Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-11
POINTS TO CONGRESS
Remedy for Business Ills De-
cIared to Be in Legislation.
SPEECH OF W. T. DENISON
Assistant Attorney General Addresses
the Economic Club at Port
land, He.
SPEECH OF W. T. DENIS0N

PORTLAND, Me-, February 1O.-Win-
fred T. Denison, assistant attorney gen.
eral, addressed the Economic Club here
tonight on THE Business Complaint, the
Department Of Justice and the Doctor"
Mr.. Denison said, In beginning his re-
marks, that the Attorney General had
discussed with him the substance Of what
he proposed to say, except. Of course. GER
tain personal observations about the At
torney General himself, and, Mr.. Denison
continued, che authorizes me to say that
1t represents substantially his views. In
deed, 1t is substantially what he has him.
self said again and again and In many
places"
Psychic Paralysis Of Business.
MIR. 'Denison said in part:
Psychic paralysis is the disease lying
at the basis Of the business comps amt
This disease, they tel me. means that a
man cannot move because he thinks he
cannot. Generally it Is due to worry and
fear, and that appears to be true In this
case of business. Business seems to have
all, whether right or wrong. the ogre Of
the Sherman law will swallow Il alive
and naturally the idea frightens it into
paralysis.
parent. has emphaticaily announced that
the Sherman law does not intend to pun
ish business and will not punish 1t un-
less 1t misbehaves. And the Attorney
General. whose disagreeable duty it Is to
apply the discipline, has from the first
applied 1t only to cases OF mishehavior
and foul play. / challenge any one Of
you to point to a case In which Attorney
General Wickersham has instituted pros
ecution, except to enforce standards
Hxhic wnv16 =
and right between man and man.
Legislature the Real Cure.
But business men say. true, the SUI
preme Court has held that only unreason-
able and unfair practices are aimed at,
but we don't know what they are. Our
lawyers can't tell US, and SO We cant do
anything at all because anything may
turn out to be misbehavior, and the At
torney General will: chastise US. Also. we
there is nothing to stop the other fellow
from cheating by unfair competition and
cutting our throats.'
There's the real trouble. and to
large extent the fear and worry caused
extent the paralysis is real and not de-
fusion.
What is the remedy? And who is the
best doctor to cure the case? Legislation.
OF course, Is tNe TcucOys Sot-IutO dt
and unfair competition must be prohib-
tied, SO that small business can feel Sc
cure against that nightmare.
Distinct definition Of the Sherman law
as now worked out by the courts. ana
federal incorporation or federal license
ASSOCIATED in either case with q COM
mission Of interstate trade) must be pro-
vided, so that legitimate big business
mot, OF course, to the extent OF uncon-
trolled tyrannous power) can have fair
and heneficent develonunent without the
paraly zing sense OF an incessantly hover
ing ogre. II such legislation is enacted
will not the disease disappear?
Remedy for Congress to Give.
Surgery is the function Of the Depart
ment of Justice. Remedial cure Is the
function Of Congress and lies beyond the
specially Of surgery. The Attorney Gen.
eral is not Congress, but you business
men and the great public which you at
feet are Congress. and it is your duty to
take up this legislative problem and work
out its solution, and crystallize public
sentiment to the point where your repre-
sentatives in Congress will have to act.
Duty Of Business Men.
"The real duty lies right In the line Of
the functions OF this club, and right with
in the scope Of your individual businesses.
and not one OF you has right to lie
back and criticise instead Of standing up
and working for what you think ought to
be done. II you do not agree with the
legislative program I have outlined, you
are much better able than any one else
to suggest another ono better adapted to
fit the business situation, and things will
surely be set right Ia short order II you
do SO, and join to yourselves. In urging
its enactment, the aggregated power OF
the American industrial world"