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

binati3n. and any effort to prevent all
combination will be not only useless.
but in the end vicious, because of the
contempt for law which the failure to
enforce law inevitably produces. Wei
should, moreover, recognize In cordial
and ample fashion the immense good
effected by corporate agencies in a
country such as ours and the wealth
of intellect, energy and fidelity devoted
to their service, and therefore normally
to the service of the public, by their Of
ficers and directors. The corporation
has come to stay, just as the trades
union has come to stay. Each can do
and has done great good. Each should
be favored so long as it does good.
But each should be sharply checked
where it acts against law and justice.
" ''The makers of our national
constitution provided especially that
the regulation of Interstate commerce
should come within the sphere of the
general government. The arguments
in favor of their taking this stand were
even then overwhelming. But they are
far stronger today, in view of the enor
nous development of great business
agencies, usually corporate in form.
Experience has shown conclusively
that it is useless to try TO get any ade-
quate regulation and supervision of
these great corporations by state ac
ton. Such regulation and supervision
can only be effectively exercised by a
sovereign whose jurisdiction is cock
tensive with the field of work of the
corporations-that is, by the national
government. l believe that this regu-
lation and supervision can be obtained
by the enactment of law by the con-
gress. Our steady aim should
be by legislation, cautiously and care
fully undertaken, but resolutely per-
severed in, to assert the sovereignty Of
the national government by affirmative
action.
This is only in form an innovation.
In substance it is merely a restora-
ton, for from the earliest time such
regulation of Industrial activities mas
been recognized In the action of the
lawmaking bodies, and all that l pro-
pose is to meet the changed conditions
in such manner as will prevent the
commonwealth abdicating the power
it has always possessed, not only in
this country, but also in England. be-
fore and since this country became a
separate nation.
1T has been a misfortune that the
national laws on this subject have
hitherto been of negative or prohib-
tive rather than an affirmative kind
and still more that they have in part
effectively prohibited and have in part
| in their prohibitions COMPOUNDED what
| should be allowed and what should
| not be allowed. 1t is generally useless
| to try to prohibit all restraint on COM
petition, whether this restraint be rea-
sonable or unreasonable. and where 1t
| is not useless it is generally hurtful.
The successful prosecution of
| one device to evade the law immedi-
| ately develops another device to accom-
| plish the same purpose. What is need
ed is not sweeping prohibition of every
| arrangement, good or bad, which may
| tend TO restrict competition, but such
| adequate supervision and regulation as
| will prevent any restriction of COM
| petition from being to the detriment of
the public, as well as such supervision
| and regulation as will prevent other
| abuses in no way connected with re-
| striction of competition"
| l have called your attention in these
| quotations to what have already said
because l am satisfied that it is the
| duty of the nationa! government to EN-
pressed.