Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1908-04-03
COUNTRY NEEDS A

mere s no d0u0t out that ex-fr6sl-
dent Cleveland put into words what u
in the minds Of most thinking men Of
the country today when he said, .Our
people need rest, riter a period Of ter rite
hysteria; they need peace after intense
excitement and apprehension; snd they
need conservatism, after the disturbing
fever of radicalism." lie country is
now getting the rest VI inaction which
is worse than no rcst at all, the kind Of
rest Of which Mr.. Cleveland spoke was
that which comes to IL busy man who
realizes the just rewards OF industry and
progress toward the fullillmen; Of his
aubitio.. There is Idlrucss now but
no rest, and not until we have passed
through tho -hysteria' OF winch Mr..
Cleveland spoke will the cit IA be-
come healthy. The great prosperity OF
the country had apparently created a
prejudice that has ted tn efforts to go
hedge IN the corporations and other
large enterprises that the incentive to
build and construct has beer ten-
porarily lost.
The eocia]iptic element has gone on
the theory apparently that success can
only be achieved through cbicanery
and fraud, and tue refoTe the wealthy
man Ii OF Necessity Hn undesirable
citizen. Unfortunately there has been
a great deal Of hose talk from those
who should md do know better but who
saw "A chance to use the p svailIng pre-
JUDGES Tor selfish purposes There has
been much said and written about the
moral awakening Of the people, but the
fact is that we had just atout reached
the time when the study OF the problem
OF controlling the transportation CON-
panies had resulted in definite views
and fixed ideas, 1t took come years for
example, to find that the Sherman law
could be applied to the railways for the
trainers OF the law had nothing IN mind
but the industrial combinations which
strangely enough have gone ON as
though the law had never been passed.
II is not to be argued from this that the
law has been totally ineffective against
the industrial combinations, for it has
been useful in preventing agreements in
restraint Of trade but the movement OF
combinaticn WAS simply shifted from
agreements between different companies
To the actual purchase OF the plants and
good wills.
The effective work done by this adj
II UIist ration has been under the Sher-
man law in the Northern Securities cnse
but more especially under the ElkiEs
law, which has stool the test Of con-
ST ituuunnlity; this liz probably more than
could be said Of the Hepburn law il il
il ever taken i; Ia court, which il Ger.
taiDly will never be by the railways for
they have found it too satisfactory. II
has been claimed tlrat il was necessary
to have Il certain amonnt OF hysteria
and scnsatiorali-m in order to secure
results and perhaps this may be true OF
action By congress, but the most effect
i've work OF tho administration has not
been III securing the passage OF new
laws but III enforcing those that had
been on the statute books for some
years. IL surely will not be claimed
thai public hysterIH and sentatiopalism
are nect ssary GdjuDcis to the successful
prosecution OF suits brought in the court.
II may TIE saiu Of former admiuistra-
tons that the Elkins law was not fully
understood npd that the present admin.
istration received the benefit OF the de-
cisions thai had been secured proving its
constitutIopnlity and effectiveness. There
il no desperation to take from the presi-
dent any Of the Credit due HIN Tor his
en- Tor cement Of the law, but the bust
ness interests OF the country are won.
dering il the laws could not have been
enforced just rs effectively without SEN
sational messages to congress and the
erection Of straw men to be knocked
down, such ~ reported conspiracy ~
wealthy malefaCtOrs. The presidents
methods appear TO many TO have been
unnecessarily crude ind have resulted
in the hysteria and apprehension re-
fcrred to by Mr.. Cleveland, which have
been partially responsible Tor tho loss Of
confidence Oh the part OF investors. The
evidences now coming from Ww hing.
ton that more conservative methods IRE
to be used have been greeted with Il
eigh o. relief, aud IL followed out will
bring us that peace We should enjoy and
later on the chance for nl to work and
reap a Just reward, the kind Of rest the
country most needs at present.-Boston
Financial News.