The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1902-12-06
PRESIDENTS
n MESSAGE

! that they shall be so handled as to sub
serve the public good. We draw the
line against misconduct not against
wealth The capitalist 'Tho. alone or
In conjunction with h3s fellows. per
forms some great indlSstflal feat BY
which he wins money Is welldoer, not
wrongdoer. provided only he works
In proper and legitimate lines, We
wish to favor such a man when he
does we'll We wish TO supervise and
control his actions only to prevent
him from doing H. Publicity can do
no harm 70 the honest corporation;
and we need not be overtender about
sparIng the. dishonest corporation.
In curblng and regulating the com
binafions OF capital which are or may
become injurious to the public we must
be careful not to stop the great enter
Il prsses which have legitimately reduced
4 the cost OF production. not to abandon
T the place which our country has won
+ in the leadership Of the international
Industrial world. not to strike down
wealth with the result Of closing fac
tories and mines. Of turning the wage.
worker idle in the streets and leaving
the farmer without market for what
he grows Insistence upon the impos-
sible means delay In achieving the pos
sible. exactly as. on the other hand.
the stubborn defense alike OF what is
good and what Is bad in the existing
system. the resolute effort to obstruct
any attempt at betterment, betrays
blindness TO the historic truth that
wise evolution Is the sure safeguard
against revolution.
No more important subject can come
before the congress than this OF the
i regulation OF interstate business. This
country can not AFFORD TO sit supine on
the plea that under our peculiar system
OF government we are helpless In the
presenc. Of the new conditions. and un-
able to grapple with them or to cut
out whatever OF evil has arisen in con-
nection with them. The power of con-
greaa TO regulate Interstate commerce
Is an absolute and unqualified grant,
and without limitations other than
those prescribed by the constitution,
The congress has constitutional au-
thority to make ali laws necessary and
power for executing this power, and !
am satisfied that this power mas not
been exhausted by any legislation now
on the statute books. It is evident,
therefore that evils restrictive OF com
mercial freedom and entailing restraint
upon national commerce fall within
the regulatiye power OF congress, and
that a wise and reasonable law would
be a necessary and proper exercise Of
congressional authority to the end tnat
such evils should be eradicated
believe that monopolies. unjust die
ordinations. which prevent or cripp e
competition. fraudulent overcapltaliza'
ton, and other evils in trust organiza
tions and practices which injurlously
affect interstate trade can be prevented
under the power of the congress to
regulate commerce with foreign ma
tions and among the several states
through regulations and requirements
operating directly upon such com
hprce the instrumentalities thereof
and those en, aged thereiR
/ earnestly recommend this subject
10 the consideration os the congress
with a view to the passage Of a law
reasonable in its provisions and effec
tive In its operations, upon which the
questions can be finally adjudicated
that now raise doubts as TO the caces
sity Of constitutional amendment. II
3 II prove impossible To accomplish the
purposes above set forth by srch a
law. then assuredly, we should moi
shrink from amending the constitution
50 as to secure beyond peradventurs
the power sought
The congress has not heretofore
made any appropriation for the better
enforcement of the antitrust law as
/ It now stands. Very much has beer
done by the department Of justice II
/ securing the enforcement OF this law
but much more could be done Il con
gress would make a special appropria
tion for this purpose. TO be expended
1 - az .-F az
! general
I Tariff Reduction.
One proposition advocated has beer
/, the reduction OF the tarif as a mean
! Of reaching the evils Of the trust
I. which fall within the category l hav'
described. Not merely would this b.
wholly Ineffective, but the diversion o
our efforts In such a direction wouls
E mean the abandonment OF all intelli
gent attempt to do away with thos
I evils. Many OF the largest corpora
lions. many OF those which should Ger
: tainly be included in any prope
! scheme OF regulation. would not b
affected in the slightest degree by
2 change in the tariff, save as sucl
change interfercd with the genera
. prosperity OF the country. The onl.
relation cf the tariff 10 big corporation
s as a whole is that the tariff make
e manufactures profitable. and the tarii
remedy proposed would be in effec
.. simply to make manufactures unprohi
+ able. To remove the tariff as a pun
tive measure directed against trust
would inevitably result in ruin to tn
weaker competitors who are strugglin
4 against them. Our aim should be NO
Il by unwise tariff changes to give fol
q eign products the advantage over dc
, nestle products. but by proper regl
b lation 10 give domestic competition
e fair chance: and this end can not b
< reached BY any tarif changes whic
a would affect unfavorably all oomestl
y competitors. good and bad alike. tn
D. question Of regulation Of the trust
y stands apart from the question Of tart
y revision
ie Stability Of economic policy must a
D. ways be the prime economic need {
= this country. This stability should nc
g be fossilization. The country has a.
a qulespd in the wisdom OF the Drote'
&; tive tariff principal. L. is exceedingl
b undesirable that this system shoul
le be destroyed or that there should /
q vio.ent and radical changes thereil
y, Our past experience shows that grei
n prosperity in this country has alwa,
le come under a protective tarins an
g. that the country can not prosper unds
O. ntful tariff changes al short interval
b Moreover n the tariff laws as a who