Fewwilldisputethefactthatthepresentsituationisnotsatisfactory,andcannotbeputonapermanentlysatisfactorybasisunlessweputanendtotheperiodofgropinganddeclareforafixedpolicy,apolicywhichshallclearlydefineandpunishwrong-doing,whichshallputastoptotheiniquitiesdoneinthenameofbusiness,butwhichshalldostrictequitytobusiness。Wedemandthatbigbusinessgivethepeopleasquaredeal;inreturnwemustinsistthatwhenanyoneengagedinbigbusinesshonestlyendeavorstodorightheshallhimselfbegivenasquaredeal;andthefirst,andmostelementary,kindofsquaredealistogivehiminadvancefullinformationastojustwhathecan,andwhathecannot,legallyandproperlydo。Itisabsurd,andmuchworsethanabsurd,totreatthedeliberatelawbreakerasonanexactparwiththemaneagertoobeythelaw,whoseonlydesireistofindoutfromsomecompetentGovernmentalauthoritywhatthelawis,andthentoliveuptoit。
Moreover,itisabsurdtotreatthesizeofacorporationasinitselfacrime。AsJudgeHooksaysinhisopinionintheStandardOilCase:
“Magnitudeofbusinessdoesnotaloneconstituteamonopoly……thegeniusandindustryofmanwhenkepttoethicalstandardsstillhavefullplay,andwhatheachievesishis……successandmagnitudeofbusiness,therewardsoffairandhonorableendeavor[arenotforbidden]……[thepublicwelfareisthreatenedonlywhensuccessisattained]bywrongfulorunlawfulmethods。”Sizemay,andinmyopiniondoes,makeacorporationfraughtwithpotentialmenacetothecommunity;andmay,andinmyopinionshould,thereforemakeitincumbentuponthecommunitytoexercisethroughitsadministrativenotmerelythroughitsjudicialofficersastrictsupervisionoverthatcorporationinordertoseethatitdoesnotgowrong;butthesizeinitselfdoesnotsignifywrong-doing,andshouldnotbeheldtosignifywrong-doing。
Notonlyshouldanyhugecorporationwhichhasgaineditspositionbyunfairmethods,andbyinterferencewiththerightsofothers,bydemoralizingandcorruptpractices,inshort,bysheerbasenessandwrong-doing,bebrokenup,butitshouldbemadethebusinessofsomeadministrativegovernmentalbody,byconstantsupervision,toseethatitdoesnotcometogetheragain,saveundersuchstrictcontrolasshallinsurethecommunityagainstallrepetitionofthebadconduct——
anditshouldneverbepermittedthustoassembleitspartsaslongasthesepartsareunderthecontroloftheoriginaloffenders,foractualexperiencehasshownthatthesemenare,fromthestandpointofthepeopleatlarge,unfittobetrustedwiththepowerimpliedinthemanagementofalargecorporation。Butnothingofimportanceisgainedbybreakingupahugeinter-Stateandinternationalindustrialorganization/whichhasnotoffendedotherwisethanbyitssize/,intoanumberofsmallconcernswithoutanyattempttoregulatethewayinwhichthoseconcernsasawholeshalldobusiness。NothingisgainedbydeprivingtheAmericanNationofgoodweaponswherewithtofightinthegreatfieldofinternationalindustrialcompetition。Thosewhowouldseektorestorethedaysofunlimitedanduncontrolledcompetition,andwhobelievethatapanaceaforourindustrialandeconomicillsistobefoundinthemerebreakingupofallbigcorporations,simplybecausetheyarebig,areattemptingnotonlytheimpossible,butwhat,ifpossible,wouldbeundesirable。TheyareactingasweshouldactifwetriedtodamtheMississippi,tostopitsflowoutright。Theeffortwouldbecertaintoresultinfailureanddisaster;wewouldhaveattemptedtheimpossible,andsowouldhaveachievednothing,orworsethannothing。ButbybuildingleveesalongtheMississippi,notseekingtodamthestream,buttocontrolit,weareabletoachieveourobjectandtoconferinestimablegoodinthecourseofsodoing。
ThisNationshoulddefinitelyadoptthepolicyofattacking,notthemerefactofcombination,buttheevilsandwrong-doingwhichsofrequentlyaccompanycombination。Thefactthatacombinationisverybigisamplereasonforexercisingacloseandjealoussupervisionoverit,becauseitssizerendersitpotentformischief;butitshouldnotbepunishedunlessitactuallydoesthemischief;itshouldmerelybesosupervisedandcontrolledastoguaranteeus,thepeople,againstitsdoingmischief。Weshouldnotstriveforapolicyofunregulatedcompetitionandofthedestructionofallbigcorporations,thatis,ofallthemostefficientbusinessindustriesintheland。Norshouldwepersevereinthehopelessexperimentoftryingtoregulatetheseindustriesbymeansonlyoflawsuits,eachlastingseveralyears,andofuncertainresult。Weshouldenteruponacourseofsupervision,control,andregulationofthesegreatcorporations——aregulationwhichweshouldnotfear,ifnecessary,tobringtothepointofcontrolofmonopolyprices,justasinexceptionalcasesrailwayratesarenowregulated。EithertheBureauofCorporationsshouldbeauthorized,orsomeothergovernmentalbodysimilartotheInter-StateCommerceCommissionshouldbecreated,toexercisethissupervision,thisauthoritativecontrol。Whenonceimmoralbusinesspracticeshavebeeneliminatedbysuchcontrol,competitionwilltherebybeagainrevivedasahealthyfactor,althoughnotasformerlyanall-sufficientfactor,inkeepingthegeneralbusinesssituationsound。Whereverimmoralbusinesspracticesstillobtain——astheyobtainedinthecasesoftheStandardOilTrustandTobaccoTrust——theAnti-TrustLawcanbeinvoked;andwhereversuchaprosecutionissuccessful,andthecourtsdeclareacorporationtopossessamonopolisticcharacter,thenthatcorporationshouldbecompletelydissolved,andthepartsoughtnevertobeagainassembledsaveonwhatevertermsandunderwhateverconditionsmaybeimposedbythegovernmentalbodyinwhichisvestedtheregulatorypower。MethodscanreadilybedevisedbywhichcorporationssincerelydesiringtoactfairlyandhonestlycanontheirowninitiativecomeunderthisthoroughgoingadministrativecontrolbytheGovernmentandtherebybefreefromtheworkingoftheAnti-TrustLaw。Butthelawwillremaintobeinvokedagainstwrongdoers;andundersuchconditionsitcouldbeinvokedfarmorevigorouslyandsuccessfullythanatpresent。
Itisnotnecessaryinanarticlelikethistoattempttoworkoutsuchaplanindetail。Itcanassuredlybeworkedout。Moreover,inmyopinion,substantiallysomesuchplanmustbeworkedoutorbusinesschaoswillcontinue。WrongdoingsuchaswasperpetratedbytheStandardOilTrust,andespeciallybytheTobaccoTrust,shouldnotonlybepunished,butifpossiblepunishedinthepersonsofthechiefauthorsandbeneficiariesofthewrong,farmoreseverelythanatpresent。Butpunishmentshouldnotbetheonly,orindeedthemain,endinview。Ouraimshouldbeapolicyofconstructionandnotoneofdestruction。Ouraimshouldnotbetopunishthemenwhohavemadeabigcorporationsuccessfulmerelybecausetheyhavemadeitbigandsuccessful,buttoexercisesuchthoroughgoingsupervisionandcontroloverthemastoinsuretheirbusinessskillbeingexercisedintheinterestofthepublicandnotagainstthepublicinterest。
Ultimately,Ibelievethatthiscontrolshouldundoubtedlyindirectlyordirectlyextendtodealingwithallquestionsconnectedwiththeirtreatmentoftheiremployees,includingthewages,thehoursoflabor,andthelike。Notonlyisthepropertreatmentofacorporation,fromthestandpointofthemanagers,shareholders,andemployees,compatiblewithsecuringfromthatcorporationthebeststandardofpublicservice,butwhentheeffortiswiselymadeitresultsinbenefitbothtothecorporationandtothepublic。ThesuccessofWisconsinindealingwiththecorporationswithinherborders,soasbothtodothemjusticeandtoexactjusticeinreturnfromthemtowardthepublic,hasbeensignal;andthisNationshouldadoptaprogressivepolicyinsubstanceakintotheprogressivepolicynotmerelyformulatedintheorybutreducedtoactualpracticewithsuchstrikingsuccessinWisconsin。
Tosumup,then。Itispracticallyimpossible,and,ifpossible,itwouldbemischievousandundesirable,totrytobreakupallcombinationsmerelybecausetheyarelargeandsuccessful,andtoputthebusinessofthecountrybackintothemiddleoftheeighteenthcenturyconditionsofintenseandunregulatedcompetitionbetweensmallandweakbusinessconcerns。Suchaneffortrepresentsnotprogressivenessbutanunintelligentthoughdoubtlessentirelywell-
meaningtoryism。Moreover,theefforttoadministeralawmerelybylawsuitsandcourtdecisionsisboundtoendinsignalfailure,andmeanwhiletobeattendedwithdelaysanduncertainties,andtoputapremiumuponlegalsharppractice。Suchaneffortdoesnotadequatelypunishtheguilty,andyetworksgreatharmtotheinnocent。Moreover,itentirelyfailstogivethepublicitywhichisoneofthebestby-
productsofthesystemofcontrolbyadministrativeofficials;
publicity,whichisnotonlygoodinitself,butfurnishesthedataforwhateverfurtheractionmaybenecessary。Weneedtoformulateimmediatelyanddefinitelyapolicywhich,indealingwithbigcorporationsthatbehavethemselvesandwhichcontainnomenacesavewhatisnecessarilypotentialinanycorporationwhichisofgreatsizeandverywellmanaged,shallaimnotattheirdestructionbutattheirregulationandsupervision,sothattheGovernmentshallcontroltheminsuchfashionasamplytosafeguardtheinterestsofthewholepublic,includingproducers,consumers,andwage-workers。Thiscontrolshould,ifnecessary,bepushedinextremecasestothepointofexercisingcontrolovermonopolyprices,asratesonrailwaysarenowcontrolled;althoughthisisnotapowerthatshouldbeusedwhenitispossibletoavoidit。Thelawshouldbeclear,unambiguous,certain,sothathonestmenmaynotfindthatunwittinglytheyhaveviolatedit。Inshort,ouraimshouldbe,nottodestroy,buteffectivelyandinthoroughgoingfashiontoregulateandcontrol,inthepublicinterest,thegreatinstrumentalitiesofmodernbusiness,whichitisdestructiveofthegeneralwelfareofthecommunitytodestroy,andwhichneverthelessitisvitallynecessarytothatgeneralwelfaretoregulateandcontrol。Competitionwillremainasaveryimportantfactorwhenoncewehavedestroyedtheunfairbusinessmethods,thecriminalinterferencewiththerightsofothers,whichaloneenabledcertainswollencombinationstocrushouttheircompetitors——and,incidentally,the“conservatives“willdowelltorememberthattheseunfairandiniquitousmethodsbygreatmastersofcorporatecapitalhavedonemoretocausepopulardiscontentwiththepropertiedclassesthanalltheorationsofalltheSocialistoratorsinthecountryputtogether。
IhavespokenaboveofSenatorDavis’sadmirableaddressdeliveredaquarterofacenturyago。SenatorDavis’sone-timepartner,FrankB。
Kellogg,theGovernmentcounselwhodidsomuchtowinsuccessfortheGovernmentinitsprosecutionsofthetrusts,hasrecentlydeliveredbeforethePalimpsestClubofOmahaanexcellentaddressonthesubject;Mr。Prouty,oftheInter-StateCommerceCommission,hasrecently,inhisspeechbeforetheCongregationalClubofBrooklyn,dealtwiththesubjectfromtheconstructiveside;andintheproceedingsoftheAmericanBarAssociationfor1904thereisanadmirablepaperontheneedofthoroughgoingFederalcontrolovercorporationsdoinganinter-Statebusiness,byProfessorHoraceL。
Wilgus,oftheUniversityofMichigan。TheNationalGovernmentexercisescontroloverinter-Statecommercerailways,anditcaninsimilarfashion,throughanappropriategovernmentalbody,exercisecontroloverallindustrialorganizationsengagedininter-Statecommerce。Thiscontrolshouldbeexercised,notbythecourts,butbyanadministrativebureauorboardsuchastheBureauofCorporationsortheInter-StateCommerceCommission;forthecourtscannotwithadvantagepermanentlyperformexecutiveandadministrativefunctions。
APPENDIXB
THECONTROLOFCORPORATIONSAND“THENEWFREEDOM“
Inhisbook“TheNewFreedom。”andinthemagazinearticlesofwhichitiscomposed,whichappearedjustafterhehadbeeninauguratedasPresident,Mr。WoodrowWilsonmadeanentirelyunprovokedattackuponmeandupontheProgressivepartyinconnectionwithwhatheassertsthepolicyofthatpartytobeconcerningthetrusts,andasregardsmyattitudewhilePresidentaboutthetrusts。
IamreluctanttosayanythingwhateveraboutPresidentWilsonattheoutsetofhisAdministrationunlessIcanspeakofhimwithpraise。I
havescrupulouslyrefrainedfromsayingordoingonethingsinceelectionthatcouldputtheslightestobstacle,evenofmisinterpretation,inhispath。Itistotheinterestofthecountrythatheshouldsucceedinhisoffice。Icordiallywishhimsuccess,andIshallcordiallysupportanypolicyofhisthatIbelievetobeintheinterestsofthepeopleoftheUnitedStates。ButwhenMr。
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