Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-04-30


The Only China Store,
233 East Main Street.
| in the Minnesota and North Caro-
lima cases illustrate how impossible
! is dual control of the national COM
merce. The states cannot control it.
| All they can do Is to control intrastate
commerce and this now forms but a
small fraction of the commerce car
ried by the railroads through each
state. Actual experience has shown
that the effort at state control is sure
to be nullified in one way or another,
sooner or later. The nation alone can
act with effectiveness and wisdom; it
should have the control both of the
business and of the agent by which
the business is done, for any attempt
I to separate this control must result
in greatest absurdity. This means that
we must rely upon national legisla-
that now exist and the others that are
sure to arise unless some efficient gov
ornamental body has adequate power
of control over them.
! A strong effort has been made to
have labor organizations completely
exempted from any of the operations
of this law, whether or not their acts
are In restraint of trade. Such excep-
ton would in all probability make the
bill unconstitutional and the legisla-
ture has no more right to pass bill
without regard to whether it Is con-
sttutional than the courts have light
! ly to declare unconstitutional law
which the legislature has solemnly
enacted. The responsibility is as
great on the one side as on the other
and an abuse of power by the legisla-
ture In one direction is equally to be
condemned with an abuse of power
by the courts in tho other direction.
Moreover so far as labor Is engaged
in production only its claims to be
exempted from the antitrust law are
sound This would substantially cover
the right of laborers to combine to
strike peaceably and to enter into
trade agreements with the employ
ers. But when labor undertakes in a
wrongful manner to prevent the dis
iribution and sale of the products Of
labo:'. as by certain forms of the boy
colt, 1t has left the field of produc-
ton and its action may plainly be In
restraint OF interstate trade and must
necessarily be subject to inquiry, ex-
actly as in TIE case of any other com
bination for the same purpose, so as
| to determine whether such action is
c: ntrary to sound public policy.
The heartiest encouragement should
| be given to wage workers to form la
hor unions and to enter into agree
laent with Il cir employers, and thei,
right to strike SO long as they act
peaceably. must be r.eserved But
W. should sanction reithe, boycott
nor a blacklist which would be illegal
at common law.
The measures | advocate are in the
interest both of decent corporations
and law-abiding labor unions. They
are, however, pre-eminently in the in.
terest Of the public, for in my juds-
nent the American public have defin-
itely made up their minds that the
days of the reign of the great law-de-
| flying and law evading corporations are
ever, and that from this time on, the
nlghty organizations of capital neces-
sary for the transaction of business
under modern conditions, while en-
conraged so long as they act honestly
and in the interest of the general pub
lie are to be subjected to careful SUI
pHrvis, On and regulation of a kind so
effective as - insure their acting in
the interest of the PEOPLE as a whole
| l have submitted this report to the
department of justice for thorough in
vestigation and for action if action
shall prove practicable.
Surely such state of affairs as that
set forth above emphasizes the need
of further legislation, not merely be-
cause of the material benefits such leg
islation will secure, but above all
because this federal action should be
! part, and :: large part of the campaign
to waken cur people as whole to a
lively and effective condemnation OF
the low standard of morality implied
in such conduct on the part of great
business concerns The first duty OF
every man is to provide livelihood
for himself and for those dependent
upon him, it is from every standpoint
desirable that each of our citizens
should endeavor by hard work and
honorable methods to secure for him
and his such a competence as will
culry with it the opportunity to enjoy
in reasonable fashion the comforts
and reinements of lie; and, further
more, the man of great business alb |
ity who obtains fortune in upright
fashion inevitably in SO doing confers
Il benefit upon the community as 4
whole and is entislai 20 reward to re
spect and to admiration But among
the many kinds of evil, social, indus
trial, and political. which it is our
duty as nation sternly to combat,
there is none at the same time more
base and more dangerous than the
GA MOTHER GRAY'S
aA SWEET POWDERS
Wy FOR CHILDREN,
4 A Cart inn ai;o q FD