The Washington herald., 1911-06-05
THE STEEL TRUST INQUIRY
What Henry Watterson Thinks of the Hearing
Now Being Held in this CITY.

sistently betrayed. and to obstruct or
embarrass the masters who enriched him,
Is inconceivable.
John Sherman merely saw that q tide
was rising in the West which could not
be resisted and must be ridden. Hence
| the silver purchase clause and the anti
| trust clause Of the legislation carrying
| the Sherman brand and trademark.
! They were springes to catch woodcock.
and they caught enough to victual the
Republicans through twenty years Of Sue
cessful campaigning. What wonder that
the Democrats had to repeal the silver
purchase clause and that the Supreme
Court Is put to its wits end to find some
reasonable Interpretation Of the antitrust
clause?
Judge Gary must revise his adjective.
Archaic" old fashioned. is not the term
fittingly to describe the Sherman act.
Tricky Is the word, intended to de-
ceive."
We. too. the people, will have to re-
wise some of our proverbs. Is "compe-
tition the life Of trade" under all con-
ditions? Is monopoly" always oppress-
I've? Are there not circumstances which
modify each Of these ancient axioms?
May they not be ''archaic?'
Combination - "co operation" Judge
Gary calls it's a rule Of modern COM
merce which must be considered by a
larger, II not a new, reading of political
economy. The trust-give a dog a bad
name!-is here, and 1t is here to stay.
II can no more be extinguished than
electricity. no more shut OF than auto
mobiles and airships. That which is
wanted Is to cure II Of evil doing and
this can be done only through such gov
eminent supervision Of 1t as will insure
the same publicity as prevails with re-
spect to the banks and is beginning to
prevail with respect 10 the railways.
The Democrats in Congress. with Mr..
Stanley and Mr.. Littleton at their head.
have as great an oportunity to render
service to the country, in the matter
Of trustism, as. with Mr.. Clark and Mr..
Underwood at their head, they have to
render in the matter Of the tariff.
We shall gain nothing as a party. nor
accomplish any reform which will out
last the season and inure to the benefit
Of the people II we do not drop both
the temper and the language OF agitation.
and drive at the evils to be actually
reached.
Rome was not built In day. Cor
ruption cannot be driven out by a single
session limited to a single branch Of
Congress. Already Mr.. Stanley is getting
at the facts Of the business situation.
Already Mr.. Underwood Is revealing the
fallacies Of protectionism without pulling
the house down upon US before We are
ready to move. We have had at Wash
ington thirty years Of constructive states
manship aimed solely in the interest OF
the favored few. That they have profited
by IL to the tune OF piling up mammoth
fortunes in less than a generation goes
without saying and Is not surprising.
Scarcely any OF these enormous aggrega-
tions Of wealth would bear close moral
scrutiny. Yet, short OF anarchy, 1t is
not probable that we can legally reach
one Of them. 1t Is the system which Is
wrong, and the removal Of this system
to which we must address ourselves. And
we must do this as doctors seeking rem
edies, not as demagogues seeking ap-
plause; as statesmen wearing the long
range glasses OF truth, not as inquisitors
wearing the death cap and gown of
Judgment
Meanwhile. the great steel maGnate has
spoken the truth. He has spoken like
patriot and like a seer. He has suggested
a way out. Neither he nor Mr.. Morgan
nor yet Mr.. Carnegie. who is yet tS ap-
pear-stand as culprits at the bar of
criminal justice. but as Americans who
have the right to speak and to be heard
and who will be heard-by their country
men!