The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1907-12-04

devoted 10 their service and therefor
normally TO the service OF the public, ~
their officers and directors, The cor
poration has come 10 stay lust M IN
trade union has come to stay Each cai
90 and has done great good f'aci
should be favored so long as 1t does good
But each should be sharply checked
whore II acts against law and justice
- The makers OF our na;lona
! constitution provided especially that The
regulation Of Interstate commerce should
come within the sphere Of the genera
government. The arguments IN favor OF
their taking this stand were even tier
overwhelming. But they are far strong
err to-day, in view of the enormous de-
velopment OF great business agencies
usually corporate in form. Experience
has shown conclusively that It Is useless
TO try to get any adequate regulation
and supervision of these great corpora
lions by state action Such regulation
ana supervision can only be effectively
exercised by sovereign whose iurisdic-
ton is coextenslve with the field Of work
or the corporations that is, by the ma
4 tional government believe that this
4 regulation and supervision can be oh
tanned by the enactment Of law by tho
n congress *. our steady aim should
\ be by legislation cautiously ana care
4 fily undertaken but respiutely perSc-
/ Nerpn In. TO assert The sovereignty OF the
national government by affirmative ac-
| ton
This ls only In form an innovation,
4 in substance il is merely n rcStoraticn,
/ for from the earliest timp such regulation
| Of industrial activities has been reco--
iilized in the action Of the lawmabWg
bodies: and all that | propose Is 10 meet
the changed conditions IN such manner
as will prevent the commonwealth ahdi-
eating the power II has always possessed
not only in this country but also in Eag
land before and since this country be-
came separate nation.
I'll has been misfortune that the ma
iional LAYS on this subject have hitherto
been of a negative or prohibitive rather
than an affirmative kind, and still more
that they have IN part sought 10 pro-
hibit what could not he effeCtualy pro-
liibited, and have In part in their pro-
hibitinns confonnded what should be
allowed and what Should not be allowed.
X is generally useless 20 try To prohibit
all restraint on competition. whether this
restraint bn reasonable or unreasonable
and whore ii is rot useless 1T Is gener-
ally htI4ful Tire successful proc
ecntion Of ono device to eyade the law
immediately develops another device n
accomplish tile Same purpose What Is
needed is mot sweeping prohibition ~
every Arrangement good or bad wiL~h
may tend ta restrict competition. but
such aaeqHate supervision and regula
ton as viii prevent any restriction ~
competitions from heing to the dctrimnnl
Of the n'fblic. as we'll MS such Supervision
and regulation as viii prevent other
ahrrea I'll no way connected with rcstr3t
ton ~ competition
fgye called rour attention IN these
quotations 10 what have already aHia
heearse | am salts fed fhat il IS die duty
II the national government ~ emhnGy
IN action tile principles thus expressed
Federal control O.
Railroads Is Favored |
M small part Of the trouble thai we
nave comes froal carrying 10 an extreme
the rational virtue Of self-reliancc. of in |
dependence IN initiative and action II is
wise to conserve this virtue and to PRO |
ride for its fullest exercise. compafibia |
with seeing that liberty does not bcr1rnc
n liberty 20 wrong others. Unfortunately |
this is the kind of liberty that the lack 81
al effective regulation inevitably breeds.
The founders Of the Consultation prn-
should have complete and sole control os
Interstate commerce There wns thcn
such III was commercially water. and
this tile NatioraI Government at once
to regulate in thorotteAgolrs
and effective fashion. Conditions have ROW
so wholly changed that the interstate
rosninerse by water 's Insignificant CONF
rared with the amount that GEES ~ land I
and almost all big business concerns arc |
row engaged in Interstate commerce As |
h reSit It ran be bur partially and it |
perfectly controlled cf regsla1ad by tho /
actioH of aav ono or ter wTarti st1tes. I
sneh action Inevitably tending 70 he /
piti4er too drastic or else too lax and IN !
either care ineffective for purposes Of |
instice Only the National Government \
ean in thoronehgoing fashion exercise the |
needed control This does rot mean that |
there should be any extension Of Federal |
for such authority already ex-
lists under the Constitution in anpiest |
and most far-reaching form. but 1t does I
mean that there should be an extension 4
Of Federal activity. This is not advo- /
eating Capitalization. 1t is merely look I
ing facts in the face. and realizing that I
in business has already /
come and can not be avoided or undone. I
and that the public at large can only /
protect itself from certain evil effects /
n this business Capitalization bv proyid- I
ing better methods for the exercise ~ |
control through the authority already
centralized in the National Government /
ON ilE CONSTELLATION AtNfiAf , Htit must w
40 halt In the healthy constructive course /
IF action which this Nation has elected to
pursue. and has steadily pursued, during
Die last six years, as shown both in the
egislatian Of the Congress ana the ad-
Of tho law by thc Depart
nent ~ Justice Tho most vital need Us
N connection with tho railroads As to
heso. in my Judgment there should now
)e either q national Incorporation act or
! law licensing railway companies 80 on
IN 70 IN interstate commerce upon rertain
,onditions The law should be so framed
IS to give 10 the Interstate Commerce
commission power TO p1ss upon the m
ire Issue 81 securities while ample
n.sne shnuld 10 provided Ia enable the
fofnnilrsian T. henaver IN its Judgment 70
r. necessary. to make physical valga
ion of ans railroad. As ! stated iu my
u asa &c to the Congress a year ago. rail-
aads shoidd he given power 10 enter
nto agreements. subject TO these agre1-
acnts being made public IN minute de-
all aud 20 the consent OF The interstate
'oua nierce Commission being first oh
ainedi TutiI the National Government
ssufnes proper control Of interstate
omfneree. in the exercise Of the authority
already possesses. IL viii be impossible |
lther to give to or 10 get from the rail-
dads futi Justice The railroads and an
ither great corporations viii do wen 10
ecogpize that this control must come
he only question is as 80 what govern.
Mental body can most wisely exercise b.
rho courts will determine The limits with
sho Ea1serssl ant itgfffv f-s4N !