unless their offensive efforts are resisted. The old United States
Bank managers were politicians, and active ones. They perverted the
trust reposed in their hands to such an extent that the indignation of
the people was aroused, and under the lead of a stern old patriot the
bank was swept out of existence. Shall we restrain corporation
management within proper limits and make corporations serve the public
welfare, or shall we let the abuses go on until the people, under the
lead of another Jackson, demand emphatically the application of some
remedy, for better or for worse? Perhaps Government ownership, perhaps
something else. Nations, like individuals, should profit by the
experience of the past.

The Interstate Commerce Commission, in their sixth annual report, say,
concerning the Interstate Commerce Law:

"It was scarcely possible that it should be so complete and
comprehensive at the outset as to require no alteration or
amendment. Those who are familiar with the practices which
obtained prior to the passage of this law, and contrast them
with the methods and conditions now existing, will accord to
the present statute great influence in the direction of
necessary reforms and a high degree of usefulness in
promoting the public interest.

"Whoever will candidly examine the reports of the commission
from year to year, and thus become acquainted with the work
which has been done and is now going on, will have no doubt
of the potential value of this enactment in correcting
public sentiment, restraining public injustice and enforcing
the principle of reasonable charges and equal treatment.
Imperfections and weaknesses which could not be anticipated
at the time of its passage have since been disclosed by the
effort to give it effective administration. The test of
experience, so far from condemning the policy of public
regulation, has established, its importance and intensified
its necessity. The very respects in which the existing law
has failed to meet public expectation point out the
advantages and demonstrate the utility of Government
supervision....

"Of this much we are convinced: The public demand for
Government regulation and the necessity for legal
protection against the encroachments of railroad
corporations have not been diminished by the experien