Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1910-10-27

the only effective way by which TO
prevent wrong doing. Men will always
AXE the chances of violating the law
for money il 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
fixture 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-
markahle 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 if they are being abused or used
for the oppression of citizens of the
state. The penitentiary for the cor
| poration 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
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-
a4 Ill oil slf "a
by reason of the grouping of the
guilty with the innocent. There
should be no longer any prejudic'
,gainst corporations as such but there
should be the strictest and the mos
drastic enforcement Of law agains
those which violate 1t. This is not onl.
essential for the public generally bu
1t is essential to the interests of tn
corporations who want to abide b.
he law.
Government Control.
It is a disputed question of consti
tutional law but 1 believe that the ma
tional government has the power t
regulate and control the capitalization
Of all corporations engaged In inter
state commerce. If it has this powe
It should exercise it. IL is one Of tn
astounding facts OF history that W
nave not heretofore exercised II 70
country exceeds the national debt q
the close Of the civil war. It woul
seem that the national government
| the only sovereignty which can dea
with this subject effectively. We can
{ not undo the things which have har
pened but we can control the matte
3 for the future. 1t will be a great SUI
} prise to me if the court should hol
( that the national government has M
p the power to take out of the channe
g Of interstate trade the fraud and d.
e ceptiOn caused by over capitalization
] I believe that the power which ca
- control interstate commerce ca
j cleanse interstate commerce frOl
y fraud, oppression and injustice
s is quite true that the national govern
d ment cannot enter into the state an
|. preside over the organization Of u
corporation created by the state, bl
q believe it can say that no corpori
3 ton shall engage In interstate con
: merce until 1t has met the test esta
o lished by the national government ar
the government can fix the test to Il
!. clude a surveillance as to its capita
a ization.
OF course I cannot go into a consi
Il tutional argument here, but II tn
power exists we ought to proceed
u exercise it without delay. The r
= publican party IS committed to tf
n INAANlAlAl u ANbAoAcANiDAA anu II oARN
"a make good without hesitating
n promise.
Law Enforcement the Great Need
1t seems impossible to 90 furth
- into the discussion Of the policy wi
~ reference to corporations, althou
: there are other matters worthy Of Z
'd tenti0n. But in passing from this su
IN iect permit me to say that above
- things we should dedicate our PAL
In 70 the enforcement Of our laws. Nc
en- than legislation do we need the {
ri forcement of the laws we have. Mo
r than coveting greater power do