The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1907-08-24
TO GO ON
WALL STREET TIP ON SPEECH
Was BOGUS.
Government Should Have Fuller
Control Over Corporations
Than 1t Has Ever Yet Exer-
cised--Laws Asked that Will
Prevent Trusts.

Prevent Trusts.
Provincetown, Mass, Aug. al
There is no objection in the minds
OF this people to any mans earning
any amount of money if he does it
honestly aid fairly, if he gets it as the
result OF special skill and enterprise"
said President Roosevelt yesterday in
an address commemmorating the lay
ing OF the cornerstone of the monu-
ment marking the spot where the Pill
grim fathers first landed on American
soil.
But there ia growing determine
ton that no man shall amass a great
fortune by special privilege, by Chi
canery and wrong doing, so far as in
the power of legislation to prevent,
and that the fortune when amassed
shll not have business that is anti
social
The whole tone of the presidents
address was progressive reiteration
of his determination to put a stop to
predatory law breaking, to proceed
along the plans already marked out
with prosecutions under the present
laws and to demand the enactment of
more stringent statutes from time to
time as they are needed to meet pres
emit and arising conditions. There is
no intimation of halting or hesitation,
there is no suggestion of copmromise
with law breakers.
| Another cfribiro fooknro ho
address, is the reiteration by the pres
ideDt of his expression of some
months ago regarding undesirable
citizenship of the officers Of the
Western Fe 1eration of Miners. On
this subject he said:
''There is unfortunately a certain
number of our fellow countrymen who
seem to accept the view that unless
man can be proved guilty of some
particular crime he shall be counted
good citizen, no matter how infam.
GUS the life he has led, no matter how
pernicious his doctrines or his prac.
tices. This is the view ann ounced
from time to time with clamorous in
sistence, now by a group of predatory
capitalists, now by a group of sinister
anarchistic labor leaders and agitators,
whenever special champion of either
class, no matter how evil his general
life, is acquitted of some one specific
crime" Speaking of corporations, the
president said:
National Incorporation Laws
81 believe in national Incorporation
law for corporations engaged in inter-
state business. I believe, furthermore,
that the need for action is most press
ing as regards those corporations
which, BECAUSE they are common car
riers, exercise quasi-public function,
and which can be completely controll-
ed in all respects by the federal gev-
eminent, by the exercise of the power
conferred under the interstate COM
MERGE clause, and, if necessary, under
the post road clause, of the constiu-
ton.
During the last few years we have
taken marked strides in advance
along the road to proper regulation
of these railroad corporations; but we
must not stop in the work.
International government should ex-
ercise over4them similar supervision
and control to that which it exercises
over national banks.
Principle of Sherman Law
"Ths principle of the Sherman law,
so far as it prohibits com binations
which, whether because Of their ex-
tent or of their character, are harmful
to the public, must always be pre-
served. Ultimately, and hope with
reasonable speed, the national gov
eminent must pass laws which, while
increasing the supervisory and regula-
ltory power of the government, also
permit such useful combinations as
are made with absolute openness and
as the representatives of the govern
ment may previously approve.
| Criminal Prosecutions
"Often men who have been guilty Of
violating these laws have acted really
in criminal fashion, and if possible
should be proceeded against Grimm
ally and therefore it is advisable that
there should be clause in these laws
providing for such criminal action,
and for punishment by imprisonment as
we'll as by fine. But, as is we'll known,
in a criminal action the law is strictly
construed in favor of thedeendant, and
in our country. at least, both judge
and jury are far more inclined to con-
slider his rights than they are the in
terests of the general public; while in
addition it is always true that mans
general practicess may be so bad that a
civil action will lie when it may not
be possible to convict him Of any one
criminal act"
| The address of president Roosevelt
puts the lie to the reports sent out
from New York city that Wall street
interests had secured advance tips