The Detroit times., 1911-11-16
ROOSEVELT TAKES RAP
ATTAFTS TRUST PLAN



co,potatlons. whether they have be
haved well or I'll, into number OF
little CORPORATIONS which Il Is perfect
N certain will be largely, and perhaps
altoRether under the same cohtroi'
ench action a harsh and mischievous
. Il the corporation is guilty OF notnihg
.xcant tts size Where, az I'm the cast
"a he standard oil, and especially
NE Tobacco Trust. the corporation
has been guilty Of immoral ana anu.
,ocial practices, there is need TOT 10
r,ora drastic and thorough-going az
tio,, (, than any that has been taAen'
,naar the recent decree OF the ."
nrerle court .,,st
:. the case OF the Tobacco trust
,o,tinstance. the settlement In the Cn'
80, court. In which the representa-
lives of the government seem lhciln,
"a 70 concur. practically leaves al
the comuanies still substantially uh
A. the control OF the 20 original ae-
tondants such a result Is lamen'aoie
: ,ro,, the standpoint of justice Inc
dsnision of the circuit court. II allow
ed 10 stand, means that the 80 80
trust has merely been oone ~
change It's clothes, tnat hone
real offenders have received any pun
ishment, while, as, the New ~
Times a pro-trust paper, says lne
Tobacco concerns. in their hen
clothes, are in possession OF Ease anu
LUXURY. and Immune from prosecu'
ton under the law =
'.Surely. miscarriage OF justice :
not too strong a term 10 Apply 10 suSh
q result when considered In cohhec'
ton with what the supreme eoul.
said of this trust. uusN
guilty of such conduct should De az
solutely disbanded, and the only way
IN ureyent the repetition OF such con
duct is by strict governmental super
vision. and not merely by lawsuits.
ssThe antitrust law cannot meet the
whole situation, nor can any modlnca-
ton of the principle OF the ANTITRUST
law avail TO meet the whole SITUATION
The fact Is that many men who nave
called themselves progressives, ana
who certainly believe that they are
nroeressiyes, represent in reality IN
this matter not progress AT all but
kind of sincere rural toryfsm. hese
mon believe that IL is possible oy
strengthening the antitrust law 70 re-
store business TO the competitive con-
ditIon of the middle OF the century
business cannot be done in accord
ance with practices and theories Oh
GO wears ago unless We abolish steam,
electricity, and, in short, not only all
modern business and modern INDUS
trial conditions, but all modern con
ditions of our civilization.
Our purpose should be. not 10
strangle business as an incident OF
arranging combinations, but 10 regu-
late big corporations in thorough-go-
ing and effective fashion, so as 10
hem legitimate business as an Incl
dent TO thoroughly and completely
safeguarding the interests OF the peo-
ple as a whole.
Few will dispute the fact that the
present condition is not satisfactory
and cannot be put on permanently
safe basis unless we put an end 10
the period Of the cropping and declare
for a policy, which shall clearly de-
fine and .punish wrons-doing, when
shall put a stop to the iniquities done
in the name of business, but which
shall do strict equity TO business we
demand that big business give the
people a square deal, in return we
must insist that when anyone engag-
ed in big business honestly endeavors
TO do right he shall himself be given
a square deal: and the first. and most
elementary, kind of square deal Is to
give him in advance full information
as 10 just what he can. and what he
cannot. legally and properly do.
1T is not necessary in an article
like this to attempt TO work out such
q plan in detail. II can assuredly be
worked out. The success of
Wisconsin in dealing with the corpor-
ations within her borders, SO as both
TO do them justice and 10 exact jus
tice In return from them toward the
public has been signal and this ma
ton should adopt a progressive policy
In substance akin to the progressive
policy not merely formulated in
theory but reduced to actual practice
with striking success in Wisconsin.
The national government exercises
control over interstate commerce and
IL can. In similar fashion, exercise
control over all industrial organiZa-
tions engaged in Interstate commerce
This control should be exercised, not
by the courts, but by an administra-
tive bureau such as the bureau of cor
porations or the interstate commerce
commission; for the courts cannot
with advantage permanently perform
executive and administrative func-
TONS