The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-08-05

III poth pdrtleS that tNpe of politicians
and party managers who debase
American politics.
Keep Good Business.
What. then, shall we Americans do?
common sense n the experience of
the world says that We ought to keep
the good big business does for us and
stop the wrongs that big business does
to us. Yet We hav done just the
other thing. We have struck at big
business itself and have not even
aimed to strike at the evils of big
business. Nearly TWENTY-FIVE years
ago congress passed a law to govern
American business in the present time
which parliament passed in the reign
OF King James to COVER English bust.
ness in that time.
For a quarter Of a century the
courts have tried to make this law
work. Yet during this very time
power than in the whole history of
the world before: and their evils
hourished u~nhindered and unchecked.
These great business concerns grew
because natural laws made them grow
and artificial law at war with natural
war could not stop their growth, But
thelr evils grew faster than the trusts
themselves because avarice nourished
those evils n no law of any kind
stopped avarice from nourishing them.
Nor is this the worst. Under IN
shifting Interpretation of the sher-
a law. uncertainty n fear is
chilling the energies of the great body
OF honest American business men. AS
the Sherman law now stands. no two
business men can arrange their mu-
tual affairs and be sure that they are
not law breakers. This is the main
hindrance to the immediate and per-
manent revival of American business.
II German or English business men,
with all their disadvantages compared
by our Sherman law. as it stands,
they soon would be bankrupt. In
deed. foreign business men declare
that. If their countries had such a
law. SO administered, they could not
do business at all.
Even this is not all. BY the de-
crees OF our courts. under the Sher-
earth nave actually been licensed, in
the practical outcome. t. go on doing
every wrong they ever committed.
Under the DEGREES Of the courts the
OIL and tobacco trusts still can raise
prices untustly and already have done
So. They still can issue watered stock
and surely will do go. They still can
United States Cigar Stores my
now is doing SO. They still can cor
rupt our politics and at his
are INDUCING in that practice.
Rival nations tell their business
men that il they do n evil that our
business men do, prison bars await
them, These rival nations do tell
their business men that IL they issue
"atered stock. or cheat the people
In any way, prison cells will be their
homes.
lust this is what all honest Ameri
can business wants; just this is what
American business does not
want; just this is what the American
people propose to have; lust this the
national republican platform Of 1908
pledged the people that he would
give them; and just this important
pledge the administration. elected on
that platform. re%pudiated as IL re-
pudiated the more Immediate tariff
pledge. "
Things o he Accomplished.
Both these reforms. so vital to hon.
est American business. the progressive
party will accomplish. Neither evil
interests or reckless demagogues can
sWerve us from our purpose: for We
are free from both and fear neither,
we mean to put new business laws
ON our statute books which will fell
American business men what thev
can do and what they can not do. We
mean 70 make our business Ia WIS clear
instead OF foggy-to make them plair-
~ state just VIA things are criminal
and Wha are lawful. And We mean
mat the penalty for things criminal
sha be prison sentences that actualI
punish h real offender, instead az
money fnes that hurt nobody but tn,
people. WHIT must pay them in the
Tho Tariff.
The next great business reform ~.
u nave to steadily increase Ameri-
can prosperity Is to change the meth
Cd Of building our tariffs. The tarin
must be AXE u of politics and
treated as a business question instead
OF as a political question. Heretofore.
We have just done the other thing.
That is why American business Is
upset every few years by unnecessary
tarin u~pheavals and is weakened bv
uncertainty in the periods between
The greatest need Of business is GER
tainty; but the only thing certain
about our tariff Is uncertainty.
What. then. shall We do to make
our tarin changes strengthen bust
ness instead Of weakening business
Rival protective tariff nations have
answered that question. Common
sense has answered It. Next to our
need to make the Sherman law MOD.
ern. understandable and just. u
greatest fiscal need is a genuine, per
sion.
Five years ago, when the nsht ror
this great business measure wss he.
gun IN the senate the bosses OF hath
parties were against II. So, when tho
l last revision Of tho tariff u,as a -