The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1914-01-23
WILSON ON THE
TRUST PROBLEM
INTERLOCKlAC DIRECLORATES IS
CRUx OF THE SYSTEM.
TIE Ways of Liberty Are
the Ways Of Peace and the
Ways of Business Men

For. the ffth time since he was
elected, President Wilson iourneyed
from the White House to the Capitol
to address congress Tuesday, this time
on the snhject Of the trust situation.
Most of the cabinet members accom-
panied him. Admission was by tick
cts which were exceedingly hard to
obtain, as but one apiece was allowed
congressman and senator's.
The interlock ing Of the personnel Of
directoratea Of great corporations with
banks, railroads. industrial, CONNER
cial .aad public service todies. is the
crux of the trust system, in the opin-
ion Of the president. He made this
plain in his speoiai addIesyin which
he discussed the proposed antitrust
legislation. Discussing the evils re-
sulting from interlockins directorates,
the president canstically attacked a
group Of millionaires who by reason of
their enormous holdings Of stock in
numerous oorporatins. constitutes vir
tual monopolies and virtually told
congress- It should decide whether big
owners Of stock in corporatins should
be compelled to elect in which one OF
them they will exercise the right to
vote on the conduct Of affairs.
The president declared empbatically
for the creation of an industrial COM
mission and declared that public
opinion had finally conquered big
business so that the average business
man was convinced that "the ways OF
liberty are tho ways of peace and also
the ways of the business man."
He emphatically approved making,
guilt personal in all suits against the
trusts.
every act of business Is done at
the command or upon the initiative of
some asoertainable person or gronp Of
persons. he said. and these should be
held individually responsible and pun
ishment should fall upon them, not
upon the business organization of
which they make illegal use.
Legislation has its atmosphere, like
everything else. and the atmosphere
of accommodation and mutual under
standing, which we now beckon, with
so much refreshment. is matter of
sincere congrsiulation," the president
continued.
''This ought to make our task m nch
less difficult and embarrassing than it
would havs been had we continued
an atmosphere of suspicion and an.
taRonism which so long has made i'm
possible an approach to suoh questions
with dispassionate fairness.
Constructive legislation, when suo-
oessful. is always the embodiment Of
the convincing experience Of mature
public opinion which finally springs
out Of that experience. Great busi-
ness men who organized aud financed
monopoly. and those who administered
it in actual everyday transactions,
have. year after year. and until now,
either denied its existence or justified
1t as necessary for the effective main.
enhance and development Of the best
business process Of the country Ia
modern oircumtance of trade, manu-
faoture and finance, but all the while
opinion has made teadway against
them. The average business man is
convinced that the ways of liberty
are also the ways Of peace and the
ways Of success as well, and. at last
the masters of business on great scale
have begun to yield to their purpose.
and perhaps their judgment also. in
honorable surrender,
Fortunately no measures for a
sweeping or novel change are neoes-
sary."