The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1907-12-04
CONTINUED from Page u

VVNHf vi hnVttViAiuH UNNf tHNlI tuIVu
rate use. In order 10 Insure d health,
social aud Industrial life, every biz cor
poratlon should be held responsible by
and be accountable 10, some sovereign
strong enough 10 control ita conduct,
am Iii no sense hostile 10 corporations
This Ia an age Of combination, and anS
effort 10 prevent all combination vii
bc not only useless, but In the end Wei
Gus, because OF the contempt for lnv
which the failure 10 enforce law ineyl'
tably produces. We should, moreover
recognize In cordial aud ample fashion
the immense good effected BY corporate
agencies In 4 country such as ours. and
tho wealth OF intellect energy, and iidc'
lity devoted 10 their service. and there.
fore normally 10 the service Of the pub
lic, by their officers and directors The
corporation has come to stay, Just al
the trade union has come 10 stay. Each
can 10 and has done great good Each
should bc favored so long as II Jocs
good. hut each should bc sharply check.
ID where II acts against law and justice,
THE makers OF our National ConAtltu-
tion provided especially that the ~
gulatlon Of interstate commences should
come within the sphere OF the General
Government, The arguments Ia favor
of their taking this stand were even
then overwhelming, But they ara far
stronger today, In view Of the enormous
development OF great business agencies.
Usually eorporNte In form. Experience
\ has shown connlaslycly that II Ia use.
loas to try 10 ret any adequate regula.
tion and supervision of those great cor.
porations by State action, Such regula.
tion and supervision can only be effect.
lively exercised by a sovereign whose
jurisdictions Ia co'extensiye With the hcld
Of work Of the corporations--that Ia. BY
tho National Government, believe that
this regulation and supervision can be
obtained BY the enactment Of law by
the Congress.
Our steady aim should be BY legis.
lation. cautiously and carefully under
taken. but rcsolutely persevered In. 10
assert the sovereignty Of the National
Government by Affirmative action.
This 10 only In form an innovation.
In substance II 10 merely a restoration,
for from the earliest time such regula.
tion Of industrial activities has been
recognized In the lawmaking bodies;
and all that / propose 10 TO meet the
changed conditions In such manner as
will prevent tho Commonwealth abdi.
eating the power II has always posses.
Sod, not only In this country, but also
Ii England before and since this country
became separate nation.
1T has been misfortune that the
National lawa on this subject have hith.
erto been OF negative or prohibitiye
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 conf0unded what should be
allowed and what should not be allow,
cd. II IL generally useless TO try 10
prohibit all restraint on competition.
whether this restraint be reasonable or
unreasonable; and where II IA not use
less II "a generally, hnrtful The sue.
cessful prosecution OF one device TO
eyade the law immediately develops
another device TO accomplish tho same
purpose. What IL needed IL not sweep |
Ing prohibition Of every arrangement. |
good or bad, which may tend TO restrict
competition, but such adequate super.
vision and regulation as win prevent
any restriction Of competition from be.
Ing 10 the detriment OF the public, as
well as such supervision and regulation
as will prevent other abuses In no way |
connected with restriction OF competi !
tion.'
! have called your attention In these
questions TO what have already said |
because | am satisfied that Il Il the |
duty OF the National Government 10 |
embody in action the principles thus
expressed,
Interstate Commerce.
No small part OF the trouble that we
have comes from carrying to an ex.
treme the national virtue OF self.re.
lance. OF independence In initiative and
>action II Is wise to conserve this sir.
fke and TO provide for its fullest exer.
cise. compatible with seeing that
liberty does not become a liberty TO
wrong others. Unfortunately, this Is
the kind Of liberty that the lack OF all |
affective regulation inevitably breeds
The founders OF tho Constitution pro-
vidcd 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 at once
proceeded TO regulate In thoronghgoiug
and election fashion. Conditions have
now so wholly changed that the inter-
state commerce by water Is insignificant
compared with the amount that goes
by land. and almost all big business
concerns are now engaged In interstateI
commerce. As a result, 1t can be but
practically and imperfeetly controlled
or regulated by the action Of any one
OF the several States; such action In
evitably tending to be either too drastic
or else too lax. and in either case inef-
fective for purpose Of justice. Only the
National Government can In thorough
going fashion exercise the needed con-
troll. This does not mean that there
should be any extension Of Federal auth.
ority, for such authority already ex.
lists under the Constitution In amplest
and most far.reaching FROM but II does
mean that there should be an exten.
sion OF Federal activity. This is not
advocating Capitalization, II Is merely
looking facts In the face, and realizing
that Capitalization In business has al.
ready come and can not be avoided or
undone, and that the public at large
s...r ...ya5T ..,.sl.nII st.aff s.a,v .A.l.I.I