The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-02-21

lO between lUS honest man who has succeeded in busi- ness because of rendering a service to the public and the dishonest man who has succeeded in business by cheating the public.
 So much for the small business man and the middle sized business man. Now for big business. It is imperative to exercise over big business control and supervision which are unnecessary as regards small business. All busi- ness must be conducted under the law, and all business men, big or little, must act justly. But wicked big interest is necessarily more dangerous to the community than a wicked little inter est. Big business in the past has been responsible for much of the spe- cial privilege which must be unspar- ingly cut out of our national life. l do not believe in making mere size of and by itself criminal. The mere fact of size, however, does .unquestionably carry the potentiaIity of such grave wrongdoing that there should be by law provision made for the strict super vision and regulation of these great in dustrial concerns doing an interstate business, much as we now regulate the
  gagged in interstate business. The anti trust law does good in so far as 1t can be invoked against combinations which / really are monopolies or which restrict production or which artihcially raise prices But in so far as it's workings are uncertain or as it threatens corpor ations which have not been guilty of anti-social conduct it does harm. More over, it cannot by itself accomplish more than a trifing part of the gov ernmentaI regulation of big business which is needed. The nation and the states must cooperate in this matter. Among the states that have entered this field Wisconsin has taken lead ing place. Following Senator La Fol lette, a number of practical workers and thinkers in Wisconsin have turned that state into an experimental labora- tory of wise governmental action in aid of social and industrial justice. They have initiated the kind of progressive government which means not merely the preservation of true democracy, but the extension of the principle of true democracy into industrialism as well as into politics One prime reason why the state has been so successful in this policy lies in the fact that it has done justice to corporations precisely as it has exacted justice from them.
 This is precisely the attitude we should take toward big business It is the practical application of the prin- ciple of the square deal Not only as a matter of justice, but in our own interest, we should scrupulously re- spect the rights of honest and decent business and should encourage it where its activities make, as they often do make, for the common good. In other words, our demand is that big business give the people a square deal and that the people give square deal to any man engaged in big business who honestly endeavors to do what is right and proper.
 On the other hand, any corporation, big or little, which has gained its DO sition by unfair methods and by inter ference with the rights of others. which has raised prices or limited out put in improper fashion and has been guilty of demoralizing and corrupt practices, should not only be broken up, but it should be made the business of some competent governmental body by constant supervision to see that it does not come together again. save un- der such strict control as to insure the community against all danger of rep etition of the bad conduct.
 Control Should Be Administrative.
 All business into which the element of monopoly in any way or degree en- ters and where it proves in practice impossible totally to eliminate this ele- ment of monopoly should be carefully supervised, regulated and controlled by governmental authority, and such con trol should be exercised by administra- tive rather than by judicial officers.
 Tn emphasizing the part of the ad- ministrative department in regulating combinations and checking absolute monopoly do not. of course. overlook the obvious fact that the legislature and the judiciary must do their part. The legislature should make it more clear exactly what methods are illegal, and then the judiciary will be In a better position to punish adequately and reIentIessly those who insist on defying the clear legislative decrees. do not believe any absolute private monopoly is justified, but if our great combinations are properly supervised, 80 that immoral practices are prevent eu, dDSOIuCe HuOuOpOly VIII AOI SOhO 10 pass, as the laws of competition md efficiency are against 1t.
 The important thing is this-that under such government recognition as we may give to that which Is benef- icent and wholesome in large busi- ness organizations we shall. be most vigilant never to allow them to crys- tallize into a condition which shall
 
 of the utmost importance that in the future we shall keep the broad path of opportunity just as open and easy for our children as it was for our fathers during the period which has been the glory of America's industrial history.
 In a word, then, our fundamental purpose must be to secure genuine equality of opportunity. No man should receive a dollar unless that dollar has been fairly earned. Every dollar received should represent dol