Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1902-12-02
TO CURB TRUSTS
BY RECIPROCITY
Continued from First page)

khulu hkhiAlbI lVNOiulOhs
mo more important subject can come
before the Congress than this Of the
regulation of interstate business This
country can not afford to sit supine
on the plea that under our peculiar
system of government we are helpless
iu the presence of the new conditions,
and unable to grapple with them or to
cut out whatever of evil has arisen
in connection with them. The power
OF the Congress to regulate interstate
commerce is an absolute and unquali.
fed grant, and without limitations
other than those prescribed by the Con.
stitutjon. The Congress has cobstitu.
tional authority to make all laws neces.
sary and proper for executing this pow.
or, and I am satisfied that this power
has not been exhausted by any legls-
lation now on the statute books. II
~ evident, therefore, that evils restrict
i've OF commercial freedom and entail
ing restraint upon national commerce
fell within the regulative power Of the
Congress, ana that wise and reason.
able law would be necessary and
proper exercise Of Congressional au-
thority to the end that such evils should
be erndicated.
"T believe that monopolies, unjust
determinations, which prevent or Drip
pie competition. fraudulent overcapitaL
ization, and other evils in trust organ
izations and practices which injurious.
j. affect interstate trade can be pre-.
vented under the power of the Congress
to regulate commerce with foreign ma.
tons and among the several States
through regulations and requirements
operating directly upon such commerce,
the instrumentalities thereof and those
engaged therein.
II earnestly recommend this subject
to the consideration Of the Congress
with view TO the passage Of law
reasonable in It's provisions and effect,
i've in It's operations, upon which the
questions can be finally adjudicated
that now raise doubts as TO the necessity
OF constitutional amendment. II ii
prove impossible to accomplish the pur.
fhen, assuredly, we should not shrink
from amending the Constitution so az
to secure beyond peradyenture the pow
or sought
1.-THE Congress has not heretofore
made any appropriation for the better
enforcement Of the antitrust law as 1t
now stands. Very much has been done
by the Department of Justice in secur-
ing the enforcement Of this law, but
much more could be done II Congress
would make a special appropriation for
this purpose, TO be expended under the
direction of the Attorney General.
zone proposition advocated has been
the reduction of the thrift as means
of reaching the evils Of the trusts
which fall within the category I have
described, Not merely would this be
wholly ineffective, but the diversion
OF our efforts in such a direc-
ton would mean the abandonment Of
all intelligent attempt to do away with
these evils Many Of the largest cor
porations, many Of those which should
certainly be included in any proper
scheme OF regulation, would not
be affected in the slightest de-
gree by n change in the tariff, save as
such change interfered with the general
prosperity Of the country. The only re-
lation OF the tariff to big corporations
as a whole is that the tariff makes
manufactures profitable, and the tariff
remedy proposed would be in effect
simply to make manufactures unprof-
fable. To remove the tariff as q puni.
tive measure directed against trusts
would inevitably result In ruin to the
, weaker competitors who are struggling
against them. Our aim should be
not by unwise tariff changes to give
icreign products the advantage over do
mestic products, but by proper regula-
tion to give domestic competition a
fair chance; and this end can not be
reached by any tariff changes which
would affect unfavorably all domestic
competitors, good and bad alike. The
question Of regulation of the trusts
stands apart from the question of tar
III revisin.
stability of economic policy must
always be the prime economic need Of
this country. This stability should not
be fossilization. The country has ac>
uuiesced in the wisdom of the protsc.
tIve-tarlff principle. 1t is exceedingly
undesirable that this system should
b. destroyed or that there should be
violent and radical changes therein.
Our past experience shows that great
prosperity In this country has always
come under a protective tariff; and that
the country can not prosper under fitful
tariff changes at short intervals. More
over. II the tariff laws as whole work
well, and II business has prospered un-
der them and is prospering, It is better
10 endure for time slight inconven-
icnces and inequalities In some sched-
ules than TO upset business by too
quick and too radical changes. 1t is
most earnestly to be wished that we
could treat the tariff from the stand
point solely of our business needs. 1t
Is. perhaps, too much to hope that par
tisanship may be entirely excluded
from consideration Of the subject, but
at least It can be made secondary to
the business interests of the
country-that is, to the interests Of our
peopleas whole. Unquestionably these
business interests will best be served
n together with fixity of principle as