The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1908-02-05

of violence. corruption. and fraud. from
murder to bribery. and ballot-boS stuff
equality of opportunity for all: and the
struggle for honesty is the same whether
it is made on behalf of one set of men
or of another.
Laws Must Continue to Be
Administered with Even Hand
The laws must in the future be adj
,nnistered as they are now being adj
mnistered. so that the department OF
Justice may continue to be, what it now
Is. in very fact the department of JUS
justice is meted out with an even hand
to great and small. rich and poor. weak
and strong Moreover. there should be
on the statute books by the enactment of
further legislation as outlined in the
mess: sent to congress on its assem-
Very much, has been actually accom-
plished during the past six years. and ii
has been shown by actual experience
wealthiest corporation and the richest
and most powerful manager or manipu-
lator of that corporation las vigorously
and fearlessly as against the humblest
enforced against the very wrongaoers
so many years gone scot free and flouted
the laws with impunity, against great
law ,,defyins. corporations of immense
wealth. which, until within the last half
dozen years have treated themselves and
have expected others to treat them as
being beyond and above all possible
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 in
terstate common carriers. Our people
should clearly recognize that while there
to be followed in dealing with these great
corporations. these difficulties must be
faced, and one of three courses followed
The first course is to abandon all eff
fort to oversee and control their actions
in the interest of the general public
ar to Wod obtain hs utter thex
We're left to the common law. do not
for one moment believe that our people
would tolerate this position. me ex
ism has rendered the common law, which
grew up under and was adapted to deal
with totally different conditions; in many
respects inadequate to deal with the new
conditions. These new conditions make II
necessary TO shackle cunning as in the
individual and corporate fortunes. the
vast combinations of capital which hava
marked the development OF our industrial
system, create new conditions, and neces-
state a change from the old attitude OF
the state and nation toward the rules
regulating the acquisition and untram-
both that property may be adequately
protected, and that at the same tma
those who hold 1t may be prevented from
wrongdoing.
The second and third courses are to
have the regulation undertaken either
by the nation or by the states. OF
course in any event both the national
government and the several state gov
ernmentS must do each its part. ann
each can do Il certain amount rnat the
other cannot do. while the only really
satisfactory results must be obtained
by the representatives of the national
and state governments working heart
ny ny together DIV Withim 'he,r rie Mds
thoronghgoing and satisfactory con
troll can in the end only be obtained by
enormous wealth--that is. the corpora
lions which it is especially desirable to
merce,. and derive their power and
their Importance not from that por
ton of their business which is intra-
state, but from the Interstate business
1t, is not easy always to decide jus,
where the line of demarcation between
the two kinds of business falls This
federal courts. Much of the effort to
secure adequate control of the great
corporations by state action has been
wise and effective. but much of it has
been neither; for when the effort il
made to accomplish by the action OF
the state what can only be accom-
result can only be disappointing. and in
the end the law will probably be de-
clared unconstitutional So. likewise.
in the measures herein advocated are
hampered and not aided by the extrem
lists who advocate action so violent
that it would either be useless or else
would cause more mischief than ii
would remedy
We have just passed through two
months of acute financial stress. At any
such time it is sad fact that entirely
innocent people suffer from no faul,
Of their own; and every one must fee.
the keenest sympathy for the largs
body of honest business men. of hon
est investors. of honest wageworkers.
who suffer because involved in a crash
for which they are in no way respon
sible AT such time there is a natu-
raj tendency on the part of many men
to feel gloomy and frightened at the
for this feeling. There is no nation a'S s.,
absolutely sure of ultimate success
as ours. OF course we shall sue
iced. Ours is a nation of masterfui
energy. with a continent for its do
main. and it feels within it's veins the
thrill which comes TO those who know
not cast down by the fear of failure
We are upheld by the confident hope
of ultimate triumph The wrongs that
way justify doubt as to the final out
come. doubt as to the great materia.
prosperity of the future. or of the lofty
spiritual life which is to be built upon
that prosperity. as a foundation. Nc
misdeeds done in the present must ba
permitted to Shroud from our eyes the
glorious future of the nation; but be.
cause of this very fact it behooves us
never to swerve from our resolute pur
pose to cut out wrongdoing and uphold
what is right
do not for moment believe that the
actions of this administration haya
brought on business distress: so far az
this is due to local and not world-wids
causes, and to the actions of any par
ticular individuals it is due To the specu.
ative folly and fragrant dishonesty of a
few men of great wealth. who seek Ia
shield themselves from the effects of theIr
own wrongdoing by assembling its results
to the actions of those who have sought
to put a stop to the wrongdoing But
if it were true that to cut out rotten
ness from the body polite meant a mo-
mentary check to an unhealthy seemina
prosperity. l should not for one moment
hesitate to put the knife to the corrup
ton. On behalf of all our people on
behalf no less of the honest man of
means than of the honest man who earns
each days livelihood by that days sweat
of his brow. it is necessary to insist upor
honesty in business and politics alike i'm
all walks of life. in big things and in
little things; upon just and fair dealing
as between man and man Those who de-
mand this striving for the right in
the spirit of Abraham Lincoln when he
said.