The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1908-04-28

but it has no power to make better
what il thus finds to be faulty. There
should be an efficient executive body
created with power enough to correct
abuses aud scope enough to work out
the complex problems that this great
country has developed. 1t is not
sufficient objection 20 say that such
a body may be guilty of unwisdom OF
Of abuses. ANY governmental body,
whether a court or commission,
whether executive, legislative or judi
oial, if given power enough to enable
Il to do effective work for good must
also inevitably receive power to-
make it possibly effective for evil
Therefore, it is clear that (unless
a national incorporation law can be
forthwith enacted) some body or
bodies in the executive service should
be given power to pass upon any com
bination or agreement in relation to
interstate commerce, and every such
combination or agreement not thus
approved should be treated as in
violation of law and prosecuted ac-
oordingly The issuance of the Sc.
aurities of any combination dong IN
terstate business hould be under the
supervision Of the national govern
ment.
AS to Labor Organizations.
A strong effort has been made t.
have labor organizations completely
exempted from any operations Ct
this law, whether or not their acts
are in restraint of trade. Such ex-
ception would in all probability make
he bin unconstitutional and the
legislature has no more right to pass
a bill without regard to whether it is
constitutional than the courts have
lightly to declare unconstitutional Il
law which the legislature has solemn
iy enacted The responsibility is a.
great on the one side as on the other.
md an abuse of power by the lagisla-
ture in one direction is equally to be
condemned with an abuse Of power
by the courts in the other direction.
Z is not possible wholly to except
labor organizations from the work
ings Of this law, and they who insist
lpon totally excepting them are mere
y providing that their status shall
pc kept wholly unchanged and that
hey shall continue to be exposed to
he action which they now dread
obviously, an organization not fopmedI
for profit should not be required to
urnish statistics in any way as com
Dlete as those furnished by arganiYa
lions for profit Moreover, so far as
abor is engaged in production only,
IS claims to be exempted from the
antitrust law are sound This would
substantially cover the right Of
aborers to combine, TO strike peace
IDLY and TO enter into trade agree
nents with the employers. But when
abOr undertakes in a wrongful man
Ter to prevent the distribution and
certain forms of the boycott, it has
eft the field of production, and its
lction may plainly be in restraint of
Interstate trade. and must necessarily
be subject to inquiry, exactly as in
the case Of any other. combination
FOR the same purpose so as to de-
'ermine whether such action is con
trary to sound public policy, The |
1eartiest encouragement should be |
yiven to the wagcWorkcrs to form |
q No 4 tn int
nents with their employers; and |
heir right to strike, so long as they |
act peaccably. must be preserved But
we should sanction neither a boycott |
nor blacklist which would be illegal
1T common law.
The measures | advocate are in the
interest both of decent corporations
md of law-abiiing labor unions.
They are moreover prominently in
he interest of the public for in my
Judgment the American people have
definitely made up their minds that
he days of the reign Of the great law.
lefying and law-oyading corporations
ire over and that from this time on
he mighty organizations of capital
necessary for the transaction of bust
Tess under modern conditions. while
Encouraged so long as they act hon
'stly and in the interest of the gen
raj public, are to be subjected to
areful supervision and regulation of
kind so effective as to insure their
Ictiug in the interest Of the people