Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-04-28
CONGRESS INDIFFERENT
TO PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
Continued from Fifth page)


1uatc power of control over them. AZ
present tho failure of the Congress 10
utilize and exercise the great powers
conferred upon 1t as regards intc~-
state commerce leaves this commerce.
TO be regulated not by the state nor
yet by tho Congress. but ~ lie occa-
sional and necessarily inadequate and
one-sidcd action of tho Federal judi.
ciary. However upright and abe al
court In. it can not act constructive
ly; II can only act negatively or de-
structivcly. as an agency of govern
mcnt; and this means that the court,
are and must always be unable to
deal effectively with problem like
tho present. which requires construc.
tive action. a court can decide what
is faulty. but Il has no power TO make
better what II thus finds TO he faulty
There should be an efficient executive
body created with power enough to
correct abuses and scope enough to-
work ont tho complex problems that
THIS great country has developed. 1t
Ia not sufficient objection to say that
such n hody may he guilty of unwis.
dom or of abuses. Any governmental
body, whether court or commits.
y sion. whether executive. legislative or
Judicial. If given power enough to en-
able II 20 do effective work for good.
must also inevitably receive enough
power to make il possibly effective for
evil.
Therefore. 1t is clear that (unless n
national incorporation law can nc
forthwith enactcn) some body or bod
les IN tho executive service should be
given power to pass upon any comhi-
nation or agreement in relation to In
terstate commerce. and every such
combination or agreement not thus
approved should be treated rs in VIC
lation of law and prosecuted accord
inely. The issuance of the securities
OF any combination doing interstate
business should be under the super
vision of the national government.
a strong effort has been made TO
The Labor Situation.
have labor organizations completely
exempilied from any OF the opera
tions of this law, whether or not their
acts are in restraint of trade. Such
exception would In all probability
make tho bill unconstitutional ana
the legislature has no more right to
pass bill without regard TO whether
ii is constitutional than the courts
have lightly to declare unconstitu.
tional law which tho legislature has
solemnly enacted. The responsibility
i- is as great on the one side MS on the
other. and an abuse of power by the
legislature in one direction Is equally
10 he condemned with an abuse Of
\ power Ivy the courts In the other d.
rection II is not possible wholly to
y except labor organizations from the
workings of this law. and thcy who III
sist upon totally excepting them are
merely providing that their status
& shall continue 10 he exposed 10 the
action which they now dread OBJ
vlously, an organization not formed
for profit should not be required TO
furnish statistics in any way az com
plete as those furnished by organiza-
tions for profit. Moreover, so far az
labor is engaged in production only,
its claims to be exempted from the
antitrust law are sound. This would
substantially cover tho right of labor
ers TO combine. to strike peaceably
and to enter into trade agreements
with the employers But when labor
undertakes in wrongful manner tc
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 he in restraint of interstate
trade. and must necessarily he subject
afo inquiry. exactly as in the case of
any other combination for the same
purpose. so rs to determine whether
such action is contrary to sound pun
lie policy. The hcartiest encourage.
mont should he given to the wage
workers to form labor unions and to
center into agreements with their EN-
fployers; and their right to strike. so
long as they act peaceahly, must he
preserved. But we should sanction
neither boycott nor a blacklist
which would be Illegal at common
law.
"My Measures" Arc All Right.
The measures I advocate are in the
interest OF decent corporations and Of
law-abding labor unions. They are.
moreover, prominently In the inter.
est of the public. for in my judgmen,
the American people have definitely
made up their minds that TEe days
of the reign of tho great law-defying
and law-evading corporations are
over, and that from this time on the
mighty organizations OF capital neces-
sary for the transaction of business
under modern conditions. while en-
couraged SO long as they act honestly
aud In the interest of the general pub
lie. are to be subjected TO careful su
pervision and regulation of a kind so
effective as to insure their acting in
the interest of the people as Il whole
Allegations are often made to the
effect that there is no real need for
these laws looking to tho moro cffec.