Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-11-23


Few will dispute the fact that the
present situation IL not satlsfactor and
cannot be put on a permanently salts
factory basis unless we put an end to
the period Of cropping and declare for "a
fixed policy, a policy which shall clearly
define and punish wrongdonK. which
shall put stop to the inquities done
in the name OF business, but which shall
do strict equity to business. We demand
that big business give the people a squsi r
deal: In return we must insist that when
any one engaged in big business ronrst
~ endeavors to do right he shall him
self be given n square deal: and the first
| and most elementary, kind Of square deal
is to give him in advance fun information
as to just what he can and what he can.
not. legally and properly do.
at Is absurd, and much worse than
absurd to treat the deliberate lawbreak-
or as on an exact par with the man
eager to obey the law whose only desire
Is 10 find out from some competent
| government authority what the law is
and then to live up to 1t. Moreover, 1t
Is absurd TO treat the size of corpora
ton as in itself crime.
Those who would seek to restore the
days OF unlimited and uncontrolled COM
| petition. and who believe that "a panacea
| for our industrial and economic Ills Is
| is to be found in the mere breaking up
| of all big corporations, simply because
they are big. are attempting not only
the impossible. but what II possible
would be undesirable. They are acting
as we should act IL we tried to dam the
n CT tic
This nation should definitely adopt
the policy of attacking, not the mere
| fact of combination. but tho evils and
wrongdoing which so frequently accom-
pany combination. The fact that COM
bination Is very big Is ample reason for
exercising n close and jealous supervi-
sion over It, because it's size renders It
| potent for mischief: but it should not
| be punished unless 1t actually does the
mischief; it should merely be SO super
vlsed and controlled as to guarantee US,
the people. against It's doing mischief.
We should not strive for a policy of I'M
regulated competition and OF the destruc-
| ton of all big corporations, that IL, OIL
ell the most efficient business industries
In the land Nor should We persevere in
the hopeless experiment of trying to reg
ulate these Industries by means only OF
lawsuits. each lasting several years, and
Of uncertain result.
We should enter upon a course of
supervision. control. and regulation Of
these great corpora tions--a regulation
which We should not fear. IL necessary.
| to bring to the point Of control OF mon
! opoly prices, just as In exceptional cases
railway rates are now regulated. Either
the bureau of corporations should be au-
| thorized, or some other governmental
body similar TO the interstate commerce
commission should be created, to exer-
| else this supervision. this authoritative
control. When once immoral business
| practices have been eliminated by such
control, competition will thereby be again
revived as q healthy factor although not
as formerly an all-sufflcient factor, in
keeping the general business situation
sound
THE SINCERE CORPORATION.
Wherever immoral business practices
stan obtain-as they obtained in the cases
OF the Standard OIL trust and tobacco
trust--the antitrust law can be invoked:
and wherever such u prosecution Is sue
ton to possess a monopolist!c character
then that corporation should be complete
ly dissolved, and the parts ought never
TO be again assembled save on whatever
terms and under whatever conditions may
be imposed by the governmental body in
which Is vested the regulatory power
Methods can readily be devised by which
corporations sincerely desiring TO act
fairly and honestly can on their own in.
itiative como under this thoroughgo ine
administrative control by the government,
| and thereby be free from the working o.
the antitrust law. But the law will re-
main to be invoked against wrongdoers
and under such conditions 1t could bs
invoked far more vigorously and sue.
oessfully than at present.
1T Is not necessary in on article like
this to attempt to work out such a plar
IN detail. 1t can assuredy be worked
out Moreover in my opinion. substan
TALLY some such plan must be worked
out or business chaos will continue
Wrongdoing such as was perpetrated b,
the Standard OIL trust. and especially b,
the tobacco trust, should not only b,
punished, but II possible punished in tn,
persons of the chief authors and bene
hciaries of the wrong, far moro severed,
than ct present.
THE IMMEDIATE NEED
I'VE need to formulate immedia t ell
and definitely a policy which, In dealin:
with big corporations that behave them
selves and which contain no menace saw
what 10 necessarily potential in any cor
poration which !s of great size and yer,
well managed, shall aim not at their de
} struct!on but at their regulation and su
} pervision. so that the government sinai
} control them in such fashion as amply I
safeguard the interests OF the whole pub
!c, in Guiding producers, consumers, an
wageworkers. This control should,
necessary, be pushed In extreme CO sc
10 the point Of exercising control owe
monopoly prices. as rates on railway
} power that should be used when Il
, possible to avoid It.
The law should be clear. unambieu
3 nous. certain, so that honest men ma
: not find that unwittingly they have vic
0 lated II. In short. our aim should b,
= not to destroy. but effectively and I
= thoroughgoing fashion to regulate an
} control, In the public interest, the grea
; instrumentalities Of modern bushes,
, which It Is destructive OF tho genera
welfare of the community to destroy
!, and which nevertheless It is vitality neces
I sary to that general welfare TO regulat
and control. Competition will remain a
t very important factor when once W