The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-12-08
Continued from First page,

the annual interest charge. This Is an
exceedingly satisfactory showing, espe-
cially in view of the fact that during
this period the nation has never hesl-
tated to undertake any expenditure
that 1t regarded as necessary. There
have been no new taxes and no increases
OF taxes; on the contrary some taxes
have been taken off; there has been a
reduction of taxation.
Corporations.
AS regards the great corporations
engaged in interstate business, ana
especially the railroads, / believe thai
under the interstate clause of the con-
stitution the United States has COM
plete and paramount right to control
all agencies of interstate commerce, and
I believe that the national government
alone can exercise this right with wis
dom and effectiveness so as both to
secure Justice from, and to do justice
to, the great corporations which are
the most important factors In modern
business.
al believe that II IL worse thai folly
to attempt to prohibit all combinations,
as is done by the sherman antitrust
law, because such e law can he en-
forced only ImperfectIy and u~nequalIy.
md It's enforcement works almost as
much hardship as good.
81 strongly advocate that instead of
an unwise effort to prohibit all COM
binations there shall be substituted a
law which shall expressly permit com
binations which are in the interest of
the public, but shall at the same time
give to some agency of the national
government full power of control ana
supervision over them.
"The railways of the country should
be nut completely under the Interstate
Commerce Commission and removed
from the domain of the antitrust law.
The power of the commission should
be made thoroughgoing, so that 1t could
exercise complete supervision and con-
troll over the issue of securities ms well
as over the raising and lowering Of
rates. As regards rates. mt least, this
power should be summary. The power
10 investigate the financial operations
and accounts of the railways has been
one of the most valuable features In
recent legislation.
Power to make combinations and
traffic agreements should be explicitly
conferred upon the railroads. the per-
mission of the commission being first
gained and the combination or agree
ment being published In all it's details.
In the interest of the public the repre-
sentatives of the public should have
complete power to see that the rail-
roads do their duty by the public, and
as a matter of course this power should
also be exercised so as to see that no
Injustice is done to the railroads. The
shareholders. the employees n the
shippers all nave interests that must
be guarded,
state Rights.
1.-THE opposition to government con-
troll of some great corporations makes
it's most effective effort In the shape OF
an appeal to the old doctrine OF States
lights OF course there are many SIN
cere men who now believe in unre-
stricted i~ndividualism in business, just
as there were formerly many sincere
men who believed In slavery-that is,
in the unrestricted right of an indi-
vidual to own another individual
'These men do not by themselves
have great weight, however.
"To accomplish reforms, means. OF
cour.e. a certain increase in the use of
mot the creation of-power, by the
central government. The power al
rendy exists, 1t does not have to nc
created; the only question II whether
II shall be used or left idlc-and mean
while the corporations over which the
mower ourht to he exercised will not
remain Idle.
LET those who object to this increase
in the use of the only power available,
the national power, be frank and adni
openly that they propose to
any effort to control the great business
corporations and to exercise supervision
over the accumulation and distribution
of wealth; for such supervision and
control can only come through this
particular kind of increase Of power.
1--WE no more believe in that empir-
icism which demands absolutely unre-
strained individualism than we do In
that empiricism which clamors for a
d~eadening socialism which would de-
stroy all individual initiative and. would
ruin the country with a completeness
hat not even an u~nrestrained individu-
alism itself could achieve.
No Danger In Concentration.
THE danger to American democracy
lies not in the least in the concentration
of administrative power in responsible
and accountable hands. 1t lies in v
ing the power insuficiently concen-
trated. so that no one can be held re-
sponsible to the people for its use.
Labor.
'"There are many matters affecting
labor and the status of he wage
worker to which l should like to draw
your attention, but an exhaustive dis
cussion of the problem in all its aspects
is not now necessary. Postal savings
banks will make it easy for the poorest
to keep their savings in absolute safe
ty. The regulation of the national
highways must be such that they shall
serve all people with equal justice.
Corporate nance must be supervised
so as to make it far safer than at
present for the man of small means to
invest his money in stocks.
''There must be prohibition of child
labor, diminution of woman labor,
shortening of hours of all mechanical
labor; stock watering should be pro-
hibited. and stock gambling so far as
is possible discouraged. There should
be a progressive inheritance tax on
- c..tc. T,1,cfrio1 adlIraffnn