The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1902-12-12
TRUSTS AND THE TARIFF DEALT WITH
Fftul Changes of Import Duties Menace to the Business
Interests of the Country Reciprocity Treaties
Desirable : Monetary Legislation -Rela-
tiOns of Labor and Capital.

7 possible, exactly as, on the other hand,
| the stubborn defense alike of what Is
| good and what is bad in the existing sys-
tenn. the resolute effort to obstruct any
| attempt at betterment. betrays blind
ness to the historic truth that wise evolu-
ton Is the sure safeguard against revo-
| luton.
Importance of the Subject.
No more important subject can come
before the Congress than this of the
| regulation OF interstate business. The
i country cannot afford to sit supine on
| the plea that under our peculiar system
| OF government we are helpless in the
| presence Of the new conditions, and un-
able to grapple with them or to cut out
| whatever of evil has arisen in connec-
| tlon with them. The power of the Con-
| gfess to regulate interstate commerce is
| an absolute and unqualified grant and
| without lfmita tions other than those pre-
| scrloed by the constitution. The Con-
| greSS has constitutional authority to
! make all laws necessary and proper for
| executing this power and 1 am satisfied
| that this power has not been exhausted
| py any legislation now on the statute
| books. 1t is evident, therefore, that evils
| restrictive Of commercial freedom entail
| ing restraint upon national commerce fall
| within the regulative power of the Con-
| gresS and that a wise and reasonable
| law would be necessary and proper ex-
| erclse OF congressional authority to the
| end that such evils should be eradicated.
Evils Can Be Done Away With.
L believe that monopolies, unjust dis
| crlrnlnatlons, which prevent or cripple
| competition, fraudulent oyerca pita liza
| tion, and other evils in trust organiza
| tions and practices which injuriously af-
| fect interstate trade, can be prevented
undef the power of the Congress to "regu-
iate commerce with foreign nations and
among the several states through regu-
latlons and requirements operating di-
rectiy upon such commerce. the instru-
mentalities thereof, and those engaged
| therein
earnestly recommend this subject to
the consideration Of the Congress with q
view TO the passage of a law reasonable
IN us provisions and effective in its oper-
atlons. upon which the questions can he
f1naliy adJudicated that now raise doubts
as 10 the necessity of constitutional
amendment If it prove impossible to ac-
complish the purposes above set forth bv
such law, then, assuredIy. we shouId
not SHRINK from amending the constitu
tioh tioh as 10 secure beyond peradventure the
power sought.
The Tariff Question.
one proposition advocated has been tha
reduction of the tariff as q means of
reaching the evils of the trusts which
fall within the category 7 have describ
eu. NOT merely would this be wholly
lnefectlve, but the diversion of our eff
fofts IN such a direction would mean the
abandonment of all intelligent attemnt
TO 90 away with these evils Manv of
the largest corporations, many of those
Whlch should certainly be included in
any proper scheme of regulation would
not be affected in the slightest degree
by change in the tariff, save as such
chanSe lnterfered with the general pros
perity of the country. The only relation
of the tariff to big corporations az a
whole is that the tariff makes rnanufac-
lures profitable, and the tariff remedy
proposed would be in effect simply to
make manufactures unproftable To re-
move the tariff as q punitive measure di-
rected against trusts would Inevitably re-
suit IN ruin to the weaker competitors
who are struggling against them. Our
aim should be not by unwise tariff
changes to give foreign products the
advantage over domestic products. but by
proper regulation. to give domestic com
petition fair chance; and this end can
not be reached by any tariff changes
which would affect unfavorably all do
mestic competitors, good and bad alike.
The question of regulation of the trusts
stands apart from the question Of tariff
revision.
FitfuI Tariff Changes Decried.
Stability of economic policy must al
ways be the prime economic need of this
country. This stability should not be
fossilization. The country has acuuiesced
in the wisdom of the protective tariff
principle 1t is exceedingly undesirab BILE
that this system should be DESTROYED or
that there should be violent and radical
changes therein. Our past experience
shows that great prosperity in this coun-
try has always come under a protective
tariff; and that the country cannot pros
per under fitful tariff changes at short |
intervals. Morever, if the tariff laws
as whole work well, and if business
has prospered under them and is pros
pering, it is better to endure for a time |
slight Inconvenience and inequalities in |
some schedules 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 PARTISAN
ship may be entirely excluded from con- |
sideration of the subject, but at least |
it can be made secondary to the bust |
ness interests of the country-that is to |
the interests of our people as a whole. |
Unquestionably these business interests |
will best be served If together with |
fXity of principle as regards the tariff |
we combine system which will permit |
US from time to time to make the neces- |
sary reapplication of the principle to the |
shifting national needs. We must take |
scrupuous care that the reapplication |
shall be made in such way that it will |
not amount to dislocation of our sys-
tenn, the mere threat of which mot to |
speak of the performance would pro- |
duce paralysis in the business energies |
of the community. The first considera-
tion in making these changes would, of
course, be to preserve the principle which
undcrlies our whole tariff system-that is
the principle of putting American bust
ness interests at least on a full equal
ity with interests abroad, and OF always
allowing a sufficient rate OF duty to more
than cover the difference between the la
Dor cost here and abroad. The well-be- |
ing of the wage-worker, like the we'll
being of the tiller of the soil, should !
be treated as an essential in shaping our1
whole economic policy. There must never
be any change which will jeopardize the
standard of comfort, the standard of
wages Of the American wase-worker.