Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1914-01-23
BAD PRACTICES
OF TRUSTS TO
Be FORBIDDEN
Law and Penalty Must Be Made
Equally Plain Says the
President.
WILL NOT HAMPER BUSINESS
Antagonism Between Government and
Business Is Over-WouId Give Inter-
state Commerce Commission Pow
er to Regulate Financial oper-
atoms Of Railroads.

atoms OF Railroads.
Washington, Jan. 20.-Before a
joint session of both houses of con-
gress President Wilson today deliv-
cred special message on trusts. The
message fellows:
Gentlemen of the congress:
'Tn my report On the State of the
Union which had the privilege Of
reading to you on the 1st Of Deem
Der last, / ventured to reserve for
discussion at later date the subject
OF additional legislation regarding the
very difficult and intricate matter of
trusts and monopolies. The time now
seems opportune to turn to that great
question; not only because the cur
rency legislation, which absorbed your
attention and the attention of the
country in December, is now disposed
of, but also because opinion appears
to be clearing about us with singular
xapidity in this other great field Of
action.
Business of Interpretation.
Legislation has it's atmosphere like
everything else and the atmosphere of
accommodation and mutual under
standing which we now breathe with
so much refreshment is matter of sim
cere congratu1ation. 1t ought to make
our task very much less difficult and
embarrassing than it would have been
had we been obliged to continue to
act amidst the atmosphere of suspi-
cfon and antagonism which has SO
long made it impossible to approach
such questions with dispassionate fair
ness. Constructive legislation. when
successful, is always the embodiment
of convincing experience and of the
mature public opinion which finally
springs out of that experience. Leg
islation is a business of Interpretation,
not of origination; and it is now plain
what the opinion is to which we must
give effect in this matter, 1t is not re-
cent or hasty opinion.
"The great businessmen who organ
ICED and financed monopoly and those
who administered it in actual every
day transactions have year after year,
until now, either denied it's existence
or justified it as necessary for the eff
fective maintenance and development
of the vast business processes of the
country in the modern circumstances
OF trade and manufacture and finance;
but all the while opinion has made
head against them. The average
businessman is convinced that the
ways of liberty are also the ways of
peace and the ways of success as
we'll; and at last the r~asters of bust
ness on the great scale have begun to
yield their preference and purpose,
perhaps their judgment also, in honor
able surrender.
VIII Not Hamper.
What we are purposing to do, there
fore, is happily not to hamper or in
terfere with business as enlightened
business men prefer to do it, or in any
sense to put it under the ban. The
antagonism between business and gov
eminent is over. We are now about
to give expression to the best business
judgment of America, to what we
know to be the business conscience
and honor of the land. The govern
ment and business men are ready to
meet each other half way in common
effort to square business methods with
both public opinion and law. The best
informed men of the business world
condemn the methods and processes
and consequences of monopoly as we
condemn them; and the instructive
Judgment of the vast majority Of bust
ness men everywhere goes with thelnl
We shall now be their spokesma
when serious contest ends, VIII
men unite in opinion and purpotlN
those who are to change their ways n
business, joining with those who q 1T
for the change, it is possible to effe
At in thezway in which prudent alA
thoughtful and patriotic men woA
wish to see it brought about, with To
few, as slight, as easy and simple BIT
ness resadjustments as possible in tiie
circumstances, nothing essential DIT [
turbed, nothing torn up by the roovIr
no parts rent asunder which can be
left in wholesome combination. For
tunately. no measures of sweeping or
novel change are necessary. 1t will be
understood that our object is not TO
unsettle business or anywhere serious
" to break it's established courses
athwart. On the contrary, we desire
the laws we are now about to pass to
be the bulwarks and safeguards of in
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