The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1902-12-19

"
Z other hand the stubborn defense alike
I Of what IS good and what is bad in
{ the existing system the reSOlute ef-
I fort TO Obstruct any attempt at better
/ truth that wise evolution is the sure
/ safeguard against revolution
INTERSTATE COMMERCE.
No more important subject can
/ come before the Congress than this Of
/ the regulation Of interstate business
/ This country can not afford 70 sit
/ supine on the plea that under our Pc
L culIar system OF government we are
/ helpless in the presence Of new cOndi-
tons. and unable to grapple with them
! or 10 cut out whatever OF evil has
/ arisen in connection with them
/ The power Of Congress to regulate
/ Interstate commerce IS an absolute and
1 unqualified grant, and without in1ita-
| tons other than those prescribed ~
\ the Constitution. The Congress has
| constitutional authority 70 make all
I laws necessary and proper for eSecut-
| inc this power, and ] am satisfied that
I this power has not been exhausted ~
I any legislation now on the statute
I books u is evident therefore, that
l evils restrictive Of commercial free
dom and entailing restraint upon ma
I tionai commerce fall within the reg
I uIatfve power of Conuress. and that
wise and reasonable law would be
/ necessary and proper exercise OF con
! orcssional authority to the end that
l such evils should Be ersdiczted-
I believe that mOnOpolies, unjust
! determinations. which prevent or Grip
ple competition. fraudulent oEercapi-
| taIization. and other evils In trust or
] cauiZatiOus and practices which IN
] iu-sously affect Interstate trade can be
/ prevented under the power Of Con
ereSs to regulate commerce with Tor
eigu nations and among the several
/ states through regulations and re-
Cufrenents operating directly upon
/ thereof. and those engaged therein
I earnestly recommend this subject
TO the consideration OF the congress
| with a view 20 the passage Of law
/ reasonable i'm its provisions and ef-
I feCt5ve I'm it's operations upon which
i the questions can be finally aQ1uul-
ccted that now raise doubts as 10 the
necessity OF constitutional amendment
/ T. II prove impossible 10 accomplish
/ tie purposes above set forth BY such
a law. then. assuredly. we should not
I shrink from amending the constitution
so as to secure beyond peradventure
l the power sought
The Congress has not heretofore
Y made any appropriation for the bet
ter enforcement Of the antitrust law
as IL now stands Very much mas Deen
done by tie department Of justice IN
/ securing the enforcement Of this law
/ but much more could be done II Con
/ EresS would make special appropTla-
tion for this purpose 10 be EXPENDED
. Q uUGEF the aLL -Al-L VI NA-t
/ general
TRUSTS AND TARIFF SEPARATE
one proposition advocated has been
. the reduction OF the tariff as means
/ Of reaching the evils OF the trusts
which fall within the category have
/ described. Not merely would this be
wholly ineffective. but the diversion OF
our efforts in such direction would
mean the abandonment Of all intelilS mt
|-.a@ 80. a
Many Of the largest corporations many
Of those which should certainly be in
Guided in any proper scheme OF reEu-
latiOn would not be anected an me
slightest degree by charge ia the
tariff. save as such change 7n-er1ered
with the general prosperity OF the
| country. The only relation Of the tar
{ if 10 big corporations a. Nnote IS
that the tariff makes man ui3ctufeS
| profitable. and the tariff remedy pro-
/ Dosed would be fin effect simply 20 make
manufactures Improbable ID remove
I the tariff as a punitive measure ol-
rected against trusts would lpev1taDly
result in ruin to the weoker conipeti-
/ tors who are struggling against theln-
Our aim should be not by unwise tariff
changes to give foreign products the
| advantage over domestic products, but
l by proper regulation TO give domestic
competition a fair chance; and this
end cannot be reached by any tariff
[ changes which would affect unfavora-
by all domestic competitors. good and
bad alike. The question Of regulation
Of the trusts stands apart from the
question Of tariff revision
Stability Of enOnomic policy must al
| ways be the prime economic need of
this country. This stability should not
/ be fOssilizatiOn- The country mas
acuuiesced in the wisdom of the pro-
tective tariff principle 1t is exceed
ingIy undesirable that this system
should be destroyed or that there
should be violent and radical changes
therein Our past experience shows
that great prosperity in this country
/. has always come under n protective
tariff and that the country cannot
. prosper under ftful tariff changes at
. ! short intervals. Moreover. II the tariff
, / laws a q whole work we'll. and IL bust
mes has prOspered under them and is
/ prospecting. Il is better TO endure for .
time slight Inconvenience and Unequal
/ tiles in some schedules than 70 upset
business by too quick and too radical
changes It is most earnestly 10 be
j wished that we could treat the tariff
r from the standpoint solely OF our bust
I ness needs. 1t is. perhaps too much
. / to hope that paFtisanship may be en-
d tireIy 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 UnquestiO1-
I I ably these business interests wi I bes'
Q be served lf together with uE1rT Oi
I | principle as regards the tariff we com
q / bine q system which viii permit q.
! from time TO time to make the necas-
: sary republication OF the principle u
tho shifting national needs. We mus
I take scruDulous care that the reap
I plicatiou shall be made in such va1
[ that IL viii not amount to dislocatior
OF our system the mere threat OF which
: mot to speak OF the performance
would produce paralysis in the bust
: ness energies Of the community tn.
- first consideration in making theSl
- changes would Of course. be 10 pre-,
- serve the principle which underlies on
- whole tariff system-that is the pri1ci
e PIE OF putting American business IN
4 terests at least on a fully eQualit.
o with interests abroad and Of alway1
e allowing a sufficient rate OF duty q
= more than cover the difference betweeI
. the labor cost here and abroad tn,
y vell-being OF the wage worker. ike th'
. / Uell-beinE OF the tiiler CT the soil
e should be treated as an essential "a
y shaping our whole economic policy
There must never be any change whicl
e viii jeopardize the standard Of com
8 fort. the standard Of wages Of tn
y / American WaEe-Worker-
THE RECIPROCITY TREATIES
> one way in which the readjustnen
= / sought can be reached is By recfprOcft-
: treaties II is greatly 10 be desire,
! / rhnr Ewrn treaties may h. nTnrrea1