New-York tribune., 1908-02-01

forests should
| these priceless treasures should De pieosei'
from ruthless destruction. All the proper, p,; "a
! the people should be safeguarded from , spIl,s
ton | am also deeply interested in the deNeloP,
| ment of inland waterways to provide Increased
and adequate facilities for our growing ~ coi
merce We should further do all in our power
TO extend the area of productive activity through
irrigation and suitable plans CT ,I i, ~
The common right in our pubic iahds shouIu %
protected from encroachment ana "heIeEoI
governmental power may properly pe eAel &c ~
the sole object should be the promotion OF G. t,e
general welfare. and all schemes OF Iapaci'S
! should be frustrated
RAILROADS.
do not believe in governmental ownership Oh
railroads But regulation of interstate transpor-
tation is essential to protect the people from
unjust determinations and to secure sale, auS
! uuate and impartial service upon reasonable
terms in accordance with the obilgatlohs oI
common carriers In order to nave Supert iSioH
which is both thorough and just an admlnlsua-
tive board is necessary. may assume tiia' IN; my
I attitude with regard to this matter Is SO wen
understood through my recommendatiohS III re-
lation to the enactment of the pubic service
( commissions law in this state that an EXTENDED
/ statement is unnecessary
approve the recent extension of the authority
of the Interstate Commerce Commission by What
is known as the rate bill and believe that the
. commission should have the most ample powers
for purposes of investigation and SUPERVISION
and for making rules and orders Whch VII VII
enable it to deal to the fullest extent possible
within constitutional limits. with interstate
transportation in all its phases.
This is just policy. The power OF congress
to fix rates for interstate transportation SO as TO
prevent improper determinations and to compel
carriage upon reasonable terms is undoubted
The sole question is how, and under what CIR
cumstances. it shall be exercised. But IL is
! manifestly impossible for the legislative body
/ account OF the conditions under which II
works, to make that thorough examination of
specific cases which in justice must precede
! action 1t may establish general standards of
conduct. but the eNigencies of particular cases
can be met only by the painStaking consldera-
: tion of administrative board The alterna-
tive 10 this policy is either the abandonment of
regulation sporadic Legislative intervention
under the influence of agitation and almost
I necessarily without proper examination of the
/ facts recognition of the different require
+ ments Of varied situations. No one can properly
complain because legal machinery is provided
for the rectifiCation Of abuses And the aim
should be TO make the machinery adequate to
the purpose of providing redress for every
grievance and to insist upon standards OF ad-
ministration which will secure intelligent and
patient inquiry, and impartial enforcement of
! the law.
TRUSTS AND COMBINATIONS.
The Sherman antitrust act should be clari-
! fed and made more explicit The law may be
made stronger and more effective by being made
more definite. Sweeping concentrations of un-
certain meaning. do not aid but rather embar-
rass the prosecution of those who are guilty of
perniCiouS practices. Combinations and praC-
! tiCes in unreasonable restraint of trade and
which menace the freedom of interstate
lnerce should be condemned in precise terms.
lat the same time provision may well be made for
/ joint agreements. under proper circumstances,
!
the approval Of the Interstate Commerce Com
/ mission.
Various means have been suggested-of
doubtful validity and still more doubtful utility
/ TO prevent oppression through the conduct of
! large enterprises and to secure the enforcement
of the law against illegal attempts monOpolize
and the various devices Tesorted TO in unlawful
( restraint of trade. In my judgment the most
effective course is explicit definition of what is
! wrong and adequate punishment of the guilty
/ Such laws, like laws in general which are def
mite and supported by public sentiment, are to a
very large extent self-eXecuting. That IS. they
! are generally obeyed.
PUNISHMENT BY IMPRISONMENT.
am not in favor of punishment in the shape
Of fines upon corporations, except for minor Of
! fences. The burden of fines imposed upon such
corporation is either transferred to the public
! or is borne by stockholders. the innocent we'll
the guilty. Nor am | impressed by the ar
! gument that American juries Will generally be
lndisposed to convict "here the evidence IS cleal
because the crime IS punished by imprisonment
of the offenders But if the law be definite and
the evidence warrants the presentation of the
case to the jury. ii is better in my judgment that
the responsibility for failure to convict should lie
with the jury than that conviction should be
followed by penalties which either made
quate or bear unjust1y upon those who have had
| no completely in the offence.
TARIFF REVISION
| believe in d protective tariff. II is an es-
tablished policy. Our opponents would not
! dertake 10 present to the voters of the country
the issue of free trade.
A protective tariff is essential to the inter-
ests of wage earners in that it makes pos
I sible the payment of wages the scale to which
! we are accustomed in this country and thus
| maintains cur American standards of living
! Hence the difference in the cost of production
/ here and abroad is the fundamental Considera-
! tiOn.
Put I do not believe in making this policy
! cover for eXorbitant rates or for obtaining spe-
/ Cal privileges from the government which are
! not based upon consideration of the general
welfare. | believe that the tariff should be re-
| Vised And in order to effect whatever read
| justment may be necessary TO make the tariff
| schedules consistent with the principles under
| lying the protective policy, favor the appoint
ment of an expert commission, so that the facts
| may he ascertaned without delay and that
Congress may dispose of the matter in. the fair
| est possible manner.
LABOR LAWS.
| So far as the matter is within the power of
| Congress- the interests of labor should be safe
| guarded and the conditions of labor improved.
] am in favor of the enactment of law aptly
expressed. to apply exclusively TO interstate
commerce. which would embody the principles of
| the employers liability bill recently declared
unconstitutional because too broad. I also ap-
prove the laws which have been enacted with
regard TO safety appliances and hours of labor
In railroad service. The matter of railroad aCCi-
dents deserves special investigation. and every
effort should be made to obtain adequate infor-
| nation which viii lead to appropriate measures
for the protection Of life and limb.
Wherever the government comes into direct
relation TO labor. proper conditions with regard
r. hours. wages. safety and compensation for
accidents should be provided.
THE PHILIPPINES.
With regard the Fiipfnos We are placed
under the most sacred obligations In justice
TO them and in justice to ourselves. must
omit no effort to prepare them for self govern
r7ent. When they are able to govern themselves
and in q position to maintain their inde-
pendenCe, the American people will not deny
them the boon which We ourselves have SO high
! L.