The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1902-12-04

practices which sn1uriously afrect Inter
state state trade can be prevented under the
power OF the congress to regulate COM
the several states'' through resui Hons
and and requirements operating directly upon
thereof ard those engaged therein.
| earnestly recommend this subject to the
consideration Of the congress with q view
provisions and effective In Its operations,
upon which the questions can be finally
adJudicated that now raise doubts as to
ment If 1t prove impossible to accom-
plish the purposes above set forth by such
a law. then assuredly we should not
as to secure beyond peradventure the
power sought.
The congress has not heretofore made
ment Of the antitrust law as It now S
stands. Very much has been done by the
department. OF Justice IN securing the en-
could be done II congress would make a
special appropriation for this purpose. to
be expended under the direction Of the
One proposition advocated has been the
reduction OF the tariff as a means of
REACHING the evils Of the trusts which fall
Not mera as w sossSo this be- hS %no1
tive, but the diversion of our efforts in
such direction would mean the aban-
AWAY With these evs Many s Of the laro
geSt corporal tons, many of those which
should certainly be included in any proper
fected in the Slightest degree by yU change M
In the tariff, save as such change inter-
fered with the general prosperity of the
to big corporations as a Whole is that the he
tariff makes manufactures profitable and
the tariff remedy proposed would be In
profitable. To remove the tariff as a
punitive measure directed against trusts
would inevitably result in ruin to the
against them Our aim ne should o b be not By
unwise tariff changes to give foreign prod
ucts the advantage over domestic prod
mestic competition a fair chance, and
this end cannot be reached by any tariff
changes which would affect unfavorably
alike The question Of regulations Of the
trusts stands apart from the question Of
tariff revision.
Stability of economic policy must al
country. This stability should not be fos-
silization. The country has acquiesced
in the wisdom Of the. protective tariff
that this system should be destroyed or
that there should be violent and radical
changes, therein. Our past experience
try has always come under a protective tar
If and that the country cannot prosper
under itful tariff changes at short inter-
Whole work We'll and # business has p aS
pered under them and Is prospecting, it Is
better to endure for q time slight incon-
veniences and inequalities in some sched-
and too radical changes. It is most ear
nestly to be wished that we could treat
the tariff from the standpoint solely Of
our business needs It is, perhaps, too
much to- hope that partisanship may be
entirely excluded from consideration Of
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. PROFESSIONALLY these
business interests will best be served If
CARDS the tariff we combine system
which will permit us from time to time to
make the necessary reapplication Of the
We must take scrupulous care that the
reapplication shall be made in such a way
that 1t will not amount to dtslocation Of
our system. the mere threat Of which. not
to speak Of the performance. would pro-
duce paralysis in the business energies
Of the community. The first considera-
course: be to preserve the principle which
underlies our whole tariff systena-that Is,
the principle of putting American bust
with interests abroad and Of always al
lowing sufficient rate Of duty to more
than cover the difference between the
ing Of the wageworSer. like the he We'll well be-
ing Of the tiller Of the soil. should be
treated as an essential in shaping our
be any change Which will jeopardize e the
standard Of comfort, the standard Of
wages. Of the American wageworker.
One way in which the readjustment
treaties. 1t is greatly to be desired that
such treaties may be adopted. They can
n ia aofi pf
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
own people or when the minimum of dam
age done may be disregarded for the sake
Of the maximum Of good accomplished.
ing treaties and If 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-should be met
by direct legislation.
Wherever the tariff conditions are such
that a needed change cannot with advan-
tage be made by the application Of the
reciprocity idea. then 1t can be made out
right by a 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 a whole The ma
chinery for providing such careful inves-
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 addi-
tional consideration to that which will be
given the subject by it's own committees.
then commission Of business experts can
be appointed whose duty it should be to
recommend action by the congress after
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
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 it's fixed economic policy.
The cases in which the tariff can pro-
duce monopoly are SO few as to consti-
tute an inconsiderable factor in the Ques-
ton: but. of course. If in any case 1t be
found that given rate Of duty does pro-
mote monopoly which works i'll, no pro-
tectionist would object to such reduction
OF the duty as would eQualize competition.
In my judgment. the tariff on anthracite
coal should be removed and anthracite
put actually, where it now is nOminally,
on the free list. This would have no effect
at all save in crises; but in crises 1t might
be Of service to the people.
Interest rates are a potent factor in
business activity. and in order that these
rates may be equalized to meet the vary
ing needs of the seasons and, of widely
separated communities, and to prevent the