The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-07-14
Trnsts and aorsa rt,isYes.


Civilization has developed a very
practical method of protecting society
against horse thieves. ne do not
bring all the people before a county
inquisition once year and ask them
to confess whether they steal horses;
nor subject them to any psychological
tests for the purpose Of admonishing
citizens who show any tendency to
covet a neighbours horse,
The practical way, universally
followed, Is to start promptly dit the
place where a horse has been stolen
and follow the trail until .we-find. the
horse and the guilty men. Incid entally
we do not worry about horse thieves
nor look suspiciously at our neighbors
until a horse has been stolen some.
where. This is the democratic, Anglo.
Saxon method of dealing with ali
offences against society, and is the
opposite OF the imperial idea Of keep
ing everybody under suspicion.
Strange to say. when we attempt
to regulate the trusts" we forget
our efficient Anglo-Saxon system, and
take up unconsciously the imperial
idea Of putting everybody under
psychological regulations and inquisi-
tion. The House bill to regulate the
trusts, which passed recently and Is
now pending in the Senate, Is a
strictly imperial measure; and the
Senate has made but little proSress.in
bringing it back to a democratic
basis.
1t provides that all our 100000
corporations shall go up to Jerusalem
once a year and submit to an inquisfl
ton, and the publication of reports or
confessions. It does not specify what
burnt offerings or peace or thank Of
ferings they shall take with them, but
is very explicit in requiring them to
confess everything. 1t is the most
important step we have ever taken
towards establishing imperial, CEN
tralized government.
The Interstate Commerce Commits
sion has proved one Of the most sue
cessful tribunals ever established by
legislation. It has always followed
the old, practical system of starting at
the time and place where a. wrong has
been done. Whenever someone COM
plains that he has been injured by the
rates or practices Of the railroads, or
that some injury has been done to the
public, the commission proceeds in a
very thorough manner to Investigate
the complaint, hear all the parties in
terested, and after careful considera-
tion, 1t issues an order to restore JUS
tice or correct the wrong.
The Interstate Commerce Commits
sion had been established nearly
twenty years before Congress gave it
any inquisltorial powers to examine
the books OF railroads; a measure
that was only justified because rail-
roads are public service corporations.
This power has only been used by the
commission to further its original
purpose of hearing and investigating
complaints.
Canada handles the trust" ques-
ton very successfully and with no
fuss Or trouble, by starting at the
time and place where a wrong has
been done. This is the same method
that has been proved by our Inter-
state Commerce Commission; but in
Canada special commission Is APP
pointed by the court in each case.
where complaint is fled under the
anti-trust laws
Our friends at Washington seem to
be more interested IN the study Of
psychological horse stealing than in
actual offences against society. They
seem to feel that the farmer may not
know 1t when his horse is stolen.
They must have grand imperial
scheme for an annual inquisition,
with reports to be published two or
three years after any wrong has been
done, like other government reports.
It would be too much like work" III
the primary purpose Of a trade COM
mission was to Investigate complaints
and give prompt relief. as Canada
does.
The business men of the country
are justified in protesting against
government. by inquisition. The hu-
man race has struggled and battled
for thousands Of years for the right.
to work and carry on legitimate en-
terprises without having the man
with the sword. standing over i'll
With perpetual inquisition.