Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1902-12-02
SANTA FE, N. NJ, TUESDAY, DECEMBER g. 1902.

guard against revolution.
No more important subject can com,
before the congress than this Of tn,
country cannot afford to sit supine oil
the plea that under our peculiar sys
tenn of government we are helpless IL
| the presence of the new conditions, an(
out whatever of evil has arisen in con.
nection with them. The power of the
congress to regulate interstate com.
merce Is an absolute and unqualified
than those prescribed by the constitu-
ton. The congress has constitutional
authority to make all laws necessary
| and proper for executing this power
not been exhausted by any Legislation
| now on the statute books. 1t is evident
| therefore, that evils restrictive of COM
mercial freedom and entailing re-
straint upon national commerce fall
within the regulative power of the con.
gress and that a wise and reasonable
law would be necessary and proper
| exercise of congressional authority tc
! icated.
CONGRESS HAS THE POWER.
l believe that monopolies unjust
Determinations, which prevent or Grip
nj frn 1I,
tilization, and other evils in trust or
ganiZations and practices which injur-
iously affect interstate trade can be
prevented under the power of the con-
eign nations and among the several
states" through regulations and re-
quirements operating directly upon
such commerce, the instrumentalities
thereof and those engaged therein.
I 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 neces-
city of constitutional amendment. II
it prove impossible to accomplish the
purposes above set forth by such law
then, assuredly, we should not shrink
from amending the constitution so as
to secure beyond peradventure the
power sought.
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 if congress
would make a special appropriation
for this purpose, to be expended under
the direction of the attorney general.
TARIFF REDUCTION IN
EFFECTIVE
One proposition advocated has been
the reduction Of the tariff as a means
Of reaching the evils of the trusts
which fall within the category I have
described. Not only would this be
wholly ineffective, but the diversion
of our efforts in such direction would
mean the abandonment Of all intelli-
gent attempt to do away with these
evils Many of the largest corporations
many Of those which should certainly
be included in any proper scheme Of
regulation would not be affected in the
irI,< s,,
tariff, save as such change interfered
with the general prosperity Of the
country The only relation of the tar
iff to big corporations as a whole is
that the tariff makes manufactures
profitable, and the tariff remedy pro-
posed would be in effect simply to
make manufactures Improbable. To
remove the tariff as a punitive meas
ure directed against trusts would in
evitably result in ruin to the weaker
competitors who are struggling against
them. Our aim should be not by un-
wise tariff changes to give foreign pro-
ducts the advantage over domestic pro-
ducts, but by proper regulation to give
domestic competition 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 tariff revision.
THE TARIFF QUESTION.
Stability Of economic policy must al
ways be the prime economic need of
this country This stability should not
be fossilization. The country has ac-
quiesced in the wisdom of the protec-
tive tariff principle. 1t is exceedingly
undesirable that this system should be
destroyed or that there should be vio-
lent and radical changes therein. Our
past experience shows that great pros
perity in this country has always come
under protective tariff; and that the
country cannot prosper under fitful
tariff changes at short intervals. More
over, If the tariff laws as a whole work
well, and if business has prospered
under them and is prospering, 1t is
better to endure for time slight in
conveniences 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 par
tisanship may be entirely excluded
from consideration of the subject, but
at least 1t can be made secondary to