The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1907-12-03

the consent OF the Interstate commerce
being first obtained. Until
the national government assumes
proper control of interstate commerce.
in the exercise of the authority IL al
ready possesses. II Will be impossible
either to give to or to get from the
railroads fun justice. The railroads
and all other great corporations Will
do well to recognize that this control
must come; the only question Is as TO
what governmental body can most
wisely exercise II. The courts will de-
termine the limits within which the
federal authority can exercise II, and
there will still remain ample work
within each state for the railway COM
mission of that state; and the national
Interstate commerce commission Will
work In harmony with the several state
commissions. each within It's own prov
inoe to achieve the desired end.
Control of Interstate
Business Concerns Urged.
Moreover In my judgment there should
be additional legislation looking TO the
proper control OF the great business con-
Germs engaged Ia interstate business, this
control to be exercised for their own
benefit and prosperity no less than for
the protection of investors and of the
general public. AS | have repeatedly
said In messages to congress and else
where, experience has definitely shown
not merely the unwisdom but the futilty
of endeavoring to put stop to all busi-
ness combinations Modern Industrial
conditions are such that combination is
not only necessary but inevitable. Ii Is
SO in the world OF business just as IL Is
30 In the world of labor, and II is as idle
to desire to put an end TO all corpora
tions. to all big combinations OF capital.
Il. .. nd To. Ia Inn.
tions OF labor. Corporation and labor
union alike have come to stay. Each if
properly managed IL source Of good
and not evil. Whenever In either there
is evil II should be promptly held to ac-
count but 1t should receive hearty en-
couragement SO long as II Is properly
managed 1t is profoundly immoral TO
put or keep on the statute books law,
nominally in the interest of public moral
ity, that really puts premium upon
public immortality, by undertaking TO
forbid honest men from doing what must
be done under modern business condi-
tons, so that the law itself provides that
its own infraction must be the condition
precedent upon business success. To aim
at the Accomplishment of too much usu-
ally means the accomplishment of too lit
| tie, and often the doing OF positive dam
| age.
"The antitrust law should not be re-
I pealed but II should be made both more
efficient and more In harmony with act
| ual conditions. 1t should be so amended
as to forbid only the kind of combination
| which does harm to the general public
| such amendment to be accompanied by
| or to be an incident of, grant OF su'
pervisory power to the government over
| these big corporations engaged in Inter
| state business. This should be accom-
| panied by provision for the compulsory
| % TO nd ha GIh
| ton OF books and palN' to the inspec
tion of the government officials. be-
| ginning has already been made for suci
4 supervision by the establishment Of the
' bureau of corporations.
| "The antitrust law should not prohibi
| combinations that do no injustice to the
public, still less those the existence o
| which is on the whole of benefit to tn,
public. But even IL this feature of th'
| law were abolished, there would remain
! as an equally Objectionable feature th'
| difficulty and delay now incident to III
| enforcement The government must nov
| submit to irksome and repeated delay,
| before obtaining final decision OF thu
courts upon proceedings instituted ant
| even a favorable decree may mean al
empty victory. Moreover. to attempt Il
| control these corporations by lawsuit
| means to impose upon both the depart
| ment of justice and the courts an I'm
| possible burden II Is not feasible to carr,
on more than a limited number OF sucl
suits Such law to be really enectiv
must of course be administered by al
| executive body, and not merely by mean
| of lawsuits. The design should be 1
| prevent the abuses incident to the crea
tion of unhealthy and Improper conbina
tons, instead of waiting until they ar
In existence and then attempting to de
stroy them by civil or criminal proceed
ings.