Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1902-12-05

must be careful not to stop the great
enterprises which have legitimately
reduced the cost of production, not
to abandon the place which our coun-
try has won in the leadership of the
international industrial world, not to
strike down wealth with the result of
closing factories and mines. of turning
the wageworker idle in the streets
! and leaving the farmer without a
market for what he grows. InSiStence
upon the impossible means delay in
achieving the possible, 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.
Regulation Of Interstate Business.
No more important subject can
come before the Congress than this
of the regulation of interstate bust
ness. This country cannot afford to
sit supine on the plea that under our
peculiar system of government We are
helpless in the presence of new conGi-
tons, and unable to grapple with them
or to cut out whatever of evil has
arisen in connection with them. The
power of the Congress to regulate
interstate commerce is an absolute
and unqualified grant, and without lin
itations other than those prescribed
by the Constitution. The Congress
has constitutional authority to make
all laws necessary and proper for exc
cutting this power. and l am satisfied
that this power has not been exhausted
by any legislation now on the statute
books. 1t is evident, therefore, that
evils restrictive of commercial free
dom and entailing restraint upon Ma
tiOnal commerce fall within the regu-
lative power of the Congress, and that
a wise and reasonable law would he
a necessary and proper exercise of
Congressional authority to the end
that such evils should be eradicated
l believe that monopolies, unjust
determinations. which prevent or
cripple competition, fraudulent over
capitalization, and other evils in trust
organizations and practices which in
juriously affect interstate trade, can
be prevented under the power of the
Congress to regulate commerce with
foreign nations and among the sew
eral states" through regulations and
requirements operating directly upon
such commerce, the instrumentalities
thereof. and those engaged therein.
l earnestly recommend this subject
to the consideration of the Congress
with the view to the passage of a law
reasonable in its provisions and effect
s1I,
questions can be finally adjudicated
that now raise doubts as to the nec-
essity of constitutional amendment.
If it prove impossible to accomplish
the purposes above set forth by such
a law. assuredly, we should not shrink
from amending the Constitution so as
to secure beyond preadventure the
power sought.
Money Needed for Prosecutions.
The Congress has not heretofore
made any appropriation for the better
enforcement of the antitrust law as il
now stands. Very much has been
done by the Department of Justice in
securing the enforcement of this law,
but more could be done il Congress
would make a special appropriation |
for this purpose. to be expended under |
the direction of the Attorney General. |
One proposition advocated has been |
the reduction of the tariff as a 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 a direction would |
mean the abandonment of all intelli- |
gent attempt to do away with these |
evils. Many of the largest corpora.
tons. many of those which should Ger. |
tainly be included in any proper
scheme of regulation, would not be af- |
fected in the slightest degre 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 corpora.
tons as whole Is that the tariff |
makes manufactures profitable, and
the tariff remedy proposed would be
In eject simply to make manufactures
Improbable. 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 products the advantage
over domestic products. but by proper
regulation to give domestic competi-
ton fair chance; and this end can.
not be reached by any tariff changes
which would affect unfavorably all do.
nestle competitors, good and bad
alike. The question of regulation of |
the trusts stands apart from the cues |
ton of tariff revision.
Conclusion in next issuel