The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1908-04-02

other measure which would acfisye re
desired end thlA In mind WnnlNs
suggest. merely tentatively the following
The substantive part OF the antt-trust
law should remain as at present: that e,
every contract In restraint OF trade or
with foreign nations should continue 70
be declared illegal: provided, however.
that. some proper government authority
lsuch as the commissioner of corporations
acting under the secretary Of
and labor be allowed to pass on any such
contracts. Probably the best method 81
providing Tor this you'd be TO ensct that
contained In the anti-trust law, Into which
1t was desired to enter, might be filed
spnpo 5ns nur eascn 81 eoT 5eS ns, Or othss
provide publicity. Within, say. 50 days q
the ~fltng-whtch period could be extended
by order Of the department whenever for
any reason II did not give the department
sufficient time for q thorough examine
tfon-the executive department havinr
power might forbid the contract, which
would then become subject to the pro-
visions OF the antitrust law. II at nj In
restraint Of trade.
+ no such prohibition was issued. the
contract would then only be liable to at
tack on the ground that It constituted
an unreasonable restraint OF trade. When-l
ever the period Of filing had passed with
- ~ rs Nl0 CQxlSE0CI8
or combinations could be disapproved 81
forbidden only. after notice and hearing
With a reasonable provision for summary
organizations. farmers organizations, and
other organizations not organized for pur-
poses of profit. should be allowed to reg-
lister under the law by giving the location
OF the head office. the charter and BYLAW.
and the names and addresses OF their
principal officers. In the interest Of All
these Observation-Disclosures, labor. and
armer organizations alike-the present
provision permitting tho recovery Of three
fold damage should be abolished. n q
g. substttute therefor the right of recovery
allowed for should be only the damaEss
sustained by tho plaintiff and the cost
OF suit. including a reasonable attorneys
The law should not affect pending suits:
a short statute OF Limitations should b
provided Pre- 70 SO far as the past is concerned.
business combinations. all such suits
brought for causes Of action heretofore
contract or combination complained Of
was unfair or unreasonable. It may be
Vel to remember that all of tho suits
hitherto brought by the government under
the antitrust law a " been In cases
where the combination or contract Wa
In TACT unfair. unreasonable, and agsins;
Strikes Legal.
It Is important thai we should encour-
age trade agreements between employer
and employe where they are Just and fair.
a Mr e,rase done Is a e. e,u Iahyr w cap n for rightinE
tend. so far as possible, the process OF
Cancellation and arbitration as a substitute
Tor strikes, Moreover. violence. disorder.
ton with strikes, should be as promnfiv
and as sternly repressed as when COM
misted IN any other connection. But
strikes themselves are. and should be. roo-
ognized to be entirely legal. Combine
tions OF ~workingmen ave a peculiar rea-
individual employer, and still more the
very wealthy corporation. stand at an
enormous advantage when compared to
the Individual w~orkingman; and while
there are many cases where it may NOT
be necessary for laborers to form q union
In many other cases 1t is Indispensable.
the thousands Of individual workingmen.
viii be left helpless in their dealings With
the one big unit. the big individual or
corporate employer.
June 2s, 1856, trades unions were recos-
nized BY law, and the right Of laborins
GLIDING combination for mutual projection
ana benefits, the regulation OF wages.
protection of the Individual rights Of tho
work1nen in the prosecution Of their trade
or trades, and In the act OF Tune i. 1898,
same provision that forbade participation
In or instigation of force or violence
against persons or property, or the at
tempt to prevent others from working.
by violence, threat, or intimidation. Tn.
business man must be protected in person
and property, and SO must the farmer
and the wageWorker: and as regards all
alike. the right of peaceful combination
for all lawful purposes should be explicitly
recognized
The right Of employers to combine ana
contract with one another and with their
employees hould be explicitly recognized:
and so should the right of the employees
other and with the employers. and to seek
peaceably to persuade others to accept
their views. and to strike for the purpose
of peaceably obtaining from employers
Ing should be done to legalize either q
blacklist or a boycott that would be IL
OF boycott defined and condemned by the
anthracite strike commission.
Establish Postal Banks.
The question Of financial legislation 10
now receiving such attention in both
action before the close of the session. II
is urgently necessary that there should
be such action. Moreover. action should
These postal savings banks are impera-
lively needed for the benefit of the wage
workers and men of small means, and
will be a valuable adjunct to our whole
financial system.
Revise Tariff.
n time has come when we should pre-
pare for a revision of the tariff. This
should be, and indeed must be, preceded
by careful investigation. 1t is peculiarly
the province of the congress and not Of
the president, and indeed peculiarly tho
province of the House of Representative,
to originate a tariff bill and to determine
upon its terms; and this ! fully realize.
Yet It seems to me that before the close
of this session provision should be made
for collecting full material which will en-
able the congress elected next fall to act
Immediately after 1t comes into existence.
This would necessitate some action by
the congress at its present session, per-
haps in the shape of directing the proper
committee to gather the necessary in
formation, both through the committee IT.
self and through government agents who
should report to the committee and should
lay before IL the facts which would per-
nit il to act with prompt and intelligent
fairness. These government agents, II 1t
Is not deemed wise to appoint individuals
from outside the public service. might
with advantage be members OF the execu-
tive departments, designated by the presi-
dent. on his own motion or on the request
Of the committee. 10 act with II.
/ am Of the opinion. however. that one
change in the tariff could with advantage
be made forthwith. Our forests need ev-
cry protection, and one method Of pro-
tecttng them would be to put uDon the