The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1904-09-23

ton. Until our opponents as a party
explicitly adopt the Views which we hold
and upcH which we have acted and are
rency, the only real way to keep the
question from becoming unsettled Is to
keep the Republican party In power,
r. As for what our opponents say In ref.
or corporate; here again all we need by
way of answer Is to point to what we
have actually done, and to say that II
continued In power we shall continue to
suing, and to execute the laws as reso-
lutely and fearlessly In the future as
we have executed them in the past. {
The action Of the attorney-general In
commerce laws, and the action of the
last congress In charging the scope OF
the interstate commerce law, and In
creating the department Of commerce.
and labor, with 2 bureau q corporations,
for the national government to, deal in
diligently and adequately with the ques-
lions affecting society, whether for. good
or for evil. because of the accumulation
OF o
by. The laws are now being administer
ed with entire efficiency; and as, in their
working, need Is. shown for amendment
or addition to them.whetherl better to
guarantee the Fights 81 shippers, Or in
any other direction-this need will be
met. It is now asserted "that the COM
mon law. as developed, affords q com.
But there is no common law Of the Unit,
ed States. Its rules can be enforced
only, by the state courts and officers. No
federal court or officer could take any
action whatever under them. II was this
fact. coupled with the inability of the
Htafna n norfrO1 %r,1ofS and poOnOn0liAa
which led to the passage Of the federal
statutes known as the Sherman anti
trust act and the interstate commerce
act; ana i IS only through the, exercise
of the powers conferred by these acts.
a by ns bem Of e tas
over The subject. 70 as that action
against trusts and tnQnopolies sn1:ld De
limited to the application, Of the common
law y equivalent to saying that the . ne.
1,Gna fo resate Them
trusts and their increase IN power has
been largely due to the Failure Of ON
Gals charged with the duty of enforc-
cedure." Such structure upon the failure
of the officials of the national govern
ment to do their duty in this matter is
certainly not wholly undeseryed az far
as the administrator epFeC0QlIlk EE0Sl-
dent MeKinley's is concerned; but it has
no application at all to Republican adj
ministration. 1t Is also undoubtedly true
that what Is most needed Is "oficials
having both the disposition and the cour-
precisely the need that has been met
by the consistent and steadily continued
action of the department Of justice I'M
der the present administration.
So far as the rights Of the individual
wage-worker and the Individual capital
list are concerned. both as regards one
another, as regards the public, and as
regards organized capital and labor, the
position Of the administration has been
representing 1t, and no ground for OPP
posing it unless misrepresented. Within
the limits defined by the national eonsti-
tuition the national administration has
enjoyment Of his right to live. his life
and dispose of his property and his labor
as he deems best, so long as he wrongs
no one else. 1t has shown In effective
this guarantee, II, treats all men, rich or
poor, whatever their creed, their color,
or their birthplace, as standing alike be-
fore the law. Under our form OF gov
eminent the sphere in which the nation On
is narrowly pharmaceutical: but within
that sphere all that could be done has
been done. All thinking men are aware
of the restriction upon the power. OF ac-
tion of the national government n such
matters. Being ourselves, mindful of
them, we have been scrupulousy careful
on the one hand to be moderate In. our
promises, and on the other hand to keep
these promises in letter and in spirit.
When we take up the great question of
the tariff we are at once confronted by
the doubt as to whether our opponents
do or do not mean what they say. They
say that protection Is nc, robberya and
if they are given power. Yet prominent
among them assert that they do
not really mean this and that If they
come into power they Will ADOPT our
seem anxious to prove that 1t is safe
to give them partial power. because the
power would be only partial and there
fore they would not be able TO 90 mis-
chief The last Is certainly ssSaf 81 CURIOUS
seeking to obtain control OF the govern
ment. hits LFUU . u. 1
At the outset It is worth while to say |
a word as to the attempt to identity the
duction with solution of the trust ques-
ton This Is always sign OF desire
to avoid any real effort to deal ade-
uuntely with the trust question. In
81 Aarii 4 On 1so sh'i s RH' At
''The question Of tariff revision, speak |,
ing broadly, stands wholly apart from
the question of dealing with the trusts.
No change in tariff duties can have any |
effect in solving the so-called |
trust problem. Certain great trusts or
great Corporations are wholly unaffected
BY the tariff. Almost all the others that
are Of any Importance have as 2 matter
and of course change In /
ne tariff which would work injury to |
the large corporation would work not
merely injury but destruction to its
smaller competitions and equally of
course such change would mean disas,
Ter to all the wage-workers connected
with either the large or the small cor
oorations. From the standpoint OF those
Interested in the solution of the trust
problem such change would therefore
merely mean that the trust was relieved
If the competition of its weaker Amer
can competitors, and thrown only into
with foreign competitors;
competition would be made by cutting
lowr, wages, and would therefore be pri-
narily at the cost of labor. In the case
II some of our greatest trusts such
.hange might confer upon them a posi-
i've benefit. Speaking broadly, 1t is cyl,
lent that the changes In the tariff VIII
fleet the trust for veal or for woe SIM
rhe tariff affects trusts only as 1t af-
ects all other interests. 1t makes All
hese interests, large or small, profit
bic: and its benefits can be taken from
he large only under penalty taking
hem from the small also"
There is little for me to add to this.
t is but ten years since the last attempt
vas made, by means OF lowering the
ering too much. The attempt was ena
iroIv s,lccessftIl The tariff law OIL that