Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1910-10-29

prevent wrong doing. Men will always
AXE the chances of violating the law
for money if they can have some one
else pay the fine.
Should Provide Forfeiture.
But the rule of individual RESPONSE
bility does not relieve us from the
great necessity of putting into every
corporate charter hereafter granted,
either by state or nation, not only the
right to amend or repeal the same but
also an effective provision for the for
telture of the charter of a corporation
guilty of violation of law. 1t might
not be necessary to proceed in this
way often. But it would have a re-
straining and SOLDERING effect to a re-
markable degree upon those who
would violate the law. On the other
hand 1t would in no wise disturb those
whose purpose was to abide by the
law. The state endows the corporation
with vast powers. Is there any rea-
son in the world why those powers
should continue to be exercised or
why the state should not withdraw
them II they are being abused or used
FOR the oppression of citizens of the
state. The penitentiary for the cor
poratlon is the forfeiture of its char
ter. We should make the most earnest
effort in passing laws dealing with this
subject to individualize and to dis
tinguish, to select those who are
guilty and protect those who are not
Thousands of corporations carrying on
a perfectly legitimate business in hon
est and upright ways are not only en-
| titled to individual protection but they
are entitled to have such laws passed
as Will relieve them from the burden
and the embarrassment which they
must suffer by reason of indiscrimin-
ate attacks upon all corporations and
| by reason of the grouping of the
guilty with the innocent. There
should be no longer any prejudice
tgainst corporations as such but there
should be the strictest and the most
drastic enforcement of law against
those which violate it. This is not only
essential for the public generally but
it is essential to the interests of the
corporations who want to abide by
he law.
Government Control.
1t is a disputed question of consti-
tutional law but 1 believe that the ma
tional government has the power to
regulate and control the capitalization
of all corporations engaged in inter-
state commerce. If it has this power
it should exercise it. IL is one of the
astounding facts OF history that we
nave not heretofore exercised it for
the fictitious capitalization in this
country exceeds the national debt al
the close of the civil war 1t would
the only sovereignty which can deal
with this subject effectively. We can
not undo the things which have hap
pened but we can control the matter
for the future. 1t will be a great sur
prise to me if the court should hold
that the national government has not
the power to take out of the channels
of interstate trade the fraud and de-
ception caused by over capitalization
L believe that the power which car
control interstate commerce car
cleanse interstate commerce from
fraud, oppression and injustice l
is quite true that the national govern
ment cannot enter into the state anC
preside over the organization of tn,
corporation created by the state, bu
| believe it can say that no corpora
ton shall engage in interstate com
merce until it has met the test estab
lished by the national government anC
the government can fix the test to in
clude surveillance as to its capital
iZation.
OF course I cannot go into a consti
, tutional argument here, but if thi
power exists we ought to proceed t.
. exercise it without delay. The Re
, publican party is committed to thi
| principle of legislation and it shoul'
make good without hesitating it
promise.
Law Enforcement the Great Need.
, 1t seems impossible to go furthe
into the discussion of the policy wit
reference to corporations. althoug
there are other matters worthy of at
tention. But in passing from this sub
! ject permit me to say that above a
{ things we should dedicate our part
! to the enforcement of our laws. Nor
than legislation do we need the en-
[ ! forcement of the laws we have. Nor
than coveting greater power do W