Arizona republican., 1902-12-03

merce is an absolute and unqualified | grant, and without limitations other than those prescribed by the constitu- ton. The congress has constitutional authority to make all laws necessary and proper for executing this power, and I am satisfied that this power has not been exhausted by any legislation now on the statute books. It is eVi- dent, therefore, that evils restrictive | of commercial freedom and entailinS restraint upon national commerce fall within the regulative power of the congress, and that wise and reason able law would be a necessary and i proper exercise of congressional au
 thority to the end that such evils should be eradicated.
 THE POWER OF CONGRESS. I believe that monopolies, unjust dis criminations, which prevent or cripple | competition, fraudulent overcapitaiiZa- | tiOn, and other evils in trust organiza- tions, and practices which injuri lUsly affect interstate trade can be prevented under the power of the congress to regulate commerce with foreign na- tions and among the several states" through regulations and requirements operating directly upon such commerce. the instrumentalities thereof, and those engaged therein.
 ! I earnestly recommend this subject to the consideration of the congress with a view to the passage of law | rcaaC nable in its provisions and effect | i've in its operations, upon which the questions can be finally adjudicateI
 that now raise doubts as to the neces- sity of constitutional amendment. If sr-r- purposes above set forth by such lay' then, cssuredly, 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 en- forcement of the antitrust law as tt
 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 special appropriation for
 this purpose, to be expended under the : direction of the attorney general.
 One proposition advocated has be 'n
 :he reduction of the tariff as a means If reaching the evils of the trust which
 fall within the category I have de- scribed. Not merely would this be
 wholly ineffective, but the diversion of our efforts in such a direction would mean the abandonment of all intelli- gent attempt to do away with these evils. Many of the largest corpora
 tions. many of those which should cer-
 tainly be included in any proper scheme
 of regulation. would not be effected in
 the slightest degree by a change in the
 tariff, save as such change interfered
 with the general prosperity of the
 country. The only relation of the tariff
 to big corporations as a whole is that
 the tariff makes manufactures profit
 able, and the tariff remedy proposed
 would be in effect simply to make man ufactures unprofitable. To remove ehe
 tariff as a punitive measure directed ! against trusts would inevitably result
 in uin to the weaker competitors who
 are struggling against them. Our aim
 should be not by unwise tariff changes
 70 e,ve foreign products the advantage
 over domestic products, but by proper
 regulation to give domestic competiti ln
 2 fair chance; and this end cannot 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.
 TARIFF AND RECIPROCITY.
 Stability of economic policy must all
 ways be the prime economic need of
 this country. This stability should not
 be fossilization. The country has
 acquiesced in the wisdom of the pro-
 tective tariff principle. It is exceed ingly undesirable that this system ] ICh hn I
 should be violent and radical changes therein. Our last experience shows
 that great prosperity in this country has always come under a protective tariff; and that the country cannot prosper under fitful tariff changes at srort intervals. Moreover, if the tariff
 laws as a whole work well, and if busi- ness has prospered under them and is ' prospering, it is better to endure fol time slight inconvenience and in equalities in some schedules than tc upset business by too quick and toc
 radical changes. It is, perhaps, toe much to hope that partisanship may he , entirely excluded from consideration oi the subject, but at least it can be made
 secondary to the business interests oi
 the country-that is, to the interests oi 1 our people as a whole. Unquestionahly
 these business interests will best bt served if together with fixity of prin- , clp!e as regards the tariff we comhin, , d system which will permit us frClr
 tirne to time to make the necessary
 re2prlication of the principle to the , shifting national needs. We musl .akC scrnpulous care that the reapplica tior i shall be made in such a way that it vii
 not amount to a dislocation of our sys-
 tenn. the mere threat of which (not tc
 speak of the performance) would pro. duce paralysis in the business energie: / of the community. The first consider. | ation in making these changes would of course, be to preserve the principl, 1 which underlies our whole tariff system ! that is, the principle of putting Amer ! ican business interests at least on l full equality with interests abroad, anC l of always allowing a sufficient rate O . duty to more than cover the difference, between the labor cost here anc abroad. The well-being of the wage t worker. like the we'll being of the tile Of the soil, should be treated as an es al iV1 cI,a