The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-01-05
FABRIC OF THE UNION.
Can 1t Escape Injury with Govern.
meut Hostile to Business?

Can 1t Escape Injury with Govern
meut Hostile to Business?
To THE EDITOR OF tbs sUN-Sr: "A
house divided against itself cannot
stand" These words Of deep concern
were uttered by Lincoln when he saw
that internal d~issensions threatened to
. a apart the fabric Of the Union. To-
day these same words may be applied
to the bitter enmity between the Gov
eminent and the business interests OIL the
country an enmity which Is gnawing
at the vitals OF commercial progress,
and which. II continued. will impair the
status Of the United States as a world
power.
At tho close Of the civil war the coun-
try entered into the era Of large scale
development. This expansion required
increased facilities with which prop
erly to carry II on. and ~ the industries
OF the nation grow. the corporations re-
s~ponsible, In n large measure, for this
growth. expanded and united to form
what are In nan cases Incorrectly
called trusts. The railroads. which be-
fore the civil war were divided into
many small, Independent units. were
gradually merged into great and far
ECdSillii ybtCtIlSs
were and are . present natural de-
veiopments OF the times. An organiza-
ton composed Of smaller units, firmly
welded together, IL more efficient and
can accomplish more han Its oonstitu-
ents could IL separated. However. under
the influence Of unbridled growth many
corporations deserving punishment were
organized. Their ~depredations were SO
great and 80 numerous that suddenly
the cry for Government regulation Was
heard on all sides. THE Government
OF the people, instituted reforms which.
when executed, benefited the better class
Of corporations as well as the whole
country. But In its wrath the %populace
forgot to diferentiate between good and
evil and the rational antitrust policy
became and now 10 an insanely destruc-
tive policy.
The Government. which must DOW to
the will Of the people. Immediately began
to work on that indiscriminate basis.
It's attitude toward ''bis business grew
to be, not do you serve the best Inter-
ests of tho country? Are you good. or
are you evH7": but rather You are
big and therefore must disintegratc.
whether you are good or not. More
over. we will use every means In our
power to prove you evil"
We see examples OF this attitude
every where. For some time the rail-
roads, whose ramifcations, indispltahly,
must be extensive, ave been subjected
TO all kinds OF hostile legislation 10y tho
central n the State Governments.
Freight rates nave been cut by the vari-
Gus railroad commissions to the extent
Of ~iinpair!ng the earning capacity OF
the roads materially. SO great were
the reductions that even the Legislatures
rAS,SN,ulhlA ynr shaw - lal.ipftp q IN
realize that relief must be granted II
good service II TO continue.
In the Industrial field the two best
examples OF the Irrational antitrust
policy are the suits Of the Government
against the Harvester corporation and
against tho United States Steel Corpora
ton. The dissolution of the tornrr has
been ordered, although the Judges In
their decision stated that the company
had trs Gated It's small competitors Justly .
The Steel Corporation because Of its
gigantic dimensions IL the special tar
get OF the present Government. The
suit. however. was decided in favor OF
the company by the owe court. but the
decision II being appealed before the
Supreme Court. Several minor steel
producers even testified In behalf of the
corporation and in October the smaller
steel companies advanced prices from
81 to 81 so a ton above those set by fhe
so-called trust" Does this look like
a monopoly detrimental to the country?
We have before US In tho attempted
destruction Of the remnant OF our once
glorious merchant marine ny the LA
Toilette seanrn's act Il result OF this
attitude. This vicious. unpatriotic piece
OF legislation was aimed at the large
Western shipping interests. Conse-
| quently. the United States must carry
on much of rs trade with the Far East
IN Japanese steamships, whose numbers
have risen from fou 20 ten since tn
bill was passed. All foreign commerce
will have to ne carried In foreign bot
toms. American shippers will he at TIE
mercy OF arbitrary rates fSed by for
elgners and the United States viii be
Inundated before the whole world as 4
nation. which, although blessed with
wonderful resources and opportunities
for constructive development. through
tho nearsightedrcss OF rs legislators
is deriving Itself OF IN. absolutely IN
dispensable implement for tho acqu'si-
tlcn and retention OF a share OF word
trade and world owe Tho American
International Corporation. composed Of
trust men, is doing It's best 10 save the
country from these difficulties by It's
purchase OF ships from the Pacific Mail
steamship company NnlCN would otnsr-
wise have been eagerly snapped up by
Japan.
The German Government has de-
veloped a system for Government CO.
operation with its business men TO a
greater extent than any other nation
~ the world. In m or science
there IL no conceivable thing IN which Il
is not interested, as long as tho matter
is constructive and spells progress, Re
fore the war Germany possessed the
| most perfect economic system concciv-
able. Every Individual was a cog IN a
huge and wonderful machine, IN which
there was no friction between the varl-
Gus constituents OF the organism, The
Government supported It's great business
interests. worked hand in hand with
them and eradicated anv undesirable
elements, with the result hat before the
wal Germanys foreign rad vas grow
Ing four times as rapidly as that Of any
other country.
! Compare the 50 results with those OBJ
tanned under tho system which creates
hostility bctween Government and cap
ital Government and capital must work
tremendously In order 70 accomplish
what each IS supposed TO have IN view.
namely. tho Increase OF the power and
prestige OF the United States.
ErGESE HUBER.
. PATERSON. ". J., January l..