The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1907-12-05


to the consent of the Interstate Com
merce commission being first obtained.
Until the national government as
I sumes proper control of interstate com
merce, in the exercise OF the authority
1t already possesses, 1t Will be mpos
sible either to give to or to get from the
railroads full justice.
Sherman Antitrust Law.
Moreover, in my judgment there
should be additional Legislation look
ing to the proper control OF the great
business concerns engaged in inter
state business, this control TO De ex
erciSed for their own benefit and pros
perity no less than for the protectlon
of investors and of he general pupllc'
AS | have repeatedly aid in messages
to the congress and elsewhere, expert
ence has definitely shown not merely
the unwisdom but the futility OF en-
deavoring to put a stop to all bust
ness combinations. Modern industrial
conditions are such that combination
is not only necessary but lneVltaple. 1t
is so in the world of business just as
it is in the world of labor, and 1t is
idle to desire to put an end to all
corporations, to all big combinations
of capital, as to desire to put an end TO
the combinations of labor. Corporation
and labor union alike have come TO
stay. Each, if properly managed IS a
source of good and not evil. enc
in either there is evil, it shoGld be
! promptly held to account; but it should
receive hearty encouragement so long
as it is properly managed. 1t is pro-
foundly immoral to put or keep on the
statute O q law, nominally In the
interest Of public morality, that really
puts a premium upon public immoral
ity, by undertaking to forbid honest
men from doing Whatm must be done I'M
der modern business conditions, so thai
the law itself provides hat its own in
fraction must be the condition prece-
dent upon business success. To aim at
the accomplishment of too much usual
ly means the accomplishment of too
little, and often the doing of positive
damage.
Forbid the Evil Combination.
CHere the president cited previous ex-
pressIons to the effect that the Sher-
man antitrust act is so framed that
the business OF the country cannot be
conduct without breaking IT'D
The antil-trust law should not
be repealed; but it should be made !:
both more efficient and more in
!: harmony with actual conditions.
1t should be amended sc as to /:
forbid only the kind of combin-
alton which does harm to the gem I:
/: eral public, such amendment to :
!: be accompanied by, or to be an
: incident OF, a grant of supervisory F:
f: power to the government over !:
: these big concerns engaged in in (:
!: terstate business. This hould be !:
!: accompanied by provision for the {:
compulsory publication of accounts !:
and the subsection of books n !:
papers to the inspection Of the !:
/: government officials. A beginning !:
has already been made for such /:
(: supervision by the establishment /:
: OF the bureau of corporations. {:
The antitrust law should not pro-
hibit combinations that do no injustice
to the public, still less those the eX-
istence of which is on the whole Of
benefit &c the public. But even if this
feature of the law were abolished,
there would remain as an equally OBJ
~jectionable feature the difficulty and
delay now incident to it's enforcement
The government now submit to
lrksonle and repeated delay before OBJ
tanning a final decision of the courts
upon proceedings instituted, and even
a favorable decree may NEAR an empty
victory. Moreover, to attempt to con-
troll these corporations by law suits
means to impose upon boil the depart
ment OF justice and the courts an i'm
possible BURDEN; it is not feasible to
carry on more than a limited number
of such suits. Sue a law to be really
effective must of curse be admin
istered by an executive body, and not
merely by means of law suits. The de-
sign should b. to prevent the abuses
incident to the creation of unhealthy
and improper combinations, instead of
waiting until they are in existence and
then attempting to destroy them by
civil or criminal proceedings.
con r,,. :. Na...
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n,,irad ~ 49, az /.
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oe u1=s.rr npinao o. any one or more +:
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he co,nmcn /, w. tbe 5nors We ~ .
courts NC n1osad 70 tbaee ~ .me
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congress- can close the ohannels ne
intsrstate cnnraerca apainst 4han,
for its protection. The law should .
make its prohibitions and permits :
sions as clear and definite as pos
slbte, leaving the least possible
: room for arbitrary action, or all