Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-02-01

In politics We are trying to. secure equal
ity of opportunity for all: and the strug-
gle FOR honesty is the same whether IL IS
made behalf or one set OF men or
Of another. In the interest of the small
settlers and landowners, and against tne
erbittered opposition Of wealthy owners
of corporations desiring TO rob the peo-
pie Of coal and timber. we strive TO Pus
W e end to the theft OF public n and p IN tne
against the action of all men,, whether IN
public life or in private life, VINO ether
take part in or refuse to trv 70 supp
such theft we are really engaged IN inc
same I0iicy as when we endeavor to'put
4 stop to rebates or to prevent the up
growth o. uncontrolled nlonopoiles. our
EFFORT Is simply to enforce the principies
OF common honesty and common sense.
It would indeed be III for the country
should , there be any halt in our WORK We IA.
minlstered, as they are now being adj
minlstered so that the Department OF
is. in very fact the department of jus
tiCe where so far as our ability permits
Justice is melted out with an even hand
20 great and small. rich and poor. weak
no delay in experimenting the laws now
on the statute books by the enactment of
further legislation as outlined in the
message 1 sent TO the Congress on Its as
scn,blinC. Under the existing laws n,Ich.
very much, has been actually accomplish
ed during the past six years, and II has
they car be enforced against he
wealthiest corporation and the rich
or manipulation of that corporation:
as vigorously and fearlessly as
against TIE hun olest offender. Above Ill.
they have been enforced against the very
wrongdoers and agents of wrongdocrs
who have for many years gone scot
free and fiouted the laws with in.pun-
ity against great law-defying corpora
lions of immense wealth. which. until
within the last half dozen years, have
treated themselves and have expected
others to treat them as being beyond ana
above :ill possible check from law.
1t is especially ncce ssary TO secure ID
the representatives of the National CIV
ernsnt full power 70 d ie lr wis e
merce, and allow: all. with the great
interstate common carriers Our people
should clearly recognize that while there
arc difficulties in any course OF conduct
to be followed in dealing with these great
corporations. these difticpitie" must be
dfHnvoSdrfbtifi ofcfnam. inonl-w-do aoa n
The first course Is to abandon all ef-
fort 10 oversee ana control their actions
in the interest of the general public ana
to permit q return to the utter lack o.
control which would obtain II they were
left to the common law. ] do not for one
tolerate this position The extraordinary
growth ct modern industrialisn aas rend-
cred the common law law; ", wm ana, sr its t up
tally different conditions. IN many re
spects irad.uuate to deal With the new
conditions. These new conditions make IT
necessary to Shacklc cunning as in the
past have skackled force. The vast
individual and corporate fortunes. the
= marked the development of our industrial!
, system, create new conditions. ana No
g es'tare 4 change from the old attitude
of the State and the Nation toward the
rules regulating the acquisition and I'M
tramn"lci business use OF property, IN
order both that property may be ade-
time those who hold it rnav be pre-
vented from wroncdoing.
The second and third courses are to
have the regulation undertaken cither By
, the Nation Of hv the States. OF cours.,
in any event both the National Govern
Incnt and the several State governments
must do each its part, and each can do IL
; certain amount that the other can not do.
while the only really satisfactory results
must be obtained by the representatives
, working heartily together within their
respective spheres. But in my judgment
thoroughgoinE and satisfactory control
So can in the end only be obtained by th5
action of the National Government. for
almost al the corporations OF enormous
: weaith-that Is the corporations which
: Engaged in iterstate commerce. and de-
. rive their power and their Importance not
o from that portion of their business which
1 is interstate. but from the interstate bust
ness 1t is rot easy always to decide Just
: where the line of demHrcation between tha
: ultimately he drawn by the Federal
courts. Much of the effort to secure adc
quite control OF the great corporations
1 by State action has beeluWisc and .ffcc-
s tive. but much of it hns Gcen neither. for
o when the effort Is made to accomplish by
the action of the State what cen only By
3 accomplished by the action of the Nation,
the result cen only be disappointment.
~ aud in TIE end the law will probably be-
declared unconstitutional So likewise in
: the national arena, We who believe IN
d the lIt i..Ir i,grin adv coated are lam
= pered and not aided by the extremists
, who ad""c1t' actor 90 violent that II
] would either b.; useless or else would
! caus@ n.r:e mischief than 1t would
remedy.
. II a recent letter from n lenru-d judg.-
Il of tre supreme court Of one Of the Gulf
5 States. thr writer speaks as follows:
{ IN all nattHrs pertaining To intcrstat,
: cofln"rcr the authority Of the National
o taT" 20 bc acquired. and the cxtrcis'
b of this existing authority cat hr Iii III"
. sens" ? usnrIat'on Of Or infringement en-,
i cor;lnr". had thc Federal Government
= given th!s question more attention In tn
t past ard APPLIED II Vigorous chtcs to
: corporate abuses, conditions would now
= be better b'CaGs'. tho States would hav,'
S HAD rrwpr real or imaginary grievance {
o attamr, tn" exercise "t the ( nu-
o Gov~rnn,ont. but TO act Without
- proper moderation i'll matters peculiarly
: within their own proyiaccS. The National
: tG0v..rnrcnt ;as been remiss in the past
9 hut even At this late day 1t car solve
: this problem. and the sooner the National
q aut hority is exercised the less apt are TN"
e states to take action which will reprcsen;
. Iencroachment upor the National domain
= There is n field Of operations for both
/ powers. ana plenty alike for National
# and State governments to do In order
: to protect both the people and the pub
(. lie utilities The line of rnarcntion be-
It tween Federal and State authority can
r and should be speedily settled BY the
t Federal courts. The fact that the Ma
y tional Government hus omitted TO ex-
Y ercise the authority conferred upon IL
!; lby the interstate commerce clause of the
II Constitution has made the States rpstive
Il; under what they deem corporate abuses.
Y and in some cases has probably stniula-
y CONTINUED on Page Twelve.),
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