The Washington times., 1902-12-02
Finally, Says Report Of Tariff
Commission OF 1882 Was
Not Enacted Into Law,
But Mistakes Were.

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place. and we have escaped the one great
danger OF a democracy. which is the de-
cision Of great questions without discus
sion. But we have by no means got rid
OF the questions. We have now upon us
the duty Of discussing them with such
care as viii tend to decide them cor
rectly. We have had a season of pros
perity which has no parallel. even in our
own remarkable history. There has been
a movement OF concentration; and busi-
ness has been carried on on so great q
scale that we are ourselves frightened
by the tremendous growth. but we are
doins it in such q fashion as 10 influence
the Old World
Conservatism. or the unwillinpness to
welcome new things. has it's uses. Most
new things are not good and die an early
death; but those which push themselves
forward and by slow degrees force
themselves upon the attention Of man
kind are the unconscious productions Of
human wisdom. and must have honest
consideration, and must not be made
the subject of unreasoning prejudice.
Toward such a movement no one has
right 10 look askaEce. Above all. no one
has a right to presume such move
ment wrong. It may be wrong; but when
business men all over a great nation
pursue the same course. the prcsump-
tion ought 20 be that they are right.
Nevertheless, the first iaea is TO make
them stop
Corporations Limit Risks.
The history Of corporations can be put
into few words. Men Of sense are un-
willing TO risk their all in one enter
prise or business. If they can limit their
risks. and If 10y union with others whose
risks can be in like manner limited
they can make q strong company. much
idle money can be utilized and both cap
ital and labor employed. On this basis
and the basis Of easier management
corporations were formed and have
gradually grown in full proportion 10 the
growth Of the world In our day this
growth has taken a new form. That
form has been forced upon business men
by competition with one another. If
number OF concerns united TO save ex-
pense and the duplication Of manage
ment. others had 60 do likewise These
unions OF capital have been forced upon
the capitalist
This element of force we must all bear
in mind II we wish 70 understand this
question. Perhaps you think that men
were glad to get into these unions and
went cheerfully into combinations. Such
was not the fact. Men hated 10 give Up
their independence. They and their
fathers had built up their business. They
were proud Of their success. and meant
10 leave their establishments 20 their
children. In the new combination only
one could be the head Tho others must
go out OF take rear seats. Then came
the task Of valuing, which encountered
the natural unwillingness to have 9th
ors do better than we DO, until the task
Of consolidation grew almost impossible
Why was il not absolutely impossible
Simply because Of the murderOus com
petition. II was union or bankruptcy
or course. after there had been "a few
examples. it became easier. The rising
tide OF prosperity helped also. because
IL raised not prices only, but values. and
than they had hoped for. though they
got no more than belonged to them.
Destructive Competition an Evil"
II would Je natural here to say. why
not let competition 90 on? What qe
want is the results OF c0mpettion-Iox
prices SO that we can buy all we want.
The answer 90 this can De made and
it is worth attention. with small fae-
tories scattered around and o county
store I'm every village. competition did
insure Us low prices but did not escape
the evils we viii hereafter speak o.. So
long as competition could be carried on
on the basic OF living and letting live.
ali went we'll; but, as capital grew IN
amount and mills iu size, competition
became more violent and property ccas-
ed TO make returns. Row. the doctrine
Of competition. most invaluable IN irs
way, has its limitations Being human
70 is not an unmixed good. Destructive
competition is an evil. The world can
not AFFORD 10 have a trade which does
moi pay a fair profit Hence. when a
trade ceases 90 offer a fair profit. there
has TO be remedy. and the remedy
chosen here was iu reality not O new
one. It IS impressive upon as at this
time on account Of its size. in a small
way IL has gone on ep=- since business
became business
But are we TO be czpojcd TO tho mercy
O. tlose people who pile up millions.
and have we no remedy by law or con-
suruu1nal amendment Yes. we have
many remedies on the stump and On the
newspapers. But the experience II man-
kind Is universal that Providence has
not left us 20 the stump or the
newspapers, or even TO the Statesman.
somehow-after much blunderinE. per
Laps, but somehow-eyery new move
ment has On itself the element 0f pro-
lection o. tho race. For instance. we
are an afraid Of monoDollos. we fear
that somebody by some new scheme wiz