Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-08-01

much closer supervision of railway
transactions and brought within the
operation Of the same statute express
companies. sleeping car companies.
fast freight and refrigerator lines, ter
minal railroads and pipe lines. and for
babe in future the combination OF the
transportation and. shipping business
under one control in order to avoid IN
due discrimination.
President Roosevelt directed suits TO
be brought and prosecutions TO lee ilsti-
tuted under the antitrust law. to ell
force its provisions against the most
powerful Of the Industrial corporations
He pressed to passage the pure food
law and the meat inspection Law u tie
interest of the health Of the public.
clean business methods and great ulti-
mate benefit to the trades themselves
He recommended the passage Of a law,
which the Republican convention has
since specifically approved. Restricting
the future issue OF stocks and bonds by
interstate railways to such as may be
authorized by Federal authority. lie
demonstrated to the people By what he
said. bv what he recommended TO Con
gress. and Dy what he did. the sinceri-
ty of his efforts to command respect for
the law. to secure equality Of all before
the law. and 10 save the country from
the dangers Of q plutocTatic govern
ment, toward which we were fast tend
inc. In this work AR Roosevelt has
had tie support and sympathy Of the
Republican party. and its CHEZ hope Of
success in the present controversy must
rest on the confidence which the people
of the country have in the sincerity Of
the party's declaration in its platform,
that it intends to continue his policies.
Necessary TO Devise Some Means Of
Permanently Securing Progress Made.
MI Roosevelt has set high the stand
ard Of business morality and obedience
to law The railroad rate bill was
moro useful possibly in the immediate
moral effect Of its passage than even
IN the regal effect of its very useful
prov isi0ns. From its enactment dates
the voluntary abandonment Of the
practice of rebates and discrimir atoms
by the railroads and the return by,
their managers to obedience to law in
the fixing Of tariffs The pure food
and meat inspection laws and the
prosecutions directed by the President
under the antitrust law have had a
similar moral effect in the general
business community and have made it
now the common practice for the great
Industrial corporations to consult the
law with a view of keeping within its
provisions. 1t has also had the effect
of protecting and encouraging smaller
competitive companies so that they
have been enabled to do a profitable
business.
But we should be blind to the ordi
nary working of human nature if we
did not recognize that the moral stand
ards set by President Roosevelt will
not continue to be observed by those
whom cupidity and desire for finan-
ciaI power may tempt unless the
requisite machinery is introduced into
the law which shall in it's practical op-
Grafton maintain these standards and
secure the country against a depar-
tufe from them.
Chief Function of Next Administration
20 CIinch What Has Been Done.
The chief function of the next I'D
ministrati ton. in my Judgment. is dis
tinct from. and progressive develop
ment of that which has been perform
ed by Presidents Roosevelt. The chief
function of the next Administration is
to complete and perfect the machinery
by which these standards may be
maintained, by which the lawbreakers
may be promptly restrained and pun
ished, but which shall operate with
sufficient accuracy and dispatch to in
terfere with legitimate business as lit
tie as possible. Such machinery is not
now adequate. Under the present rate
bill, and under all its amendments, the
burden of the Interstate Commerce
Commission in supervising and regu-
lating the operation of the railroads OF
this country has grown so heavy that
it is utterly impossible for that tribunal
to hear and dispose, in any reasonable
time, of the many complaints, queries
and issues that are brought before it
for decision. It ought to be relieved of
its jurisdiction as an executive. direct
ing body, and its functions should be
limited to the quasi-judicial investiga-
ton of complaints by individuals and
by a department of the government
charged with the executive business OF
SI1narviSing the Opprat ton of RAILWAYS
There should be a classification Of
that very small percentage of indus
trial corporations having power and
opportunity to effect Illegal restraints
of trade and monopolies, and legisla-
ton either inducing or compelling them
TO subject themselves to registry and
to proper publicity regulations and SUI
pervision of the Department of Com
MERGE and Labor