I was reading from Teddy Roosevelt's collected letters and speeches this morning (the Library of America edition) and came across this little selection, which I found worthy of sharing.
From a speech given in September, 1901:
"No hard and fast rule can be laid down as to where our legislation shall stop in interfering between man and man, between interest and interest. All that can be said is that it is highly undesirable, on the one hand, to weaken individual initiative, and, on the other hand, that in a constantly increasing number of cases we shall find it necessary in the future to shackle cunning as in the past we have shackled force. It is not only highly desirable but necessary that there should be legislation which shall carefully shield the interests of wage-workers, and which shall discriminate in favor of the honest and humane employer by removing the disadvantage under which he stands when compared with unscrupulous competitors who have no conscience and will do right only under fear of punishment...
"Yet more and more it is evident that the State, and if necessary the nation, has got to possess the right of supervision and control as regards the great corporations which are its creatures; particularly as regards the great business combinations which derive a portion of their importance from the existence of some monopolistic tendency. The right should be exercised with caution and self-restraint; but it should exist, so that it may be invoked if the need arises."
I think if old Teddy was around these days, he'd need that big stick of his more than ever.
1 comment:
I fear government way more then the corporations except of course when government and corporations get in bed with one another ie: think GE and the Obama Administration!
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