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Show TRAVELING THE TRUST CIRCLE. ONE looks In vain through the speech of Governor Wilson yesterday yes-terday (the most important thus far of his campaign) for any statement of what is his own programme pro-gramme with respect to the trusts. In fact, he practically acknowledged that ho ha3 none. All that Governor Wilson definitely recommends is that the people should "flock to their school houses for debate among themselves." He would have public opinion organized, or-ganized, he says. But in behaif of what doctrine or proposal he does not say. Hi3 prescription is merely for more "talk." He is seemingly possessed pos-sessed of sublime faith that if the people will but counsel together long enough the truth will be revealed unto them. It Is a grand conception this one of each one of us sitting In his nearest school house wrangling to pass the time with his neighbor and patiently waiting for instructions from on high. But though Governor Wilson has no remedy to suggest except the one of an assemblage for conversation, he is quite sure that the Bull Moose remedy won't do. He draws back in horror from what he says is a plan for government gov-ernment by a " board of experts." "God forbid," he piou3ly exclaims, "that in a Democratic country wo should resign the task of governing ourselves and give the government over to experts." Every patriotic spine must shiver at the thought. To be governed by bosses may be bad, but by experts would be much worse. But when the spine gets over shivering shiver-ing the thought cornea back that forty-eight forty-eight states, each acting separately, are not competent to establish that unified control over Interstate commerce com-merce and interstate corporations that the public is more and more believing must be exercised. It is easy to say and establish that national control ' means dangerous centralization. But tho alternative is no control, for obviously ob-viously forty-eight states, flopping separately, will not be able to provide it. Other nations are able to centralize cen-tralize authority and to escape atrophy and tyranny. It is possible the United States may. Local self-government is a glorious principle. Long may it wave! But may it not try to do the things that local authority is unfit to perform. The states are not fit to supervise corporations that are national na-tional in their scope. All know this who have studied the problem, and all admit it except a few hardshells who follow the words rather than the spirit of Jefferson, If there Is and must be national control it seems that it will be more elastic and there will be less danger of unwise Interferences if the details of the control are left to administrative administra-tive boards. Mandatory laws passed by congress, with no machinery for administration, are likely to go either too far or not far enough. The world over it Is the practice of mankind to lodge administrative discretion with special agents supposed to be special-ly special-ly equipped for the tasks confided to them. Governor Wilson, one may be sure, cannot wish his sneer against government by experts to be taken too literally, for in managing the affair af-fair of New Jersey he has urged tho setting up of commissions. If It does not Imply tyranny for New Jersey to have state commissions dealing with New Jersey matters it does not imply tyranny to have national commissions dealing with national matters. The public has high expectations of Governor Wilson. It has looked forward with confidnce to the receipt of beneficial instructions from a man of his power of thought and expression. expres-sion. He does not do himself justice by merely counselling us to confer further and by pointing the beauties of local self-government and the dangers of centralized self-government. Nor does he do himself justice by vaguely saying, echoing Brandeis, that there should be "regulation of competition instead of monopoly." Regulation of monopoly and regulation regula-tion of competition would probably come practically to the same thing. One is controlling the man and the other the acta of the man not a vital difference. New York Globe, Sept. 3, 1912. |