Devils Lake inter-ocean and Devils Lake free press. (Devils Lake, Ramsey County, N.D.) 1905-1909, 1907-12-06


Interstate commerce commission when
In commenting upon the fact that the
numerous joint traffic associations do
technically violate the law they say:
The decision Of the United States su-
preme court in the transmissouri case
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. In
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 it,
AS have elsewhere said:
Not New Proposition.
GAN this is substantially what 1 have
said over and over again. Surely 1t
ought not to be necessary to say that
it in no shape or way represents any
hostility to corporations as. such. On
the contrary, it means a 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. AS
far as in my ability lies, my endeavor
is and will be to prevent abuse Of
power by either and to favor both SO
long as they do we'll. 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.
of 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
which asked would be a check upon
overcapitalization But 1t 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 misdeeda
which are done in darkness, and not
upon the investigations which brought
them to light. The administration is
Irresponsible for turning on the light
but it is not responsible for what the
light showed. ask for full power to
be given the federal government, be.
icause no single state can by legisla.
ton effectually cope with these pow
Ierful corporations engaged in inter
Estate 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:
tment alone competent to exercise full
isupervision and control.
..s> Grave Results of Abuses.
4 n as. grave abuses In Individual
cases OF railroad management In the
past represent wrongs not merely to
i the general public. but, above all.
wrong to fair dealing and honest cor
operations and men of wealth. because
they excite . 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.
I From the standpoint of the public /
fcannot too earnestly say that as soon
4 as the natural and proper resentment
/ aroused by these abuses becomes ill.,
discriminate and minimizing it also be-
comes not merely unWise and unfair.
/ but calculated to defeat the very ends
hitch those feeling 1T have In view.
I There has been y plenty OF dishonest
4 work by corpora lions III u the past.
4 There VIII not be the slightest let-up in
Il the effort to hunt down and punish ev.
I|3ery dishonest man. But the bulk Of
4 our business Is honestly done. III the
]; atnraI ;indig on the people feel over
/: the dishonesty IT 81 an essential that
1 they should mot lose their heads and
4 net drawn into an inaiscri innate RAID
) upon 81 corpora lions. ali people of
lFealth, whether they do wen on EEill.
I, Out of any such wild movement good
will NOT come. cannot come and never
has come. On the con the suress
way 10 inyite reaction is* to follow the
lead of eitheI. delna gogue or visionary
ping ASA uIt pom property
values ana pom public conf dence,
which would Work incaI cula Die dam,
/ age ii the business world ana would
Hproducs such srnst ofr the gisators
/ that I'D the yysy1l ls,n the iatrasf would