The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-01-15
.GRE Attest EVIL.
SAYS BRAN0E|S
Steel Trust Is Bitterly Assailed
by Attorney at Republican
Club.
CLERGYMAN is CAUsTIc
He Calls Carnegie's Appearance
Before Committee Disgrace
full Exhibition.

New York. January 14.-Bittcrly de-
nouncing the Steel Corporation as ono
OF the greatest evils OF the times,
LOUIS ID. Brandeis. an attorney from
Boston wae roundiy appluuded yes.
terday afternoon at @ formal Luncheon
In tho Republican Club. in West
Fortieth Street Mr.. Brnndeis gave
vent to his opinion OF trusts in gem
eral and the Steel Corporation in par
ticuiar In debate on the subject.
trusts and Their Relations TO tha
Business Of the Country"
The debate centred around the bro
posed La Toilette bill, looking toward
an Improved statute to supplant tho
Sherman law. 'A'
what propose Is to make the Sher-
man law enforcement easier" said MIR.
6randeis. and to make the remedy
more effective and adequate. The d..
customs OF the courts to date amount
to this: Don't do It again. All tho
niliions OF dollars which have be.n
taken from the American people
an these years and all The Injury done
TO competition have been pructlcnIIv
condoned.
For the proposed La Follette hill
enacted as law. to be effective II
must make the law more ertain in an.
plcatlon Then, the enforcement must
be easier And to mako the remedy
more effective and Congress must
ueclae what the Fundamental, eco
nomic and soclal policies shall
be, so that the suffering bust
ness world. which Is iii unto
death, shall know which way to pro
cced to a healthy condition.
IN othcr words. shall we abandon as
obsolete the long cherished poltcy Of
competition. and accept In ite place tn.
, 10, oetested policy of monopoly?
mo issue is not, Shall we have I'M
restricted competition or rerulatcs
monopoly? 1t is. Shall we have reg
uiated competition or regulated mo
nopoly7'
Must Preserve Competition
mark me, regulation Is essential to
the preservation of competition End 10
lts beat development Just as regula-
ZION is necessary to the preservation
ana best development OF liberty we
rave learned. that in order to preserve
the liberty of tho many we must, In
some respect, restrict the liberty OF
the few.
Unlicensed liberty leads to despot-
ism and oligarchy. we have long curb
cd physically the strong in order 10
protect those physically weak But
more recently we have extended such
prohibitions to the realms OF business .
Mr. Brandels then turned his ntten-
ton to the Steel Corporation, "a wing:
IN contrast with the enormous pro-
TITS made by tho Steel Corporation,
there stands out In contrast TO this
prosperity the fRct that many Of Its
employees are obliged to work twelve
hours day. seven days In tho week
These arc men OF flesh and blood the
same as va are. At the age Of forty
these men nrc no longer able to slave
In their capacities.
What kind of men do you think We
would be In the circumstances
What have they to hope for? And at
the same time these mon realize that
they are Shaving to make greater the
earnings OF the wcalthiest corpora ton
In this country. Isn't II easily realized
that there Is unrest there. bordering
on v'olencc7
Specially employed agents who
have gone among these men made tho
same report They have all found
them on the point OF revolution and
of v'loncce. What would we think In
the same conditions? Isn't IL n uues-
ton that commands attention and in
vestigation7
Sixty Per cent. Foreigners.
Bear in mind that go per cent. of
tho men employed in the steel mills
are Foreigners. and 80 per cent OF
them arc unable to speak the English
language. When you consider the
great talk made about protecting
American labor. just what do YOU
think OF that condition? It Is the
story told by the worlds greatest
trust Yet this combination, which
)ustifies Its combination, asserts that
It's own employees must not combine
for their mutual interest.
Charles F. Mathewson, a CORPORATION
attorney. next advocated the repeaI
o! the Sherman law. which he charac
terized as vicious and foolish He ad-
Vocated publicity for corporations.
punishment for unfair practices. and
the reduction of tariff on trusts pro
ducts. when II was found that the pro-
lection was higher than necessary to
protect American labor FIe took issue
with Mr.. Brandeis on many importan
points in his speech
ITO begin with. Mr.. Brandeis was
wrong" he said, an his assertion that
there is ineficiency in the management
or the big corporations. The assertion
Is paradoNical In Itself. and would need
little criticism. How would they be 8
big and successful as they are IL they
were inefficient? The passage OF the
sherman law. believe all sane think
Ing men Will agree. was an awful
mess
The law has not left us a clear
meaning OF inst what & monopolv Is.
Many Vicious features have develoned
under and have been encouraged by
the very nature Of the act. / believe
In the repeal of the Sherman law In
toto. Put MS back to the common law
the effHcts OF which the bar. as well
az the court, understand, and begin
over again"