The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1907-12-03
MESSAGE

corporations. This is an age Of com
bination, and any effort to prevent all
combination will be not only useless.
but i'm the end vicious, because Of the
contempt for law which the failure 10
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 aud therefore normally
10 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 ii does good.
But each should be sharply checked
where il 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 concluslvely
that IL is useless TO try to get any ade-
ouate regulation and supervision of
these great corporations by state ac-
ton. Such regulation and supervision
can only be effectively exercised by
sovereign whose jurisdiction is cock
tensive with the field of work OF the
corporations-that is, by the national
government / 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.
ton, for from the earliest time such
regulation of industrial activities has
been recognized in the action of the
lawmaking bodies, and all that l pro-
pose is to meet the changed conditions
i'm such manner as will prevent the
commonwealth abdicating the power
il 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 a negative or prohib-
tive rather than an affirmative kind
and still more that they have in part
sought to prohibit what could not be
effectively prohibited and have In part
I'm their prohibitions confounded 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 IL
Is not useless Ii 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"
have called your attention I'm these
quotations TO what / have already said
because l am satisfied that il is the
duty of the national government to en-
body in action the principles thus ex-
pressed.
Interstate Commerce.
No small part of the trouble that we
have comes from carrying to an ex-
tremc the national virtue of self reli-
ance, of independence in initiative and
action. 1t Is wise to conserve this vir-
tue and to provide for its fullest exer-
else compatible with seeing that lib
erty does not become liberty TO
wrong others. Unfortunately this is
the kind of liberty that the lack of all
effective regulation inevitably breeds
The founders of the constitution pro.
vided that the national government
should have complete and sole control
of interstate commerce. There was
, then practically no interstate bust
: ness save such as was conducted by
! water, and this the national govern
ment at once proceeded TO regulate IN
} thoroughgoing and effective fashion
Conditions have now so wholly chang
! ed that the Interstate commerce 10y
water is Insignificant compared will
the amount that goes by land and al
most all big business concerns are nov
engaged I'm Interstate commerce. AS
result. IL can be but partially and i'm
perfectly controlled or regulated b.
the action of any one of the severa
states, such action inevitably tendini
TO be either too drastic or else too la
and In either case ineffective for pur
l -