The Lamar register. [volume] (Lamar, Colo.) 1889-1952, 1908-09-23
JOuRNEY|MG IN
LAND OF CREAMS
impracticable Democratic PROPOSE
tisn for Trust Control.
Convincing Exposition Of Fallacy OF
pryan's Panacea for Solving
Problems of Modern
Business.


(From Gov. Hughes Youngstown
| specify
When we consider remedies that are
| proposed for the trusts, we find our
selves journeying In a land Of dreams.
Again the magician Of 1896 waves his
wand. At a stroke difficulties disap-
pear and the complex problems of mod
srn business are forgotten in the fas-
| cination of the simple panacea. And,
as the free coinage Of silver in the
ratio OF 18 to 1 was to destroy the
curse of gold, so the new found specific
Of equal perfection is to remove the
curse Of Industrial oppression. The de-
fusion Of 1908 10 comparable only to
that of twelve years ago.
The first suggestion is that the law
should prevent 4 duplication Of d.
However Advisable It may be to have
independent directorates Of competing
corporations, It would seem still more
important to have independent stock
holders. for q majority of the stock
holders of a corporation choose the d.
rectors. II 4 law were passed pre-
venting the duplication of directors 1t
would easily be svaded in the selection
| Of men who would represent the same
interests. The most ordinary exper-
fence shows that 1t u not necessary to
serve on a board Of directors in order
10 control its proceedings. Whatever
the advantage Of such law as is pro-
posed it hardly rises to the dignity of
remedy" or indicates its title to a
place In an Imposing scheme Of reform
outlined in a national platform.
But the more important proposal is
shat any manufacturing or trading
| corporation enga gsd in Interstate COM
merce shall be required to take out a
federal license before 1t shall be per-
mittcd to control as much as % per
cent Of the product In which II deals"
A license Is permission. and the object
Of the remedy IL not to regulate large
businesses. but to destroy trusts. Hence
the supposed efficiency Of the plan Is to
Be- found In the prohibition of the con-
troll BY any such corporation "of more
than 50 per cent Of the total amount Of
any product consumed In the United
6tatss." This 10 another delusion Of
rate.
II might b Interesting to Inquire
what il the meaning Of amy product
consumed in the Omitted States" Does
It refer to q class of commodities?
And. II %. how shall the classes be de-
Aned, Or does 1t refer to each sepa-
rate article of commerce7 And. II so,
| what account does this proposal take
Of the skill and Initiative Of manufac-
turers who have built up a more or
less exclusive trade in particular ar
ticles, often protected by trademarks.
although in most active competition
with other articles designed for the
sams general purpose and seeking the
same narkstf In a desire to correct
the evils Of business are we to place
an embargo upon honest endeavor
whose activities present none of the
abuses requiring remedies7 And. II
aot. what statutory definitions shall be
found to b adequate and just II we
lay down our prohibition in terms of
volume or ratio Of business and not In
terms Of right and wrong? II we
adopt Mr.. Bryan's proposal. to what pc
Rod Of production is the prohibition
to apply? 10 the excess for 4 day OF
for 4 month to b considered? Or is
the average production for q year to be
taksnf And what system shall be de-
vissd By which suitable information
may be furnished In the nature Of dan
ger signals along the routes of trade
so that the manufacturer may know
when he is about to exceed the pre-
scribed ratio? He may Justly be re-
quired to govern his own conduct, but
how shall he be apprised of the con-
duct Of others upon which il to depend
his guilt or innoceace?
The patent laws confer true
monopoly In the exclusive right to man.
ufacture and sell. Are these laws TO
be repealed because a private mon
opoly is indefensible and intolerable?"
nrya.'s Crude Reasoning.
An example of Mr.. Bryan's reason
Ing 10 found in his statement that
when q corporation controls so per
cent Of the total product it supplies
forty millions Of people with that pro
uct." There are. of course. specialti
WHICH INV hnAteu iudrket anu a
| used by a relatively small number o
| the people OF the United States. More
than so per cent. and indeed even as
much as 100 per cent Of the trade in
| such articles may be In the control
Of a particular corporation. This may.
In fact. be relatively small corpora
| ton. 1t may never have aspired to the
| unsavory renown Of trust" But by
prosecuting its particular line with
| fidelity and meeting satisfactorily
| limited want; or by reason of some
secret processes or advantage OF expert
snce. 1t may control the trade in a Civ
en- article OF commerce. Or. suppose a
concern controls the whole trade in
some useful byproduct which 1t has
found II adyanta geous TO make In the