Newspapers / The Western Sentinel (Winston-Salem, … / Feb. 4, 1908, edition 1 / Page 2
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THE SEMI-WEEKLY WESTERN, SENTINEL, WINSTON-SALEM, N. C. President Sends a Message to Congress Suggests a New Employers' Liability Law, Regulations of In junctions, of Interstate Commerce, and Oth . er Things. . WASHINGTON, Jan. 31. President Roosevelt transmitted a special mes sage to congress today. The most lm uortant parts of this document are published below: To tbe Senate and House ot Represen tatives: ',' The recent decision of the Supreme Court in -regard to the employers' Ua blllty act, the experience of the Inter- state Commerce Commission and of the Department of Justice In euforc lng the Interstate commerce and and' trust laws, and the gravely signifi cant attitude toward the law and its administration recently adopted by certain heads of great corporations. render it desirable that there should be additional legislation as regards certain of the relations between labor and capital, and between the great cor porations and the public. The supreme court has decided the employers' liability law to be uncon stitutional because Its terms apply to .employees engaged wholly in inter state commerce as well as to em ployees engaged in Interstate com merce. By a substantial majority the Court holds that the Congress has the power to deal with the question In so far as Interstate commerce Is con cerned. As regard to employers' liability law, I advocate Its Immediate re-enactment, limiting its scope so that It shall apply only to the class of cases as to which the Court says It can con stitutionally apply, but strengthening Its provisions within this scope. In terstate employment being thus, cov ered by an adequs'o national law, the field of Intrastate employment will-be left to the acticn of the several States With this clear definition of responsi bility the States will undoubtedly give to the performance of their duty with in their field the consideration the importance of the subject demands. I also very urgently advise that a comprehensive act be passed provid ing for compensation by the Govern ment to all employees injured iu the Government service. Under the pret ent law an injured workman In the employment of the Government has no remedy, and the entire burden of the accident falls on the helpless man, his Wife, and his young children. This 13 an outrage. It Is a matter of humi liation to tbe Nation that there should not be on our statue books provision to meet and partially to atone lor cruel misfortune when it comes upon a man through no fault of his own while faithfully serving the public. In no other prominent industrial country In the world could such gross injus tice occur; for almost all civilized na tions - have enacted legislation em bodying the complete recognition of the principle which places the entire trade riBk for industrial accidents (ex cluding, of course, accidents due to willful misconduct by the employee) on the industry as represented by the employer, which in this case Is thej Uovernraent In all these countries the principle applies to the Govern1 ment just as much aa to tbe private employer. Under no circumstances should the Injured employee or, his surviving dependents be required to bring suit against the Government, nor should there be the requirement that la order to Insure recovery negligence in some form on the part of the gov ernment should be shown. Our pro position is not to confer a right of ac tion upon the Government employee, hut to secure him suitable provision , against injuries received in the course of his employment The burden of the trade risk should be placed upon the Government. Exactly as the work- ingman Is entitled to bis wages, so he should be entitled to indemnity for the Injuries sustained In the natural course of his labor. The rates of com pensation and the regulations for its payment should be specified in the law. and the machinery for determin ing the amount to be paid should In each case be provided in such manner that the employee is properly repres ented without expense to him. In other words, the compensation should be paid automatically, while the ap plication of the law in the first in stance'should be vested in the Depart' ment ot Commerce and Labor. The law should apply to all laborers, mech , antes, and other civilian employees of tire Government of the United States, Including those in the service ot the Panama Canal Commission and of the insular governments. ' The same broad principle which ahould airply to the Government should ultimately be made applicable to all private employers. Where the nation has the poer 1t should enact laws to this effect. Where the States alone have the power they should enact the laws, it is to be observed that an employers' liability low does not really mean mulcting employers in damages. It merely throws upon the employer the burden of accident Insurance against Injuries which are sure to occur. It requires lira either to bear or to distribute through insurance the loss which can be borne when distributed, which, if undistributed, bears ' -with - frightful hardship upon the unfortunate victim of accident. " In theory, if wages were always freely and fairly adjusted, they . would always include an allowance as against - tthe risk of Injury, just as certainly as the rate of interest for money includes an allowance for In surance against the risk of loss. In theory, if employees were all experi enced business men, they would em pipy that part of their wages which is received because of the risk of injury to secure accident Insurance. But as a matter of fact, it Is not practical to expect that this will be done by the great body of employees. An em ployers' liability law makes it certain tnat it will foe done, in effect, by the employer, and It will ultimately im pose no real additional burden upon him.. - There Is a special bill I call your attention to. Secretary Taft has ur gently recommended the immediate passage of a law providing for com pensation to employees of the Govern ment injuried in the work of the Is thmian Canal, and that $100,000 be ap propriated for this purpose each year. I earnestly hope this- will be done; and that a special bill be' passed cov ering the case of Yardmaster Banton, who .was Injured s nearly two years ago while- doing his duty, He is now helpless to support his wife and his three little boys., .' . ' ' I again call your attention to the need of some action in connection with the abuse of injunctions in la bor cases. As regards the rights and wrongs of labor and capital, from blacklisting to boycotting, the whole subject is covered in admirable fash ion by the report of the Anthracite Coal Strike Commission, which- re port should serve as a chart for the guidance : of both legislative and ex ecutive officers. As regards injunc tions, I can do little but repeat what I have said in my last message to the Congress. Even though it were pos sible, I should consider it most un wise to abolish the use of the process of Injunction. It is necessary in order that the courts may maintain their own dignity and In order that they may in effective mauner check disord er and violence. The judge who uses it cautiously and conservatively, but who, when the need arises, uses it fearlessly, confers the greatest service upon our people, and his preeminent usefulness as a public servant should be heartily recognized. But there is no question in my mind that it has sometimes been used heedlessly and unjustly, and that some of the injunc tions issued inflict grave and occas ionally irreparable wrong upon those enjoined. . .' It is all wrong to use the Injunction to prevent the entirely proper and legitimate actions of labor organiza tions in their struggle for industrial betterment, or under the guise of pro tecting property rights unwarrantab ly to invade the fundamental rights of the Individual. It is futile to con Cede, as we all do, the right and the necessity , ot organized effort on the part of wage-earners and yet by in junctive process to forbid peaceable J action to accomplish the lawful ob jects for which they are organized and upon which their success depends. The fact that the punishment for the violation' of an Injunction must, to make the order effective, necessarily be summary and without the Inter vention of a jury makes its issuance In doubtful cases a dangerous practice, and in itself furnishes a reason why the process should be surrounded with safeguards to protect Individuals against being enjoined' from exer cising their proper rights. Reasonable notice should be given the adverse party, '".-.'' "?'' ' This matter is dally becoming of graver Importance and I can not too urgently recommend that the Con gress give careful consideration to the subject. It some way ot remedying these abuses is not found the feeling of indignation against them among large numbers of our citizens will tend to grow so extreme as to produce a revolt against the -whole use ot the process ot Injunction. The ultra-conservatives who object to cutting out the abuses will do well to remember that it the popular feeling does be come strong many of those upon whom they rely to" defend them will be the first to turn against -them. Men of property cannot afford to trust to anything save the spirit of justice and fair play; for those very public men who, while K Is to their Interest, defend all the abuses commit ted by capital and pose as the cham pions ot conservatism, will, the mo ment they think their interest changes take the lead in just such a matter as this and pander to what they esteem popular feeling by endeavoring, for in stance, effectively to destroy tho pow er of the courts In matters of injunct ions; and will even seek to render nugatory the power to punish tor con tempt, upon which power the very ex istence of the orderly administration of Justice depends. Not only should there be action 10 certain laws effecting wage-earners; ( there ahould also be .such action on laws belter to secure control over the great business concerns engaged In interstate commerce, and especially over the great common carriers. Tbe Interstate Commerce Commission should be empowered to pass upon u, rat or practice on its own Initia tive - Moreover, it hIouM bo provided that whenever the Commission has reason to believe that a proposal ad vance in a rate ought not to be made without investigation, it. should have authority to issue an order prohibiting the advance pending examination by the Commission, I would not be misunderstood as ex pressing an opinion tint any or even a majority of these advances are im' promt'. .Many of tho rates in this country have been abnormally low. The operating expenses of : our rail roads, notably the wages paid railroad employees, have " greatly Increased. These and any other causes may U any given case justify an advance rates, and if bo the advance should be permitted and approved. But there may be,' and doubtless are, cases where this is not true; and our laws should be so framed that the Govern ment, as the representative of the whole people, can protect the indi vidual against unlawful exaction for the use of these public highways. Tbe Interstate Commerce Commission should be provided with the means to make a physical valuation of any road as to which it deems this valua tion necessary. In Borne ' form the Federal Government should exercise supervision over the financial opera tions of our Interstate .railroads. In no other way can justice toe done be tween the private owners of those properties and the public which pay their charges. When once an inflated capitalization has gone upon the mar ket and has become fixed in value, its existence must be recognized. ' As a practical matter it is then often ab solutely necessary to take account of the thousands of innocent stockhold ers who have purchased their stock in good faith. The usual result of such inflation is therefore to impose upon the public an unnecessary but ever lasting tax, while ths innocent pur chasers of the stock are also harmed and only a few speculates are benefit ted. Snch wrongs when once accom plished' can be without difficulty un done; but they can be prevented with safety and with Justice. When com binations of Interstate railways must obtain Government sanction; when it is no longer possible for Interstate railways to issu6 stock or bonds, save in the manner approved 'by the Feder- Government; when that Govern ment makes sura, that the proceeds of every stock and bond issue go into the improvement of the property and not the enrichment ot some individual or syndicate; when, whenever it be comes material tor guidance in the regulative action of the Government, the physical value of one of these properties Is determined and made known there will be eliminated from railroad securities that element ot un certainty which lends to them their speculative quality and which has con tributed much to the financial stress of the recent pass. I think that the Federal Government must also assume a certain measure of control over the physical operation of railways in the handling ot interstate traffic. The Commission now has the authority to establish through rates and Joint rates. In order to make this provision effectlv and in order to promote in times of necessity the proper movement In traffic, I think it must also have authority to determine the conditions upon which cars shall be" interchanged between different in terstate railways. : It is also probable that the commission shall have author ity, in particular Instances, to deter mine the schedule upon which perish: able commodities shall be moved. In this connection 1 desire to re peat my recommendation that rail ways be permitted to form traffic asso ciations for the purpose ot conferring about an'd agreeing upon rates, regu lations, and practices affecting inter state business in which the members of the association are mutually inter ested. This does not mean that they should be given the right to pool their earnings or their traffic. ; The law re quires that rates shall be adjusted as not to discriminate between individ uals, localities, or different species of traffic. Ordinarily, rates by all compet ing lines must be same. As applied to practical conditions, the railway oper ations of this country can not be con ducted according to low without what Is equivalent to conference and agree ment The articles under which such associations operate shall be approved by the Commission; all their opera tions should be open to public inspec tion; and the rates, regulations, and practices Upon which they agree should be subject to disapproval by the Commission. I urge this- last provision with the same earnestness that I do the others. This country provides its railway fa cilities by private capital. Those facil ities will not be' adequate unless the capital employed is assured of just treatment and an adequate return. In fixing the charges ot our railroads, I believe that, considering the interests of the public alone, it is better to al low too liberal rather than too scanty earnings, for, otherwise, there is grave danger that onr railway devel opment may not keep pace with the demand for transportation. But the fundamental Idea that these railways are public highways must be recog nized, ami they must be open to the whole public upon equal terms and upon reasonable terms. In reference to the Sherman anti trust law, I repeat recommendations made In my message at the opening of the present Congress, as well as in my message to the previous Con gress. The attempt in this law to provide in sweeping terms against all combinations of whatever character, if technically In restraint ot trade as such restraint has been defined by the courts, must necessarily be either fu- sometimes nuntvlnitlnna IrWal nlttinnirh tlinv I republic, and lit the ' next, place 'to Tor enfnrnlno- M. i- ....... .......... n--t o- .. .-.j . . . . . . ... 1 mc jaw may be useful to the country. On the vola th0 vindictive ana dreadful and corrupt corpora Z v other hand, as to some huge comblna j raa,call8m wnicn. ir leu unconirouea, defied the law, aiK0 d t mm which are tanth nm niu and III I " "mm ill uie euu iu ai uusc. (endeavor 11c? tn .... - t gal, eveii if the action undertaken Sweeping attacks upon all property, labor legislation, Sllch against tnem unaer the law by the Pn " mon f leans. without regard )ng iaw mMa 1 88 i government is successful, the result t0 wnetner uiey do wen or 111, wouia injuries to their em niovll 1 may be to work but a minimum bene. aouna lne aeain-sneii 01 me repuniic, aud fit that the apoio' 1 employ anoino-io..' wealth should opose eve . lleve weak an fit to the Public. Even though tnelana such attacus Decome lnevitameii - .' j.i 1- 1 1 . 9. .l Hnranf titter An a i-tant t tistcia lnh man I 1J . cmomnauori oe uroHen im ana i amflj uvvvu' vu'"vu . Uvv weaK nnrt hni..i.. mn.a.,HA 9 AnHn it,A.nK nMUt,. . I WhoRfl livpH nm rnrrnnt and evil to I naMr v-t...., J Lb Pkh, mt-aauio ui 1 ciwriii iucicui 111 UUUUQU, I - ' v uuuiS uilDLOrCUne ht. the real ennd aimed at ra'nnnt hn nh. domineer In swollen pride, unchecked them bv Inini-u i ... .""C. tnlnorl tnr anrh roal onrA pun nnmn land uuhindered. ever the destinies of I which th v .""sW onlv bv a thorniiirh and eontlmrtnr this country. We act in no vindictive burden shnnM i, j, , supervision over the acts of the com- BPlrlt- and ..we 'are no respecters of hypocritical baBenBao ?tei blnatlon in all its mrtu. o aa tn persons. If a labor union does wrong I eiri Wh0 won i . N nnnnl frulr . rotrlno- kr,n,nn..,I W6 ODDOSe it SS firmly ftS We OPPOS" I itunrArmi. T i t" ' " . ........... 0 , .... 1 I - ( " - uj(H;jIU(ry Ifl forms of comnetltion. and. in short corporation which does wrong; and as havlnis the "h... , wrongdoing generally. The law should we stand equally stoutly for the rights traet to expose herself . ' be strenethened In that narUcniar of the man of wealth and lor tie w. and lim-h rul. ""m n-t4nn rt tho Diiwn.K 0t .ikt.k I rlchts of the waeeworker. We seek to I hnt ir. . s o sjf. na i-ewaa ua. a.uu Btsuui uinu ami!. ot 1111:11 1 - - iwu v v ouiici wuur ah i prohibits all combinations of the char atP wrongdoing, and we desire to herself to such dangers Ti acter above described, whether thnvlPunlsh the wrongdoers only so far as i0.es a hand nr i " 1 . . . . -1 1 10 uinpr j be reasonable or unreasonable; v but " necessary o acnieve ims ena. - - - or disfigured for life u 1 this should foe done only as part of a ' Tfie 'books and pamphlets, the con- wrong that the whole , , , 1 I troll or! iifuvRnnnera. rha fineeches bv a nnnnn.. . . . oi 1 ui aiiiuv iu yiwT mc iui iuio bi i ' - i uc,c;Baarlljr jnCidontat t J public or nrivato men to which I re-1 -... , , ,h "c lacea with by the national government of all the fer- re usually and especially in the weight upon her weak h V operations of the tig interstate bust- Interest of tho Standard OH trust and an who proflt by ner work? ness concerns. Judge Hough, of New 01 certain .notorious rauroau cuiuuiuu- fVee. This is what York, in his recent decision in the ons, out tney also aoiena otner m- employers' orlt etci, opponent. . tl,,.un... , " I dividual aiul noriwiratlnns of great Ln i . w i iiiiuu v,oc, niaiya UiOL iuo uuu I ' uu it- io UUli bib Lent that th gress possesses the power to limit the wealth that have been guilty of wrong- Usually, also advocate im interstate operations of corDoratlona doing, It is only rarely that the men th08e moBt df.n-,n ,."t not complying -with federal safeguards responsible tor the wrong-doing them- criminal class the criminT'j ocroinai- iks . ..n. .i i selves BDeak or write. Normally they l,ii, , ""man Ei HBUiuov Ul IVI.UI1 CU(C UI UUUUA1UUB . - " . " - TfCOrlviI. . practices, and to license those which h,re 0tner8 ' do thefr Bidding, or find jjje lawg mugt ,n afford the public adequate security otner 'who will do it without hire. miniatered aa they are nZ f ufiauiBi uieiuua cmcuittiea 10 aiminisn i - " -"-- i iniiusierea, so tnat the denaw I cmi.,any,v j I fond law. everv inensnre for honesty I i..,i- , uclnni wt'ouvji uuu Miciciuie vuivieuvy nuu ' ----- . - juouuo , may continue to be j . . . . . ... I In Knalnnna that Vna haiiil nflDaad 1 economy m interstate transportation. ""'- " now is, in very fact the denanj Tk iivi. .jj. ho. ,1 . line the last, six yearn has been oDDos-1 ..! .i . . "'-I'ana juu6c .uuo IU AU.UirOV! illttLLCI B 1 'J At I JUOlW;C "UCfB SO lUT gS Qllf I I ISU UV UIHSH 1111-11 IIII ILEf IJilBOaKa BUU IU nhtin. In , . . . 1 ample, .. ,., i" judhub ih meted out .1 VC 7 i.ll 1 , ,1 vyvu uaua lo great and i the power of congress is uiougn as yei not irmttUl in results. " tht hlffor and nnuwinnlnira craft It is very earnestly to be desired that ....n .- u. a . tr eai - - - 1 uuum bukKcov kuu iuo uumuiaiiu ui f fhpro nhnnlri h. HA j i either along the lines the Judge indi- ,w linllmitod mnnAv aoniirA Rllt I ... 3 m siriftll 4 yuor, wau ana strons. u J cates, or in some other way equally ho ,aaf ar , . uaa ho.n l"B ldWB now 00 th s efficacious, the congress may exercise made mhh mo3t blUerness upon the i LXad ""1 the nnwer wh eh ho hnid it ahiuiui . . ... , . , . .. . I wauoa as outlined In the ml . r i actual administration or me iaw, es-i aent ., ,, i Superficially it may seem that the Def!lal,v ,hro,ltrh lhe deDartment of ?f-i ! Cn,S.r.e8S n ltB aM laws, the passage of hlch I herein hustlce. but also throurfi the inter- ""T 1... ,aw9 mH agains advocate-for I have repeated- 8tate COIfin.erce commission and the Trin' Z nt 2 "y i ly auvocaiea mem Deiore are not hnrfiall oMrHon., The Axtranrd-Z Z T. . "l connected. But in reality they are ,na lr.,n; r th, ..i,. , u.Be" 8aow.n Dy expertaJ ui or mischievous, and both. The present law makes some connected. ' Each and every one of these laws, if enacted, would repre sent part of the campaign against privilege, part of the campaign to make the class of great property hold ers realize that property has its duties no less than its rights. When the iney can ue entorced againsj weaiimest corporation and -the -4 and most powerful manager or i ulator of that corporation, as ri:l ly. and ! fearlessly as humblest offender. Above all our policy contained in these speeches, editorials, articles, advertisements, and pamphlets, and the enormous sums of money spent In these various ways, give a fairly accurate measure of the anger and terror which our pub- have enforced a ; He actions have caused the corrunt I j .. j . courts guarantee to the employer, as men 0f vast wealth to feel in the very Iwho have tT ' they should, the rights of the em- marrow of thelr -being. The attack la rjla?i0rfl.",a"y Diover. and to nronertv the rlchta of a Jluuu ue - . - i auiiJCLiiJiciB uiituc upciiijr agaiiiDi. ud iui property, they should no less erapha- enforcine the law. and sometimes with a Certain cunning, for hot ' trying to enforce it in some other way than that which experience shows to be prac tical. One of the favorite methods of the latter class of assailant is to at tack the administration for not procur- lng the imprisonment Instead of the t0 the representatives ot the na. uuc ul uiieiiuei e uuuur uiuBtj aiiLi-iriiBt tically make it -evident that they will exact from property and from the em ployer the duties which should neces sarily accompany . these rights; and hitherto our laws have failed in pre cisely this point of enforcing the per formance of duty by the man of prop erty tward the man who works for with Impunity, against great lail lng corporations of immense i which, until within the last hall j years, have treated themselves! have expected others to treat til being beyond and a'bove all pol check from law. ,It is especially necessary to J hinV 'J1? man of 6reat wealth, es- ,awg ,Tne man niaklng tnla assault Is usually either a prominent lawyer or an editor who takes his policy from the financiers "and his arguments from their attorneys. . Much is said, in these attacks upon the policy of the present admlnistra- government full power to dealt the great corporations cngaseji terstate commerce, and abott with the great interstate commoii rlers. : Out people should clearljf ognize that while there are diffifj in any course of conduct to be . I ed in dealing with these great tl ations, these difficulties must bed and one of three courses followed! The first course is to abaudJ peclally if he uses that wealth in cor porate form, toward the investor, the wage-worker, and the general public. The permanent failure of the man of property to fulfill his obligations would ultimately assure the wresting from him of the wivllege which he is entitled to enjoy only if he recognizes Uon' about tne riShts of "Innocent the obligations accompanying them, atocanoiaers. l nat stocKnomer is Those who assume or share the re- not innocent who voluntarily pur- sponsibllity for this failure are render- chases stock in a corporation whose effort to oversee and control lhf-3 ing but a poor service to the . cause metnoos and management he knows tlons in the interest or tne pi which they beMeve they champion. to be corrupt; and stockholders are public and to permit a return if I do not know whether It is possible, jamming at cards or in lotteries or on utter JacK or control wnicn toii but if possible, it. is certainly desir- tne race traok and gambling in the tain if they were left to the coil able, that in connection with measures Rtock market One method is just as law. I do not for one moment fcl to restrain stock watering and over-1 pernicious to the body politic as the that our people would tolerate! capitalization there should be meas-other m kind, and In degree the evil position. The extraordinary Broij ures taken to prevent at least tho worked is far greater. But it is a far modern Industrialism has rendertl grosser forms of gambling in securi- wore difficult subject with which to cmomon law, which grew up ties and commodities, such as makins aeal- Tne great bulk of business and was adapted to deal with tie large sales of what men do not poa- transacted on the exchanges is not conditions. . These new cona sess and "cornering" the market Legl- only legtimate, but is necessary to the make it necessary to shackle cuiil timate purchase of commodities and worKing ot our modern industrial sys- as in the past we have snacKiean of stocks and securities for invest- tem .and extreme care would have to The vast individual and corporaw ment have no connection whatever be taken not to Interfere with this tunes, the vast combinations oil with purchases of stocks or other sec- Business in aoing away wun tha Ital. which have marKea me ut urities or commodities on a margin "bucket shop" type of operation. We ment of our Industrial system, crl for speculative gambling numoses. oouna to try to secure honest manage- new conditions, and necessity There is no moral difference between ment, or else are estopped from com- change from the old attitude oil should study both the successes and Piaming about the proceedings the state and the nation toward tne. i the failures of foreign legislators who, government finds necessary in order regulating the acquisition and ml notably in Germany, have worked 10 compel the corporation to obey the meled business use of pronerj along this line, so as not to do any- law. There has been in the past grave order both that property may w l thing harmful. Moreover, there Is a wrong done innocent stockholders by I auately protected, and that ai special difficulty in dealing with this overcapitalization, stock watering, I same time those who hold it Rl matter by the feeeral government In aN stock-jobbing, stock-manipulation. Thin I prevented from wrongdoing. federal republic like ours. But if it is we have sought to prevent, first, by The second and third courses i possible to devise a way to deal with exposing the thing done and punishing have the regulation undertaken ef It the effort should be made, even if I tne offender when any existing law by the nation or by the state i only in a cautious and tentative way. naa ueen violated; second, by recom- course in any event both tne b- It would seem that the federal governr menatng tne passage of laws which government and the several tRi ment could at least act for forblddlna would make unlawful similar nrac- ernmenta must do each its part the use of the mails, telegraph and j ticeg for the future. The public men, each can do a certain amount ttel telephone wires for mere gambling in lawyers, and editors who loudly nro- other cannot da. while the only' stocks and futures, just as It does in claim their sympathy for the "inno- satisfactory results must be M lottery transactions. cent stockholders" when a great law- by the representatives of ineMlJ Under no circumstances would we defying corporation is punished, are and ntat envernments working" countenance attacks upon law-abiding the flrst t0 ProteBt with frantic veh- tily together within their respel property, or do aught but condemn 3 TLT- .Ir :. yJV " BP1,ereg- uut . , 7 those who hold up rich men as being he ;a 'and u, "l..M the stockholders and by the action of the national M in:.at ,7,; ;j." V " r . puouc- lne al'iogisis of success- ment, for almost all the w i ue.uiei- rui aisnonesty always declaim against of enormous wealth that Is. tl any effort to punish or prevent it on mirations which it 13 esnecHi.J8 the ground that any such effort will abie to control are engaged Is E unsettle business." It is they who atate commerce, and derive by their acts have unsettled hualncca- thoi,. imnortance not . and the very men raising this cry that nortlon of their business wfc spend hundreds of. thousands of dnl. intMtto hut imm the inte'i lars in securlug, by speech, editorial, hnsine ' it la not easy always t book, or pamphlet, the defense by cide Just where the line of deoj misstatements of what they haTe tlon between the two kinds ot i oone; ana yet when public servants ness falls. This line must uiuw correct meir nilsstatementr. by telllnc h drawn hv thn federal court the truth they declaim against them Lf the effort to secure adequate j iur ureaiir? silence, lest "values be trnl nf th eroat oornorations n depreciated" They have hurt. honest action has been wise and effec'J Business men, nonest workine men. r it h.. wn neither; w honest farmers: and now they clamor the effort is made to accompli against me irutn i.emg told. the action of the state what cm ine nusmess- which is hurt hv ho omi.iuh.d hv I he action the movement for honesty Is the kind n.iu r ,.,,u run onb me of business which, in the long run. It polutm'ent. and in the end the UM pays the country to have hurt It is hhi h Hi-ired unconstH'-'l the kind of business which has tended So likewise in the national rwM io mane me very name "high finance" who believe" iu the measures a term of scandal to which all hnni I. a , hom.wred si American men of business should join aided by the extremists who al ,,..v".,s 1U. lne gpeca, plead- action so violent that it wu ers ofr business dishonesty, la de he i.aelea, or else would' m"9' nouncing the present adiulnistraUoo mischief thaB It would reciei'. insist upon conduct, and wetalth nor property nor any . other class distinction, as being the proper standard by which to judge the ac tions of men. For the honest man of great wealth we have a hearty regard. Just as we have a hearty regard for the honest politician and honest news paper. But part of the movement to uphold honesty myst be a movement to frown on dishonesty. We attack onlv the corrupt men of wealth, who fln in the purchased politician the most efficient instrument of corrup tion and in the purchased newspaper the most efficient defender of corrup tion. Our main quarrel is not with these agents and representatives of the Interests. They derive their chief power from the great sinister offend er who stand behind them. They are but puppets who move as the strings are pulled. It is not the puppets, but the strong cunning men and the mighty forces working for evil behind and through the pnppets. with whom we have to deal. We seek to control law-defying wealth; In the first place to prevent its doing dire evil to the rtidj
The Western Sentinel (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Feb. 4, 1908, edition 1
2
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