Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-12-02

a law, then aSSuredly we should not
| shrink from amending the constitution So
rs 10 secure beyond peradventure the
| power sought
The congress has not heretofore made
ment of the antitrust law as It now
stands Very much has been done by the
department. Of justice in securing the en-
! foreement of this law but much more
could be done If congress would make a
! special appropriation for this purpose to
oe expended under the direction of the
Tariff and Trusts.
one proposition advocated has been the
/ reduction of the tariff as means of
reaching. the evils of the trusts which fall
! Not merely would this be wholly ineffec-
tive but the diversion. of our efforts In
| such a direction would mean the aban-
donment of sll intelligent attempt, to, do
away with these evils. Many of the lar
J gest corporations, many of those which
should certainly be included in any proper
scheme of regulation would not be af-
fected in the slightest degree by change
1 in the tariff, save as such change inter
fered with the general prosperity of the
country. The only relation of. the tariff
| to big corpora tons as whole is that the
| tariff makes manufactures profitable, and
the tariff remedy proposed would be in
effect simply to make manufactures I'M
profitable To remove the tariff as
punitive measure directed against trusts
would inevitably result in ruin to the
weaker competitors who, are. struggling
against them. Our aim should be not by
unwise tariff changes to give foreign prod
ucts the advantage over domestic prod
/ ucts, but by proper regulation to give do
nestle competition a fair chance, and
this end cannot be reached by any tariff
changes which would AFFECT unfavoraniy
all domestic competitors, good and bad
alike. The question of regulation of the
trusts stands apart from the question OF
/ tariff revision.
! ways be the prime economic need of this
country. This stability should not be fos--
silization. The country has acquiescedi
in. the. wisdom of the, protective tariff
principle. 1t Is exceedingly undesirable
| that this system should be destroyed or
that there should be violent and radical
/ shows that great prosperity in this coun-
| try has always come undera protective tar
| III and that the. country cannot prosper
under ftful tariff changes at short inter-
/ walls. Moreover, II the tariff laws as a
whole work well and If business has pros
/ pered under them and is prospecting, it is
yeniences and inequalities In some sched-
ules than to upset business by too quick
and too radical changes. 1t is most ear
| the tariff from the standpoint solely of
| our business needs. 1t is, perhaps, too
much to hope that. partisanship may be
| the subject, but at least it can be made
secondary to the business interests of the
country--that Is, to the interests of our
people as a whole. unquestionably these
business interests will best be served II
| together with nxity of principle as re-
| CARDS the tariff we combine system
make the necessary reapplication of the
| principle to the shifting national needs.
We must take scrupulous care that the
reapplication shall be made in such way
that 1t will not amount to disiocation of
our system, the mere threat of which, not
to speak of the performance. would pro-
of the community The first consdera-
ton in making these changes would, of
course, be to preserve the principle which
underlies cur whole tariff systen-that is.
the principle of putting American bust
ness interests at least on full equality
with interests abroad and of always al
than cover the difference between, the
labor cost here and abroad The well be
ing of the wageworkcr like the well be-
Ing OF the tiller of the soil, should be
treated as an essential in shaping our
whole economic policy. There must never
be any change which will jeopardize the
standard OF comfort, the standard OF
Reciprocity Treaties Favored.
Une way IN which the readJustment
sought can be reached is by reciprocity
such treaties may be adopted. They can
be used to widen our markets and to give
a greater field for the activities OF our
producers on the one hand, and on the
other hand to secure in practical shape
the lowering of duties when they are no
longer needed for protection among our
age done may be disregarded for the sake
of the maximum of good accomplished.
II 1t prove impossible to ratify the pend
ing treaties and II there seem to be no
warrant for the endeavor to execute 9th
ers or. to amend the pending treaties SO
that they can be ratified, then the same
end-to secure reciprocity-shouid be met
by direct legislation
Wherever the tariff conditions are such
that a needed change cannot with adyan-
tage be made by the application of the
rac Nv N n
right by lowering Of duties on given
product. If possible, such change should
be made only after the fullest considera-
ton by practical experts, who should ap-
proach the subject from business stand
point having in view both the particular
interests affected and the commercial we'll
being of the people as whole. The ma
chinery for providing such careful tnyes-
tigation can readily be supplied, The ex-
ecutive department has already at its
disposal methods of collecting facts and
figures and if the congress desires addt-
tional consideration to that which will be
given the subject by its own committees.
then a commission Of business experts can
be appointed whose duty it should be to
recommend action by the congress after
a deliberate and scientific examination of
the various schedules as they are affected
by the changed and changing conditions
The unhurried and unbiased report of this
commission would show what changes
should be made in the various schedules
and how far these changes could go with
out also changing the great prosperity
which this country is now ENJOYING or
upsetting its eyed economic policy
The Iowa Idea.
me cases IN wnlcn the rar1H can pro-
duce monopoly are SO few as to consti-
ton; but, of course, IL in any case 1t be
found that given rate of duty does pro-
mote a. monopoly which works Ill no pro
tectionist would object to such reduction
OF the duty as would equallze competition
In my Judgment, the tariff on anthracite
coal should be removed and anthracite
put actually, where 1t now is nominally,
on the free list. This would have no effect
at all save IN crises: but in crises 1T might
be OF
Financial Reforms Needed.
business activity. and in order that these
rates may be equali2ed to meet the vary
ing needs of the seasons and OF widely
separa ted communities, and to prevent the
recurrence Of financial stringencies which
injuriously affect legitimate business. 1t
is necessary that there should be an ele-
tenn. Banks are the natural servants OF
commerce, and upon them should pc
placed, as far as practpabie, the burden
of furnishing and maintaining a circula-
ton adequate to supply the needs OF our
diversified industries and of our domestic
and foreign commerce. and the issue OF
this should be SO regulated that sum
cient supply should be always available
for the business interests of the country
1t would be both unwise and unneces-
sary at this time to attempt TO recon
been the growth of a century, but some
additional legislation is, think. desirable
The mere outline of any plan suiilcientig
would transgress the appropriate units
however, that all future legislation on the
subject should be with the view or en-
couraging the use of such instrumental
ties as WIZ automa tically supply every