The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-04-28

by preventing the growth OF abuses
rather than merely by trying to de-
stroy them when they have already
grown ia the highest sense, or the
word this movement for thorough con
troll OF the business use OF this great
wealth 10 conservative. We are trying
to steers safe middle course, which
alone can save us from plutocratic
class government on the one hand or
socialistic class government on the
other, either of which would be
fraught with disaster to our free insti
tutions, state and national. We are
trying to avoid alike the evils which
would dow from government owner
ship of the public utilities, by which
interstate commerce Is chiefly carried.
on, and the evils which flow from the
riot and chaos of unrestricted individ-
ualism. There is grave danger to our
free institutions In the corrupting in
Guence exercised by great wealth sud
denly concentrated in the hands Of the
few. We should In sane manner try
to remedy this danger In spite Of the
sullen opposition Of these few very
powerful men and with the fun pur-
pose to protect them in all their rights
ut the very time that we require them
TO deal rightfully with others. When
with steam and electricity modern
business conditions went through the
astounding revolution which in this
country began over half century ago,
there was at first much hesitation as
TO what particular governmental agen-
cy should be used to grapple with the
new conditions. At almost the same
time, about twenty years since, the
effort was made to control eombina-
tons by regulating them through the
Interstate commerce commission and
TO abolish them by means Of the anti
trust act, the two remedies therefore
being In part mutually Incompatible.
The interstate commerce law has pro
duced admirable results, especially
since it was strengthened by the Hep
burn law two years ago The anti
trust law, though It worked some good,
because anything is better than an
archy and complete absence Of regula-
ton, nevertheless has proved in many
respects not merely inadequate, but
mischievous. Twenty years ago the
misuse Of corporate power had pro-
duced almost every conceivable form
Of abuse and had worked the gravest
injury to business morality and the
public conscience. For a long time
federal regulation OF interstate com
merce had been purely negative, the
national judiciary merely acting In iso-
lated cases to restrain the state from
exercising power which 1t was clear
ly unconstitutional as well as unWise
for them to exercise, but which never
theless the national government itself
failed to exercise. Thus the corpora.
tons monopolizing commerce made the
law for themselves, state power and
common law being inadequate to &C
complish any effective regulation and
the national power not yet having been
put forth. The result was mischievous
in the extreme and only shortsighted
and utter failure TO appreciate the |
grossness Of the evils to which the lack |
of regulation gave rise can excuse the |
well meaning persons who now desire |
to abolish the antitrust law outright or
TO amend ii by simply condemning |
"unreasonableT combinations,
To Permit Combinations.
Power should unquestionably be
lodged somewhere In the executive
branch OF the government to permit |
combinations which will further the
public interest but 1t must always be /
that as regards the great |
and wealthy combinations through 1
which most OF the interstate business
of today In done the burden of proof 1
should be on them to show that they I
have right to exist No judicial tri-
bunal has the knowledge or the expe. /
Renee to determine in the first place 4
given combination is advis-
able or necessary In the interest of the 4
public. Somebody, whether a commits
sion or bureau under the department /
Of commerce and labor, should be Civ
en- this power. My personal belief is
that ultimately we shall have to adopt /
a national incorporation law, though |
am well aware that this may be impos-
sible at present Over the actions OF
the executive body in which the power
Is placed the courts should possess
merely power of review analogous to
that obtaining in connection with the
work of the Interstate commerce com
mission at present. To confer this
power would not be leap in the dark,
1t would merely be to carry still fur
Their the theory of effective govern
mental control Of corporations which /
was responsible for the creation of the
commerce commission and
for the enlargement of its powers and
for the creation of the bureau of cor
porations.
The interstate commerce legislation
has worked admirably. II has benefit
"a the public. 1t has benefited hon
astly managed and wisely conducted
railroads, and in spite Of the fact that
the business OF the country has enor-
increased. the value Of this
federal legislation has been shown by
The way in which 1t has enabled the
federal government to correct the
most pronounced Of the great and
varied abuses which existed IN the