River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1908-02-06


justify every form of CT iminality on the
part of a labor union. al every form
murder to bribery and ballot-box stuff
ing in politics. We are trying to secure
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 ad-
p1iniStered as they are now being ad-
ministered. so that the department OF
justice may continue to be, what it now
is, in very fact the department of jus
tice, where so far as our ability permits
justice is melted out with an even hand
to great and small. rich and poor, weak
and strong. Moreover, there should be
no delay in experimenting the laws now
on the statute books by the enactment of
further legislation as outlined in the
message sent to congress on its assem-
bling. Under the existing laws, much.
very much. has been actually accom-.
plished during the past six years. and it
has been shown by actual experience
that they can be enforced against the
wealthiest corporation and the richest
lator of that corporation ,as vigorously
and fearlessly as against the humblest
enforced against the very wrongdoers
and agents of wrongdoers who have for
so many years gone scot free and houted
the laws with impunity, against great
law-defying corporations of immense
wealth, which. until within the last half
dozen years, have treated themselves ana
have expected others to treat them as
being beyond and above all possible
check from law.
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
are difficulties in any course or conouct
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
and to permit a return to the utter lack
of control which would obtain II they
for one moment believe that our people
would tolerate this position. The eX-
traordinary growth of modern lndustrlai-
ism has rendered the common law whlcn
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
past we have Shackled force. The vast
individual and corporate fortunes tne
vast combinations of capital which nave
marked the development OF our lndustrlal
system create new conditions, and neces-
state change from the ola at .i ls,, Oh
the state and nation toward the rules
regulating the acquisition and untram-
meled business use of property, In ORDER
both that properly may tb De s aueuI tims
those who hold 1t may be prevented from
WrongdOing.
The second and third cour5es are to
have the regulation undertaken either
by the nation or by the states. VI
course in any event both the natlonal
government and the several state gov
ernments must do each it's part ana
each can do a certain amount that the
other cannot do, while the only really
satisfactory results must be obtained
lfnf nf
and state governments working heart
lily together within their respective
spheres -, But in my my o+o 5Idgm nenl
troll can in the end only be obtained by
the action of the national government:
for almost all the corporations OF
lions which it is especially desirable to
control-are engaged in interstate COM
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 just
where the line of de1narcation between
| the two kinds of business falls. This
| line must ultimately be drawn by the
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 1t has
been neither; for when the effort Is
made to accomplish by the action of
| the state what can only be accom-
plished by the action Of the nation, the
| result can only be disappointing, and In
| the end the law will probably be de-
| clared unconstitutional. So, likewise
| in the national arena, we who believe
| 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 1t
would remedy.
We have just passed through two
months of acute financial stress. At any
such time it is a sad fact that entirely
of their own; and every one must feel
the keenest sympathy for the large
body of honest business men, Of hon
est investors, of honest wageWorkers,
who suffer because involved in crash
for which they are in no way respon
sible. At such time there is a natu-
to feel gloomy and frightened at the
outlook; but there, is no Justification
for this feeling. There is no nation SO
as ours. Of course we shall sue
coed. Ours is a nation of masterful
energy, with a continent for it's do
thrill which comes to those who know
that they possess the future. We are
not cast down by the fear of failure.
Of ultimate triumph. The wrongs that
exist are to be corrected; but they in no
way justify doubt as to the final out
prosperity of the future, or of the lofty
spiritual life which is to be built upon
that prosperity as foundation. No
misdeeds done in the present must be
permitted to ShrOud from our eyes the
glorious future of the nation; but be-
cause of this very fact 1t bekooves us
never to swerve from our resoiute pur-
pose to cut out wrongdoing and uphold
what is right.
1 do not for moment believe that the
actions of this administration have
brought on business distress; so far as
this is due to local and not worldwide
causes and to the actions of any par
ticular individuals, it is due to the specu-
lative folly and fragrant dishonesty Of a
few men of great wealth, who seek to
shield themselves from the effects of their
own wrongdoing by ascribing it's results
to the actions of those who have sought
to put stop to the wrongdoing. But
if it were true that to cut out rotten
ness from the body polite meant mo-
mentary check to an unhealthy seeming
prosperity, / 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 upon
honesty in business and politics alike in
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 are striving for the right in
the spirit of Abraham Lincoln when he
"Fondly do we hope, fervently do we
pray, that this mighty Scourge may pass
away Yet, If God wills that it continue
until all the wealth piled by the bonds
mems two hundred and fifty years of UNI
reuuited toll shall be sunk, and until
every drop of blood drawn with the lash
the sword, as was said three thousand
years ago, so still it must be said: The
judgments of the Lord are true and
oJic1 +C1,yor ri Yona NTH oba rifv