New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-11-20
PROBLEMS FOR NATION
DR.. Butler Discusses Questions Con-
fronting Country.


Ter rresident CT Columbia University, speaking
se-e tonight st the annual dinner CT the Kansas
city Commercial Club. declared that the sTea'
questions OF banking and currency ana OF the reg
ulation OF the transportation systems q me Cou"
Try and of trusts we're not properly matter Tor
nart.san exploitation party differences Those
questions he said. could not be solved either oy
rhetoric OF IN passion, only by intelligent stuo!
and rejection
DR.. Butter. Senator Albert J. Beveridge OF Indi-
ana and Polk Miller, OF Virginia. we're the ensS1S
of honor at The annual dinner held In commence
tiou OF the signing of the John Jay co'niie' &c
treaty DR.. Buffers subject was 5usli'eSS 1
Politics." and he sad in part;
We s-a now confronted By questions which are a.
bottom political in the mario" which our
-orntc These the questions W. 30 now
Sor1rI face TO face and from the ~
which they cannot escape Iey are ent matters
foT the American people 10 settle IoSy n;r1ip,es
vshsrh snail control their political policies as 'iee
policies are related TO business ., 70 rs First
we may x we choose, adopt the ponCy ~ a5yo
lres Nv 1oticai philosophers Of high authority
second may "a The oPD <SeTsp ana Control
81 the agencies ard nstrumentali5ies OF progag9;.
hirc we may while preserving 10 ourseiNes t S
extraordinary moral eeonoInic slo I'D tbe. e-
oste reward % individual endeavor lay tne Got GOT
scge hs96 50 ess gg4h shall + it be possible
he held always subordinate TO the common 1r
a. -ses as We'll As in Europe who hold that the
ce1s o. he three alternative paths is the one Ioa
.oCSes-r n rrsue IL their beatinc VISION tieS
poverty and suffering. unhappiness ana wan ~ cnl
1sStsve orneTshp and control OK the agents and IN
strgr1eats Q. proc sIifatjoT socialism is in large
mes sure conmendabe, though Easlle- As q PET
al pTor-snrne Il asks 10 take the snip % Sc
out on 10 fathonless sea without SnarL ., i0ci
pass in peTPetIsi II00gsti,tos government our
representative aeTnoercX are 5linr 81 the
angio-Ssxon Deep down a. IheiT pas a = de
IlEt q ne of Ms cppo-niTy provided only that he
respects the equal right Of his fellow out o. L.st
ern % ~ et}lerr when that western prin
inis has found expression among some part OF It's
population
A soC4AIIsTIC STATE A DEAD THING
The American people may. Il they choose, tate
she necessary revolutionary steps 10 @ 40 +bv
lectivist socialist state 5ut WIeH tLeE IT, ~ Iii
CT 1P a. Iii. $50 10 5est5 those Splendid traits
of berleyolence human kindness and charity when
marked the upward path o. ~ 3 eyT
the religion Of Christ became one OF Us mos ot
moving forces Socialism IS reactlohsTg, ros II
progressive, movement In me name O. IaU 81 a
glorious and happy utu9e it bias US 70 FsI1T pa e
There hope cor America in socieIsIn a.; -r,;s
Sc sl5ch measure Of Individual and corporate over
sight and control changing circumstances IlL@'
require in order prevent sef-interest ID us eA
eess from damaging the common good WITHOUT
checking It's benehcent activities. .,, .. an
When we pass from controlling principles 10 con-
crete matters We and ourselves fege to faee MI, Wi1
S p ri.b trss c1icf ieT1s~that o. banking and
cs-rercy; that Of tie transportation systems Of
tbs country. and that Of the large corporations
which carry on the manufacture and sale o. prod
OF these the first in Importance. because fund "a,
mental TO every other business question, Is the
problem % banking and currency There Is now
fhority Of law make careful and extensive inquiry
into tbs banking ana currency question ana o., Iq
il there is almost certain 10 come proposal Tor
legislation that viii take banking and currency
system out OF the unsatisfactory condition in which
= n3E IS ana put u on and h,n Iav b carried
on without fear of money famine financial panic
a36 {ne q eeev mars 3sTf 81 the country may be
equally and equitably served; Nothing could be
become or to be made a partisan one.
DEFENDS CREATION OF COMMISSIONS
The second important problem which faces Us IS
that which relates TO the TRANSPORTATION systems u
the country That We have been on the right track
state railway cornTaissiors and the Interstate Com
=, - contradictions ana The hest inter
stare commerce commission would be ones that
constituted 81 men Tho We're eppolnted %
membership upon them because OF long successful
and honorable Tai;ay service " e nave 5ong sI me
by orieal in ordinary criminal cases but II may
trial by ordeal rather than to .udcial inquiry and
The third important concrete question Of the mo-
known as trusts Combinations il restraint OF trade
are obnoxious TO our sense OF natural Justice and
Whether given combination is in restraint Of trade
and determination Every attempt 70 lay down
BY their very existence are in restraint Of trade
has been, and think viii always be, futile
Monopolies, II created by law, We can, II we
choose, IN way that VIII ROB them OF their
power for harm; MonoPolies not created by law
reach either by the taxing power or by the
exercise Of supervision in the public interest IN
controlled mOnopolles not likely 20 be service
able 10 the public, A controlled monopoly. on the
cther hand, may be highly seryiceable. Uniform
snd universal denun citation IS more ludicrous
snd unsatisfactory i that be possible, than uni
form and universal euioEy OF these economic
6ertakings- To attempt 10 assign measure Of viz
vice 70 industrial corporation the basis
Of the Of its capital stock the volume of
its business 6 absurd to measure the public
usefulness Of a citizen by his height weight
No Of these three great questions is properly
z matter for partisan exploitation FOR party DIFF
Each o. the three should be settled
common sense business would settle any queS-
1ton- after close Study Of an the facts and with
THE public interest always uppermost control
ling motive .n pointing TO any given solution
settlement Il IS the highest duty OF the pa trioc
and intelligent business interests OF the United
States that there is interval between poti-
cal cenvasses and campaigns. 40 apply themselves
with all the power Of their great influence to the
and business border so closely upon each other in
WAYS that VIII conduce 10 the moral and material
upbuiding Of our people. as vel as TO their happi
less $40 prosperity.