The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1907-12-05

ulatlon-especlally II IL Is accompanied Oy
| dishonesty-they ieopardi=S hot only their
own future but the future Ct all their in
nocent fellow-citizens, for they expose
the whole business community to panic
and Distress"
He advises against any general tariff
| legislation this session OF congress. and
says:
In a country of such phenomenal
| growth as ours il is probably well that
every dozen years or so the tariff laws
should be carefully scrutiniZed so as to
see that no excessive or improper bene-
| fits are conferred thereby, that proper
revenue is provided. and that our
foreign trade is encouraged. There
| must always be as minimum
q tariff which will not only al
low for the collection OF an ample row
| enue but which win Mt least make
good the difference in cost of production
| here and abroad: that is, the difference in
| the labor cost here and abroad. FOR the
welI-being of the wage-wOTkcr must ever
! be cardinal point of American policy.
| The question should he approached pure
| ~ from business standpoint: both the
| time and the manner of the change being
| such as TO arouse the minimum of agi-
| tation and disturbance in the business
world, and TO give the least play for
selfish and factiOnal motives. The sole
| StlOnNu DC TO see lnuI llle
| sum total of changes represent the pub
| lie good. This means that the subject
! cannot with wisdom he dealt with in the
| year preceding n presidential election. be-
cause as n matter of fact experience has
| conclusively shown that at such time
| 1t is impossible TO get men to treat it from
| the standpoint of the public good. In my
| judgment the wise time to deal with the
matter is Immediately after such cleo
| ton"
He asks for the repeal of the tariff on
paper and wood pulp.
! He reviews and enlarges upon his pre-
| Vlous recommendations for the enact
ment of federal inheritance and income
tax laws.
Attention is called to the prosecution of
wealthy offenders against the national
| laws, and in this connection he asks that
the laws under which these prosecutions
are brought be strengthened and made
more definite.
q. few years ago there was loud COM
plant that the law could not be invoked
| against wealthy offenders. There is no
| such complaint now The course of the
department of justice during the last
few years has been such as to make it
evident that no man stands above the
law, that no corporation Is so wealthy
| that ii cannot be held to account. The
prompt to proceed against the wealthiest
malefactor whose crime was one of greed
and cunning as to proceed against the
agitator who incites to brutal violence.
Everything that can be done. under the
existing law, and with the existing state
| of public opinion, which so profoundly
influences both the courts and juries, has
been done. But the laws themselves need
| strengthening in more than one impor-
| t1nt nnint. no
definite, so that no honest man can be
led unwittinGly to break them, and so
that the real wrongdoor can be readily
punished.
Moreover, there must bn the public
opinion back of the laws Or the laws
themselves will be of no avail At pres
ent, while the average juryman undoubt-
edly wishes to see trusts broken up, and
is quite ready to fine the corporation
itself he is very reluctant to find the
facts proven beyond a reasonable doubt
when 1t comes to sending to Jail men,
her of the business community for in
dulging in practices which are profound
ly unhealthy, but which. unfortunately
the business community has grown to
recognize as well-nigh normal. Both the
present condition of the law and the
present temper of juries render it a task
of extreme difficulty to get at the rea
wrongdoer in any case, especially by i'm
prisonment. Yet it is from every stand
point far preferable to punish the prime
offender by Imprisonment rather than tc
fine the corporation, with the attendant
damage to stockholders.
The two great evils in the execution o.
our criminal laws to-day are sentimen
tality and technicality. For the latte
the remedy must come from the hand
OF the legislatures, the courts and th
/ lawyers The other must depend for it
cure upon the gradual growth of a sounc
public opinion which shall insist that re
gard for the law and the demands o
reason shall control all other influence.
and emotions in the jury box. Both o.
these evils must be removed or public
, discomfort with the criminal law will con
tinue.
The Use and the
Abuse of InjunctiOns.
Instances Of abuse in the granting Of
injunctions in labor disputes continue t.
occur. and the. resentment in the minds
of those who feel that their rights are
being invaded and their liberty of actor
and of speech unWarrantably restrained
continues to grow. Much of the attack
on the use of the process of injunction is
wholly without warrant; but l am con.
strained to express the belief that fol
some of it there is warrant. This ques
tion is becoming more and more of prime
Importance ana unless the courts vii
themselves deal with 1t In effective man
ner. it is certain ultimately to demand
some form OF legislative action. 1t would
be most unfortunate for our social wei
fare IL we should permit many honest
and law-abiding citizens to feel thai
they had just cause for regarding ouI
courts with hosuhty. l earnestly com
mend to the attention of the congress
this matter, so that some way may bt
devised which will limit the abuse of in
functions and protect those rights which
from time to time 1t unwarrantably in
vades. Moreover, discomfort is often eX
pressed with the use OF the process ot
injunction by the courts, not only in la
Dor disputes, but where state laws are
concerned. l refrain from discussion Of
this question as l am informed that Il
Will soon receive the consideration of the
supreme court"
OF other legislation in the interest o.
; labor he favors federal inspection of rail