The Detroit times., 1912-08-08


business OF a country like ours Is ex-
eeedinRly sensitive to changes In legis-
latlon % this kind IN has been built
up. however Nl-adVisedly, upon tarln
schedules written Ia the way | have
indicated and its foundations must not
he toa radically or too suddenly dis
turhed Whea we ret we should act
with caution and prudence. like men
who know what they are about. and
not like those Ia love with a theory
II "a obvious thai ne changes we make
should ne made only at such rate aAd
IN such a way as VIII least interfer@
with the normal and healthful course
ot commerce and manufacture but We
timidiLN. IS. N Ne did not know our
own minds. tor we ere certain OF our
ground and out object There should
Ne an immediate r. vision. and II should
he downward unhesitatinglN and
steadily downward
I should hegin with the schs lules
which have beer most obviously used
70 XIII competition and 10 raise prices
In the GnitCd states arbitrarily and
without regaTd TO the prices pertaining
d else where In the mlrkets of the world
and II should. before II IL finished or
tntermitted. he extended 10 eVerv iteTl
In every sci Vdule which affords an"
opportunitN 'or monopoly. for special
PdVantage to limited groups Of benC-
fciarios. or for subsidized control OF
anv kind in The m9rkets or the enter
nrises of the country, until special
favors OF every sort shall have been
nbsrlnt"lN E'thdrnwn ard every part
OF our laws OF taxation shall have beer.
transformed 'rom a system OF govern
mental patronage into a system of
F. iust uu| reasonable charges which
shall fan who're they will create the
; least burden. When we shall have don.
that we can fix questions OF revenue
rand ~ business adJustmcnt IN n new
spirit and With clea minds We shall
then b, pdrtr ers with all the bushes,
~ fI.. n-t afVNr arsA 1axs 81 fr..
more stable prosperity shall have
Z dawnCd
4 There has been no more demorallzing
4 linruence I'm our politics In our time
thar the influence OF tariff legislation.
the influence OF the idea that the gov
t6tnment was the grand dispenser OF
| faVors. the maker and unmaker OF for
tunes and Of opportunities such as GER
tain men have sought In order 10 con-
itrol the movement OF trade and iDdus-
ltry throughout the continent. IL has
made the government prize 10 be
Icartured and parties the means or ef-
lfecting the capture II has made the
lbusIEess men OF one OF the most virile
land enterprlstng nations In the worli
timid fretful. full OF alarms; has rob
had them OF selt-conndence and manly
force, until they have cried out that
ltAey could do nothing without the as
s!stCTce OF the government al Wash
Iington. Y, has made them feel thot
their lives depended upon the Ways
and Means Committee OF the House ana
the Finance Committee OF the senate
Gin these later years particularly the
They have insisted very anxiously that
,thtse Committees should be made up
lonly Of their friends" until the
4 country In its turn grew suspicious
were being guided and controlled. by
what Influences and plans or personal
fedvaLtage. Government cannot De
lwhoiesomely conducted In such an az.
lr,.k 70
jeopardy Favors are never conceived
I'm the general interest; they are al
ways for the benefit Of the Few, ana
THE few who seek and obtain them nave
only themselves TO blame II presently
they seem TO be condemned anu ois-
ltrGsted.
/ For what has the result been? Pros
lperity? Yes. IL by prosperity you mean
Vast wealth no matter how distributed,
i OF whether distributed at all, or not
III you mean vast enterprises pulN Sp
ito be presently concentrated unusr ~ nns
lControl OF comparatively smail oouies
of men, who can determine almost at
pleasure whether there shall De con- :
i lpetition or not The Nation as ny
ltiCn has grown Immensely risn' S -
Justly proud OF her industries and OF
/ the genius OF her men OF anslrs. Lhsy
lean master anything they set thsnl
minds to- and we have oeen ErealIS
stimulated under their leadership ah9
command Their laurels are many ana
green We must accord them the great
4 honors that are their due ano we H1
preserve what they have putt UP lol
us But what OF the other ,'de OF tne
pictureg II Is not as easy Tor Us 10
i live as II used 10 be. Our money VII.
I not buy as much. High wages even
when we can get them y,eid ssttMeT M
Eor with less because dollar could
buy so much more. The nlalorily ., US
have been disturbed 10 md ourselves
! growing poorer even tnouHn ou' prtcas
Limb faster than we can push our
! earnings up.
! Moreover. we begin TO perceive s9Ins
| things about the movement OF prices
that concern Ne very deeply ann ~
our attention upon the tarin scheouies
with a more definite determinattor
than ever 10 get TO the ,l oottu'l ,nto T., -
! nj trials held under the sherman act
! and In Investigations In the coHliiiis.e ~
rooms OF congress. where hth 49,
wanted 10 know the real Facts hass
been busy with inquiry: and we pesh
I 10 see very clearly what at least some
Of the methods arc by which prices are
Fixed. We know that they are n9t Leo
| by the competitions OF the markS1 oI
~ the ancient law OF supply and de.
mand which Is TO be found stated IN an
the primers OF economies. put py ~
vate arrangements with fresdIu W
what the supply should be and asI
mepts with regard TO what supply
should be and agreements among the
rrodurAra themselves Those who buy
are not even represented BY counsel.
The high cost Of living Is arranged oy
priyate' understanding.
/ We naturally ask ourselves, now ulu
these gentlemen get control OF thesS
things? Who handed our econonli.
laws over to them for legislative anu
contractunl alteration? We have ~
these disclosures stu another view OF
the tarir. stu another PROOF mat no. no.
the people OF the United states out
oniv n very small number OF them nave
been mariners In that legislation. Ihose
feXy have learned how 10 controf tarllt
iegtsiatton. and as they have perfected
their control they have consolluateu
THAR interests Men or the same IN =
tsrest have drawn together, nave
united their enterprises ana nave
| formed trusts, and trusts can cohtrvi
nrices Up 10 certain point tanu ohIy
~ 10 certain poinD great comhina-
tIons effect great economies ln authi
! ,stration and increase efficiency ny
sImplIfyiny and perfecting organiza-
zion, hut whether they enect econo-
roIss or not they can very easily de-
taruIne prices by Intimate agreement
/ 81 soon az they come TO control sutH-
cient percentage OF the product IN any
1 great line Of business ana we now.
know that they do. ,,..,
7 am not drawing up an lndlcthehi
agatnst anyhody This is the natural
@Is,nrv of such tariffs as are now con.
trived as IL is the natuIai history -.
I All other governmental fayors and OF
all licenses TO use the government "
holm certain groups or indiNlduals
sInpp In life Nobody In particular |
sunpose is TO blame, and am not IN