Without this success the National Government must have remained in the impotence to which it had been reduced by the Knight decision as regards the most important of its internal functions.

But our success in establishing the power of the National Government to curb monopolies did not establish the right method of exercising that power.

We had gained the power.

We had not devised the proper method of exercising it.
Monopolies can, although in rather cumbrous fashion, be broken up by law suits.

Great business combinations, however, cannot possibly be made useful instead of noxious industrial agencies merely by law suits, and especially by law suits supposed to be carried on for their destruction and not for their control and regulation.