The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1908-05-09

n = = q -
would D. frausht with disaster . -
fr6s tnstitutions. state ana national
| We are trying to avoid alike the evils
which would dow from govepmtnt
ownership Of the public utilities bv
which interstate commerce u Chiefly
carried on. and the evils which dow
from the riot and chaos Of unrestrict-
ed individualism. There II grave
danger to our free institutions in the
corrupting influence exercised ~
great wealth suddenly concentrated
In the hands of the few. We should In
sane manner try to remedy this dan
ger, In spite Of the sullen opposition
Of these few very powerful men, and
with the full purpose to protect them
in all their rights at the very time
that we require them to deal right
fully with others.
Need National incorporation.
No judicial tribunal has the knowl.
edge or experience to determine In the
first place whether a given combina-
| ton Is advisable or necessary in the
interest of the public. Some body,
whether commission, or bureau
under the department of commerce
and labor, should be given this power.
My personal belief Is that ultimately
we shall have to adopt national in
corporation law, though / am well
aware that this may be impossible at
present. Over the actions of the ex-
ecutive body in which the power is
placed the courts should possess mere
ly power Of review analogous to that
obtaining In connection with the work
Of the interstate commerce commits
sion at present To confer this power
would not be leap In the dark; 1t
would merely be to carry still further
the theory of effective governmental
control of corporations which was re-
sponsible for the creation of the inter
state commerce commission and for
the enlargement of its powers, and for
the creation Of the bureau of corpora
lions.
Labor Unions Exempted.
So far as labor is engaged in produc-
ton only, its claims to. be exempted
from the antitrust law are sound.
This would substantially cover the
right of laborers to combine, to strike
peaceably, and to enter into trade
agreements with the employers. But
when labor undertakes In a wrongful
manner to prevent the distribution and
sale Of the products of labor, as by
certain forms Of the boycott, 1t has left
the field Of production. and its action
may plainly be In restraint Of inter-
state trade. and must necessarily be
subject to inquiry, exactly as in the
case of any other combination for the
same purpose, 80 as to determine
whether such action Is contrary to
sound public policy. The heartiest en-
enlargement should be given to the
wage-workers to form labor unions
and to enter into agreements with
their employers; and their right to
strike. so long as they act peaceably,
must be preserved. But we should
sanction neither boycott nor black
list which would be illegal at common
law.
The measures advocate are In the
interest both of decent corporations
| and Of lawabiding labor unions. They
| are. moreover. prominently in the
interest Of the public. for in my judg-
ment the American people have def
nitely made up their minds that the
days of the reign Of the great law
defying and law-evading corporations
are over, and that from this time on
the mighty organizations OF capital
necessary for the transaction Of bust
ness under modern conditions, while
encouraged so long as they act hon
estly and in the interest of the gen.
eraI public, are to be subjected to care
full supervision and regulation of q
kind so effective as to insure their
acting in the interest of the people as
whole.
Hits Titled American Women.
Among the many kinds of evil. So
cial, Industrial and political, which it
Is our duty as nation sternly to CON-
bat, there Is none at the same time
more base and more dangerous than
the greed which treats the plain and
simple rules Of honesty with cynical
contempt II they interfere with max
ing q profit; and as a nation we can
not be held guiltless II we condone
such action. The man who breaches
hatred OF wealth honestly acquired
who inculcates envy and jealousy and
slanderous Ill will toward those of his
fellows who by thrift. energy and in
dustry have become men OF means, is
a menace to the community. But his
counterpart in evil Is to be found in
that particular kind Of multimillionaire
who is almost the least enviable, and
is certainly one of the least admirable,
OF all our citizens; a man of whom
It has been well said that his face
has grown hard and cruel while his
body has grown soft; whose son is a
fool and his daughter foreign prin-
cess; whose nominal pleasures are at
best those OF tasteless and extrava-
CANT luxury. and whose real delight,
whose real life work, is the accumula.