Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1907-12-18

eral prosperity. but no such help Of y
permanently beneficial character can
be given to the less able and less for.
tunate save as the results of policy
which shall, lnurc to the advantage of
all Industrious and efficient people who
act decently. aud this is only another
way of saying that any benefit which
comes TO the less able and less fortu
nate must Of necessity come even more
To the more able and more fortunate
II therefore the less fortunate man
Is moved by envy OF his more fortu.
nate brother to strike Mt the condi
tons under which they have both,
though unequally, prospered, the result
will assurcdly he that. while damage
may come to the one struck at, II will
visit with an even heavier load the
one who strikes the blow. Taken as
a whole, we must all go up or go down
together.
yet. while not merely admitting but
insisting upon this, II Is also true that
where there is no gOvernmv nj tai re-
stralnt or supervision some of the ex.
ceptional men use their energies not
in ways that are for the common good.
but in ways which tell against this
common good. The fortunes amassed
through corporate organization are now
so large and vest such power In those
that WELD them rs to make II n matter
of necessity TO give to the sovereign
that IL, to the government. which rep.
resents the people "a Wholesome eff
fectlve power OF supervision over their
corporate use. In order to insure n
healthy social and industrial life every
big corporation should be held respon.
sible by and be accountable to some
sovereign strong enough to control Its
conduct. | am In no sense hostile to
corporations. This Is an age Of com
bination. and any effort to prevent all
combination will I've not only useless,
but In the end vicious, because Of the
enforce law inevitably produces. We
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
10 the service Of the public. by their Of.
ficers and directors. The corporation
has come 10 stay, just as the trades
union has come TO stay. Each can do
and has dOre great good. Each should
be favored so long as II does good.
But each should be sharply checked
where II 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 nc
ton Such regulation and supervision
can only be effectively exercised by 1
sovereign whose jurisdiction Is cock
tensive with the field Of work OF thu
corporatlons-that Is, by the natlona
government. believe that this rcgu
latlon 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 resolutcly per
severed in, to assert the sovereignty Of
the national government by affirmative
action.
q This Is only In form an Innovation
In substance II Is merely Il restora
ton, for from the earliest time sucl
regulation Of industrial activities hal
been recognized IN the action Of TIN
lawmaking bodies, and all that ! pro
pose Is to meet the changed conditions
in such manner ms will prevent thu
commonwealth abdicating the powe
It has always possessed. not only II
this country, but also In England, be
fore and since this country became !
separate nation.
ut has been a misfortune that tn
hitherto been OF negative or prohib
tive rather than an affirmative kin'
and still more that they have In par
sought TO prohibit what could not b
effectively prohibited and have in par
III their prohibitions COMPOUNDED wha
should be allowed and what shout,
not be allowed. 1t IL generally useles
to try to prohibit all restraint on CON
petition, whether this restraint be req
sonable or unreasonable, and where
Is not useless II Is generally hurtfu
The successful prosecution o
ono device TO evade the law immed
ately develops another device to accom-
plish the same purpose. What Is need
ell Is not sweeping prohibition Of ever
arrangement. good or bad, which ma
tend to restrict competition, but sue
adequate supervision and regulation n
will prevent any restriction OF con
petition from being 10 the detriment q
the public, as well as such SUPERVISE
,In,t .NNh