ce
tralization by providing better methoC
for the exercise of control through Il
authority already centralized in Il
national government by the constit
ton itself. There must be no halt
the healthy constructive course of a
ton which this nation has elected
pursue and has steadily pursued du
Ing the last six years. as shown DO
In the Legislation Of the congress al
the administration of the law by Il
department Of justice
National License For Railroads.
The most vital need is in connecti,
with the railroads. AS to these. in q
judgment there should now be eth
a national incorporation act or a Ia
licensing railway companies to enga
in Interstate commerce upon certa
conditions. The law should be
framed as TO give to the intersta