The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-09-27
Present and Future
Prosperity IS
Discussed

Discussed
seontLn.sa from ea1s Fsysl
tes ina spisit d the law Tas oaisIass
Eare s. as as Il them lles e
aaia lie business l1ne
lIisiti, ana obtafn tie ny tplds
tospaS their obligatip ions tasir en-;
lployes This is trusl elieFei TIE
iSdustries Also II may be that tbs
lison account 81 thes reform measures.
Instituted by the Government Grant
that this Is SOL lt;isi All the bettsrics
the country and shows progress IN the
fright dIFectfon. Why not meet the
reform IN the proper spirit and a AZ
l8nd encourage II instead Of always
crying wolf and bringing our affairs
and business men into disgTaceful re-
l.ppte?
Why NOT ny 70 array class against
lcass BY constantly harping, upon
wrongs OF the past? we have gone on
Fin this country preaching Al crusade
against property and the accumulation
Of wealth without making any dsstlnc,
ton as to how or why or when It was
acquired, until we have SO confused,
\ the minds Of the ordinary people that
they think all wealth and property is.
their foe, when the fact is there are
scarcely any people in this country
but what, to some extent, are posses.
sors of property aid accumuIators Of
wealth. The poor worthless class, the
social reformer who hopes, without
work, to get some OF his neighborsl
property, are very few. We should
mot encourage this number or lead our
people, who are nearly all compare.
lively well off. to think that there is
any class in this country trying toop,
press another. Above all, the sher.
man Law. SO called, should be chang,
ell, | have repeatedly stated, and |
think my construction of that law has
been agreed to by the highest in the
land, that under its present terms, and
Iif strictly construed, no man can hon
estly engage in business without dan
ger of violating it. Any agreement al,
most between two parties Is a con.
spiracy. This spirit has been enlarg-
ed and re-enacted in State Leglsla-
lures until it has produced even worse
conditions, In my own State leglsla.
ton is so strict that If two butchers
on opposite corners of the street
should agree upon the price of beef
steak it would BET penitentiary Of
tense, and conspiracy can be proved
without the usual forms of evidence,
How can you expect men to risk their
fortunes and time in building up enter
prises or continuing in business IL
they are liable to be punished under.
law like this? You may say that no
such construction has been applied,
| and yet it is safe to have a law which
can be SO construed, and If strictly
| enforced the liberty Of individuals
made dependent upon the will of those
who control the channels Of prosecu-
ton? We have created a great dis.
| trust Of corporations on account Of
wrongs undoubtedly committed By
some in the past, and we have wrought
up such a popular feeling that today
a combination, whether in the form
Of a company or a trust, seems odlous
and criminal, when the fact is that
! modern conditions are such that com.
binatlons, whether in the form Of
trusts, corporations, or partnerships,
are as necessary as life itself. We
must SO change our laws that a fair
agreement or organization for the con.
! duct of business shall not be a con.
sptracy, and that only the unfair and
unjust combinations, which shall be
SO found after proper Investigation
and trial, shall be deemed unlawful.
Our President has recommended
this change, our National Civic Fell
GRAFTON has taken up, and there is to
be a large meeting in Chicago tho
latter part of October composed Of del,
egates from all the States to serious.
lily consider this reform. 1 hope there,
fore that some change will be made,
II have given you in haste some of the
reasons for my belief that we are not
going to have panic in which the
railways will go into the hands of re-
ceivers, as they have done in former
times in which the fires in the fur.
naces will go out and the machine
shops be idle and the laborer go
around the streets searching for
work. All of this could come, for the
difference between good times and
poor times is very slight, less than 10
per cent. AS Bankers we should use
our influence to restore confidence in
this country, and IL our Government
officials, National and State, or states
men and business men, instead Of
harplng continually upon what is bad,
win UNFOLD the hands Of the good and