The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1908-02-06

We are trying to secure equality Of OPP
honesty is the same whether it is made
on behalf of one set of men or of another.
In the interest of the small settlers and
opposition of wealthy owners of huge wan
dertng fiocks of sheep, or of corporations
desiring to rob the people of coal and
theft OF public Ian in the West. When
we do this. and protest against the action
of al men, whether in public life Or in
refuse to try to stop such theft, we are
really engaged In the same policy as when
W nrsaea fh to put a stop to rebates or
~monopolies. Our effort is simply. to en-
force the principles of common honesty
and common sense. 1t would indeed be
Ill for the country should there be any
halt in our work.
Must Have Justice.
The laws must in the future be admin
istered as they are now being admins
tered, SO that the department of justice
very fact the department OF Justice. where
so far as our ability permits justice is
melted out with an even hand to great
and small, rich and poor, weak and strong.
Moreover, there should be no delay in
supplementing the laws now on the statute
books by the enactment of further legiS-
lation as outlined in the message I sent
to the congress on it's assembling. Under
the existing laws much, very much. has
been actually accomplished during the
past six years, and 1t has been shown by
actual experience that they can be enforced
against the wealthiest corporation and the
richest and most powerful manager or
manipulation of that corporation, as rigOr-
ously and fearlessly As against the hum
blest offender. Above all, they have been
enforced against the very ~wrongdoers and
agents of wrongdoers who have for SO
many years gone scot free and fOuted the
laws with impunity, against great law
defying corporations of immense wealth,
which, until within the last half dozen
years. have treated themselves and have
beyond and above all possible check from
law.
1t is especially necessary to secure to
the Representatives of the national gov
eminent full power to deal with the great
corporations engaged in interstate COM
merce, and above all, with the great inter-
clearly recognize that while there are diff
fcultles In any course of conduct to be
ollowed in dealing with these great cor
porations, these difficulties must be faced,
and one of three courses followed.
The first course is to abandon all effort
to oversee and control their actions IN
the interest OF the general public and to
permit a return to the utter lack Of con-
troll which would obtain If they were left
to the c1 hn13sa law; l do not for one
tolerate this position. The extraordinary
growth of modern industrialism has rem
dered the common law, which grew up
under and was adopted TO deal with totally
diferent conditions, In many respects in
aaequats to deal with the new conditions.
AASoS hV" COiiditlcllS lHdue II necessary
to shackle cunning as in the past we
have shackled force. The vast Individual
and corporate fortunes, the vast combina-
development of our Industrial system,
Great new conditions, and necess.tate a
change from the old attitude of the state
and the nation toward the rules regulat-
ing the acquisition and untrammeled BUSH
ness use of property, in order both that
property may be adequately protected,
and that at the same time those who
hold It may be prevented from wrong
doing.
The second and third courses are TO
have the regulation undertaken either by
the ration or by the states. OF course
in any event both the national government
and the several state governments must
do each Its part, and each con do a certain
amount that the other cannot do, while
the only really satisfactory results must
be Obtained by the representatives of the
national and state governments working
heartily together within their respective
spheres.
But in my Judgment thoroughgoing
and satisfactory control can In the
end only be obtained by the action
most all the corporations OF enorm-
: GUS wealth-that Is, the corporations
which II Is especially desirable to
!: controi-are engaged IN interstate
f: commerce., and derive their power
and their Importance not from that
F: portion Of their business which is In
!: t~rastate, but from the interstate
business. /: