The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-04-28

rect abuses, and scope enough TO
work ont the complex problems that
this great country has developed
IL is not sufficient objection 10 say
that such body may be guilty Of
unwiSdom or of abuses. Any govern |
mental body, whether court OF a /
commission, whether executive, legis-
lative or judicial, if given power
enough to enable il to do effective
work for good, must also inevitably
receive enough power to make it pos
sibly effective for evil.
Therefore. it Is clear that unless a
national incorporation law can be
forthwith enacted, somebody or
bodies in the executive service should
be given power TO pass upon any
combination or agreement IN relation
TO interstate commerce and every
such combination and agreement not
thus approved should be treated as in
violation of law and prosecuted &C
cOrdingIy. The issuance of the Sc
curitieS of any mbinatiOn doing an
interstate business should De under
the supervision of the national gov
eminent.
ORGANIZED LABOR AND THE LAW
4 strong effort has been made to
have labor organizations completely
exempted from any of the operations
of this law. whether or not their acts
are in restraint of trade. Such eX-
ception would in all prODa bility make
the bill unconstitutional and the leg
islature has no more right TO pass a
bill without regard to whether il is
constitutional than the courts have
lightly to declare unconstitutional a
law which the legislature has solemn
" enacted The responsibility Is as
great on the one side as on the other.
1t is not possible wholly 10 except
labor organizations from the work
ings of this law and they VINO insist
upon totally excepting them are
merely providing that their states
shall be kept wholly unchanged and
that they shall continue to be eX
posed 10 the action which they now
dread. Obviously an organization not
formed for pTC1t should not be re-
Guired TO furnish statistics in any
way as complete as those furnished
bv organizations for profit. Moreover.
so far as labor Is engaged in produc-
ton only, its claims 10 be exempted
from the antitrust law are sound.
This would substantially cover the
right of laibOrerS To combine, TO
strike peaceably and to enter into
trade agreements with the employ
ers. But when labor undertakes in
-
distribution and sale of the products
of labor. as by certain forms Of the
boycott. il has left the field Of pro-
duction and its action may plainly be
in restraint of interstate trade and
must necessarily be subject TO in
uuiry- exactly As in The case OF any
other combination for the same pur-
nose. so a. 10 determine whether
such action is contrary TO sound pub
lie policy.
LABOR UNION ENCOURAGED.
The heartiest encouragement should
be given TO wage workers 10 form
labor unions and 10 enter into agree
ments with their employers and their
right to strike so long as they act
Deaceaoly must be preserved But
We should sanction neither a boycott
nor a blacklist which would De lie
gal at common law Both of the
measures | advocate are in the IN
terest of both decent corporations and
| law abiding unions They are. more
over pre-emineutly in the interest OF
the public for the public in my jUds-
ment is determined that from this
time on. the mighty organizations OF
capital necessary for the transaction
| Of business under such conditions.
| while encouraged so long as they act
| honestly and in the interest of the
general public. are TO be subjected
10 careful supervision and regulation
| OF a kind so effective as to insure
! their acting in the interest OF the
| people 4 whole
GREEDY MILLiONAiRES.
Among the many kinds OF evil. so
| cial, industrial and political which