Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-08-06

people are nulIified because the courts
say those laws are contrary to the peo-
pies will as expressed in their consti-
tuition there must be a reference to
the people of the public effect of such
decisions under forms securing full de-
liberation" to the end that the people
may rectify this alleged defect in their
constitution by a popular vote having
all the force Of q constitutional amend
ment. Our purpose Is not to tmpugn
the courts, but TO emancipate them
from a position whenever they stand
finally in the way Of social justice.
/ am well aware that every
upholder OF privilege, every hired
agent or beneficiary Of the special in
terests, including many well meaning
parlor raformers, will denounce ell this
as socialism or 'anarchy-the same
terms they used in the past IN denounc-
ing the movements TO control the rail-
ways and TO control public utilities
AS a matter OF fact, the propositions I
make constitute neither anarchy nor
socialism, but, on the contrary, a cor
receive for socialism and an antidote
to anarchy"
CONTROL OF THE TRUSTS.
In addition to punishment for wrong
doing by the trusts, the imperative de-
mand is effective and. complete regu-
/ lation. The views OF President Van
/ Hise Of the University Of Wisconsin in
| his scientific work on trust regulation
| are IN harmony with the program Of
: the National ProgresSiveS. The pres
ent conditions Of business cannot be
accepted as satisfactory" The reason
/ for this is explained. in Mr.. Roosevelt's
/ opinion, by the fact that those dealing
with the subject have attempted to di-
/ vide into two camps, each as unwise
as the other" One camp has fixed its
attention only on the need for pros
pcrity-"prosperity 10 the big man on
top. trusting to their mercy TO let some
thing leak through to the mass of their
countrymen below, which. in effect,
means that there should be no attempt
! to regulate the ferocious scramble in
which greed and cunning reap the
largest rewards" The other camp has
so fixed its attention upon the injus-
tees Of the distribution of prosperity,
"omitting all consideration of having
something 10 distribute. and advocates
action which. IL is true. would abolish
most Of the inequalities Of the distri-
button OF prosperity, by only the IN
fortunately simple process OF abolish
ing the prosperity itself" The ten
dency OF those now in control Of the
] iu fn Criy CnoPiol
| privileges 10 big business and to cor
rect the evil of such a course when
they become crying by sporadic law
suits under the antitrust law. The
tendency OF the Democrats. judged
both by their record in congress and
by the Democratic platform, is TO abol-
iSh all business Of any size or eff
cheney. on the ground that all bigness
is badness and littleness and weakness
a sign Of virtue. What is needed is
action directly the reverse of that thus
confusedly indicated"
There should be applied to all indus
trial concerns engaged in interstate
commerce in. which there is either
monopoly or control Of the market the
I
ing transportation concerns engaged in
such commerce. The antitrust law
should be kept on the statute book 10
be invoked against every big concern
tending TO monopoly or guilty Of anti.
social practices. At the same time a
national industrial commission should
Ice created which should have complete
power TO regulate and control all the
great industrial concerns engaged in in
terstate business 80 which practically
means all OF them in this country
This commission should exercise over
these industrial concerns like powers
10 those exercised over the railways by
the interstate commerce commission
and over the national banks by the
comptroller Of the currency and addi
tional powers IL found necessary" The
commission should have free access
10 the books Of each corporation and
power 20 find out exactly how it treats
its employees. its rivals and the gen
eral public ANY CORPORATION
voluntarily coming under the commits
sion should not be prosecuted under the
antitrust law as long as 1t obeys in
good faith the orders of the commits
sion The commission would be able e
interpret in advance 10 any honest man
asking the Interpretation what he may
do and what be may not do in carrying
on a legitimate business" When cor
porations not submitting themselves tc
the regulations Of the commission OF
clearly evadiuE or violating it's orders
are prosecuted under the antitrust law
and convicted, the commission should
, have the duty Of seeing that the de
cree Of the court is put into effect com
pletely." Only in this way can there
, be avoided such gross scandals as
those attendant upon the present ad
; ministration's prosecution of the Stand
, ard Oil and the tobacco trusts" a pros
ecution which has merely resulted II
increased prices to the public, injury Il
the small competitor and act al fnan
Cial benefit 10 the trusts themselves.
The Progressive proposal is definite
II Is practicable. We promise nothing
that we cannot carry out, we promis,
e nothing which will jeopardize homes
= business. Our proposal is Il
e help honest business activity, however