Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1908-12-11

e fight against adequate government
control aud supervision Of individual
= and especially OF corporate. wealth en-
J gagged IN interstate business Is chief
: done under cover. and especially I'm
der cover Of an appeal 20 states
rights. II Is not al oil lnfrequent 4
read in the same speech denuncia
ton Of predatory wealth fostered b.,
special privilege and defiant OF boti
the public welfare and law Of thu
land and a denuDclation OF centralIza
ton in the central government OF this
power 20 deul with this centralized
and organized wealth. or course the
policy set forth IN such twin deDuncia-
lions amounts 10 absolutely nothing
eor TIC fiFst ;ia:f IS nuilifed by the
second half. The chief reason among
the many sound aud compelling rea-
SONS that led 10 the formation Of the
national government was the absolute
need ;blt the Union and not the sew
eral states should deal with interstate
and foreign commerce. and the power
10 deal with interstate commerce was
granted absolutely and plenarily to
the central government and was exer-
cised completely IA regards the only
Instruments Of interstate commerce
+ known IN those days the waterways,
the highroads- wen rs the partner
I ships Of individuals who then conduct
ed ~ OF what business there was
Interstate CONNER IS now chiefly
conducted by railroads, and the great
corporation has supplantcd the mass
OF small partnerships or individuals.
The proposal to make the national
government supreme over. and there
fore 70 give II complete control over,
the railroads ana other Instruments Of
Interstate commerce Is merely pro-
posal 10 carry out 10 the letter one Of
the prime purposes. If not the prime
purpose for which the constitution
was founded II does not represent
ccnfralizati0n II represents merely
the acknowledgment Of the patent fact
that Capitalization has already come
IN business. If this irresponsible out
side business power Is 10 be controlled
IN the interest Of the general public
Il can only be controlled in one way.
by giving adequate power Of control to
the one sovereignty capable Of exer-
clslng such power the national gov
eminent Forty or City separate state
governments cannot exercise that
power over corporations doing bust (
ness IA most or all Of them. first. be-
cause they absolutely lack ,he author
It's 90 deal with Interstate business IN I
any form and. second. because of the
Inevitable ccndict If authority sure to
arise ia the effort 10 enforce different
kinds Of state regulation. often incon-
sislcnt With one another and some
times oppressive IN themselves. Such
divided authority cnnn0t regulate com
mcrcc with wisdom and effect The
central government IS the only power
which without oppression can never
theless thoroughly and adequately
control and supervise the large cor
poratlVns To abandon the effort for
national control means to abandon the
effort for all adequate control and
yet 20 render likely continual bursts OF
action by state legislatures. which ,
-annOt achieve the purpose sought for
but which can do Il great deal of dam
lge 10 the corporation without confer
ring any real benefit on the public.
! believe that the more iarsighred
corporations are themselves coming to
'ecognze the unwisdom OF the violent |
hostility they have displayed during
he last few years To regulation and
ontro 10y the national government OF |
engaged in Interstate /
business he truth is that we who
'elieve In this movement OF asserting |
nj exercising genuine control in the |
ublic interest over these great cOrpO-
ations have to contend against two
cts of enemies, who. though nominal
, opposed 70 one another, are really
HES IN preventing a proper solution J
the problem. There are. first the 5
TX corporation men aud the extreme
among business men ;
Tho genuinely believe in utterly I'M
sgulated business that Is. in the reign I
T plutocraey and. second. the men !
lovcments OF the day. believe in :
lovement Of repression rather than of
EQUATION of corporations and who de- ;
ounce both the power of the railroads L
nj the exercise OF the federal power
hich alone can really control the rail q :,
lads. Those who believe In efficient =
iti0ual control. on the other hand. do :
>t IN the least object to combinations. =.
, not IN the least object To c0ucentra- =
)n IN business administration. On -
Il contrary. they favor both. With the :
! important provlso that there shall be -
Ich publicity about their workings :,
IA such thoroughgoins control over =
em as 10 insure their being in the =
terest and not against the interest Of -
e general public We do not object y,
the concentration of wealth and nd
but We 10 believe In the y
strlbutioa OF the wealth In profits TO /,
e real owners and Ia securing to the -.
lbllc the fun benefit of abe coucen -
sied administration Ne believe that
ia concentration in administration /,
ere can come both the advantage OF "a
larger OWNERSHIP aud OF a more !,
uitahle distribution OF profits and ut i,