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Show TASK IS A HARD OM CONTROL OF CORPORATIONS A DIFFICULT MATTER. President Roosevelt Realizes the Gravity of the Situation Amendment Amend-ment to the Constitution Necessary to Effect Desired Results. The president says: "I bellovo firmly that In the end there will havo fo be an amendment to tho constitution constitu-tion of the nation conferring additional addi-tional power tipou tho federal government govern-ment to deal with corporations. To get tbat will bo a matter of difficulty and a matter of time." The last sentence shows that tho president Is aware of tho fact that to nmeiu. tho constitution, even to reach au end desired by a considerable majority of tho people, is no light task. It will bo necessary for tho ad-ocatcs ad-ocatcs of tho amendment tho president presi-dent 'jpIIovcs nccessnry to ovcrcomo the resistance of corporate Interests which prefer state to federal rule; to oerco'no tho state prldo which will bid tho states retain jurisdiction over the corporations which nro their own creatures; and to reconcllo conservative conserva-tive slow moving elements In tho community to a now departure to a greater centralization of tho powers of government. John Adams Bald of tho national constitution that It was extorted from "tho grinding necessities necessi-ties of n reluctnnt people." It may requlro a similar pressure to extort an amendment giving to tho gencrnl government tho control over corporations corpora-tions it is proposed to bestow upon It. If congress were this year, through a sudden impulse, to submit to the dates an amendment transferring from them to tho federal government govern-ment tho juilsdlctlon ovor corporations corpora-tions tho amondment would fall far short of tho nocossary three-fourths vote. Thero aro. states whero no trust has a homo and whero trusts aro most unpopular which, influenced by tho habits of thought of a century, would rcfuso to glvo additional power to tho general government. Thero are states whoso legislatures are so far subjoct to corporate Influences that thoy would refuse ratification peremptorily. K would take something some-thing in the naturo of a revolution to get tho assent of states like New York, New Joraay and Pennsylvania. The general roason assigned for nonconcurrence In the amendment at this moment would be that the remedies reme-dies which congress can administer with tho constitution aa it is havo not been given a sufficient trial. This Is a reason which will appeal strongly strong-ly to many. In all human probability no amondment can bo adopted until all other measures havo been tried faithfully and their failure Is beyond dispute. Tho prcsldont docs not exaggerate when ho says It will be "a matter of difficulty and a matter of tlmo" to get tho constitutional amondment ho do-sires. do-sires. Many difficulties will be encountered en-countered and much tlmo will bo nocdod. Federal control of corporations corpora-tions Is not a thing of tho immediate luturo. Probably that Is the vlow Prosldcnt Roosevelt takoB of tho mat-tor. mat-tor. Chicago Tribune. |