Durango semi-weekly herald., 1902-12-04

delay in achieving the possible, ex.
actly as. on the other hand. stubborn
defense OF what is good and what is
bad in the existing system. The
resolute effort to obstruct any at
tempt at betterment. by blindness to
historic truth that wise evolution is
a safeguard against revolution. No
more important subject can come be-
I fore the congress than this OF relation
OF interstate business. This country
cannot afford to sit supine on the plea
that under our peculiar system of gov
ernment we are hlpless in the pres
grapple with them or to cut oat what
ever evil has arisen in connection
with them. improvement of con
gress to regulate interstate commerce
is an absolute and unqualified grant.
and without limitations other than
those prescribed by constitution con-
gress has constitutional authority to
make all laws necessary and proper
'or exacting this power. | am salts.
fed that this power has not been ex-
hausted by any legislation now on
the statute books II Is evident, there
fore that evil restrictive of CONNER
cial freedom and entailing restraint
upon national commerce fall within
the regulative power of congress, and
that wise and reasonable law would
he necessity and proper exercise of
congressional authority to the end
that such evils should be eradicated
The belief that monopolies, unjust
discrimination, which prevent or Grip
pie competition; fraudulent over capt
talization. and other evils in trust or
ganizations and practice which injuri-
ously affect interstate trade can be
prevented under the power of the
congress to regulate commerce with
foreign nations and among several
states" through regulative require
ments operating directly upon such
commerce. instrumentalities thereof,
and those engaged therein. | earn
estly recommend this subject to the
consideration of congress with a view
to the passage of law reasonable in
its provision and effective in its op-
eratiOns upon which the questions can
be finally adjudicated that now raise
doubts as to the necessity of constitu-
ional amendments. II 1t proves i'm
possible to accomplish the purposes
above set forth by such a law. then,
assuredly, we should not shrink from
amending the constitution so as to
secure beyond peradventure the pow
er sought One proposition advocat-
ed has been a reduction Of the tariff
as means of reaching the evils of
the trusts which fall within the cate
cory | have described. Not merely
mould this be wholly ineffective but
this diversion of our efforts in such
direction would mean the abandon
ment Of all intelligent attempts to do
away with these evils. The question
of regulations of the trusts stands
apart from that of tariff revision. Sta
bility Of economic policy must always
be the prime economic need of the
country. This stability should not be
fossilization. The country has acqui-
esced in the wisdom of the protective
tariff principle. 1t is exceedingly un-
desirable that this system should be
stroyed. or that there should be vio-
lent and radical changes therein. Our
past experiences show that great pros
perity in this country has always
come under protective tarin and
that the country cannot prosper under
fitful tariff changes at short inter
vals. Moreover. If the tariff laws as
whole work well, and II business
has prospered under them and is
prospecting ii is better to endure for
the time the slight Inconvenience
and inequalities and some schedules
than to upset business by so quick
and so radical changes. 1t is most
earnestly to be wished that
standpoint solely of our business
need. There must never be any
change which will jeopardize the
standard of comfort, the standard of
wages of the American wage worker.
One way in which the readjustment
sought can be reached is by reciproc-
ity treaties. 1t Is greatly to be con-
adopted. They can be used to widen
our markets and to give greater
field of activities to our producers on
the one hand. and the other to secure
practical shape of lowering of du-
ties when they are no longer needed
for protection among our people or
when the maximum of damage done
may be disregarded for the sake of
the maximum of good accomplished
Congress desires additional considera-
tion to that which will be given this
subject by its own committees, then
commission of business experts can
be appointed whose duty 1t should be
to recommend action by the congress
after deliberate and scientic exami-
nation and of the various schedules
as they are affected by the changed
and changing conditions The unhar-
ried and unbiased report OF this COM
mission would show what changes
should be made in the various sched-
ules and how far these changes could
go without also changing the great
prosperity which this country Is now
enjoying, or of setting up It's fixed
economic policy. The cases In which
the tariff can produce monopoly
are so few as to constitute an incon-
siderable feature In the case.
But. OF course. If in any case it can
D.