on to railways in connection with the
Inter-State Commerce Law should be followed by the National Government
as regards all great business concerns; and therefore that, as a
first step, the powers of the Bureau of Corporations should be greatly
enlarged, or else that there should be created a Governmental board or
commission, with powers somewhat similar to those of the Inter-State
Commerce Commission, but covering the whole field of inter-State
business, exclusive of transportation (which should, by law, be kept
wholly separate from ordinary industrial business, all common ownership
of the industry and the railway being forbidden). In the end I have
always believed that it would also be necessary to give the National
Government complete power over the organization and capitalization of
all business concerns engaged in inter-State commerce.

A member of my Cabinet with whom, even more than with the various
Attorneys-General, I went over every detail of the trust situation, was
the one time Secretary of the Interior, Mr. James R. Garfield. He writes
me as follows concerning the suit against the Steel Corporation:

"Nothing appeared before the House Committee that made me believe we
were deceived by Judge Gary.

"This, I think, is a case that shows clearly the difference between
destructive litigation and constructive legislation. I have not yet seen
a full copy of the Government's petition, but our papers give nothing
that indicates any kind of unfair or dishonest competition such as
existed in both the Standard Oil and Tobacco Cases. As I understand it,
the competitors of the Steel Company have steadily increased in strength
during the last six or seven years. Furthermore, the per cent of the
business done by the Steel Corporation has decreased during that time.
As you will remember, at our first conference with Judge Gary, the Judge
stated that it was the desire and purpose of the Company to conform
to what the Government wished, it being the purpose of the Company
absolutely to obey the law both in spirit and letter. Throughout the
time that I had charge of the investigation, and while we were in
Washington, I do not know of a single instance where the Steel Company
refused any information requested; but, on the contrary, aided in every
possible way our investigation.

"The position now taken by the Government is absolutely destructive
of legitimate business, because they outline no rule of conduct for
business of