The Richmond climax. (Richmond, Ky.) 1897-1914, 1913-11-19
TRUSTS COME NEXT
PRESIDENT WILL ATTEMPT TO
RESTORE COMPETITION IN
BUSINESS.
TASK ADMITTEDLY DIFFICULT
Wilson Soon to Tell Congress His
Plans for Breaking Up the Great
Corporations Without Harmins the
country's Prosperity.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.


Washington.-Presid Wilson Is
studying the trusts. In his annual
message to congress or as soon as
currency is out of the way, he will
recommend that the old time condi-
tons of business competition be re-
stored in this country. Attorney Gen.
era1 McReynolds is at work on anti
trust law suggestions. Other mem
bers of the cabinet will have ready
thoughts of their own on the sub
Ject when the time, already nearly
at hand, shall come when Mr.. Wilson
must formulate his recommendations
on a matter which Democrats say will
test the law making abilities of his
administration as neither the tariff
nor the currency can.
The presidents task is In a sense
the remaking of nation of shop
keepers and small manufacturers. He
has said publicly that competitive con-
ditions of the old kind can be restored
and that 1t falls to the lot Of the Dem
ocrats to do the restoring. The dyna-
mite of a new law is to be placed at
the foundation of some big concerns
and they are to be broken into inte-
grail parts, all of them small, without
injuring the Industries which they
have housed and promoted. and with
out harming the prosperity Of the
American people"
There are Democrats, Progressives
and Republicans ready enough to ad-
NIT that the old competitive condi-
lions was an ideal one to foster indie
pendence in business, and to promote
that interest In affairs which the small
business man or manufacturer with
his work at stake always must feel.
There. are Democrats, Progressives
and Republicans, however, in congress
who seem to think that the admins
tration will have hard work to bring
back by the mandate of law the condi-
tons of the days that are gone.
Leaders Admit II Is Big Task.
The Democratic leaders naturally
fear that If they fail in antitrust legis-
iation the good which they say will
come from their tariff and their cur
rency laws, may possibly avail them
nothing at the next election. They
look at same of the great corporations
as they exist today and feel publicly
and SAY privately" that to break them
into small parts and to set each partic-
ular part against the other with pros
perity for all is task big enough to
test the ability Of any man and any
party.
Shortly the presidents recommenda-
tons for antitrust legislation will be
given to the public. There are more
than rumors In Washington that In
the attorney generals Office, although
perhaps not shared by the attorney
general himself, there is feeling that
the administration would do much bet
ter II II would attempt regulating
rather than a disintegrating policy.
Regulation is the proposal Of one of
the opposition parties. A resolving
into competitive parts is the policy of
the administration, and probably will
be the announced policy of the con-
gressional majority which is now in
power Compromise will mean Civ
ing way to the proposals Of the enemy
Separation into parts. some of the
Democratic leaders seem to feel, may
mean business disaster. Mr.. Wilson
is said to have no such fear.
Must Conserve Prosperity.
The administration. naturally, for pa
triotic as we'll as political reasons, de
| - tHok he 10
ton shall restore competition while
also conserving prosperity. Attorney
General McReynolds is at work on sug
gestions for the new law bearing in
mind constantly that while 1t is in
tended to be a breaking law 1t is al
so intended to be a making law. The
Democrats fear Of course that In dis
solving the big corporations, prosper
ity may be dissolved. They say they
think II is possible that by drastic
methods old time individual trade ri
valry can be restored, but some few
of them are fearful that the means
used may be such as to react on tn,
party which uses them Admitted!
the coming antitrust legislation is /,
difficult subject, one to be handled
delicately and to be looked at from al
corners and sides before a final draf
of the law Is made.
A Republican administration separ
ated some of the big companies int
their original constituent parts. Blu
there are no Republicans In congress
today who have been willing to g
on record as saying that competition
has been restored. The Democrat
say that the Republican law did no
complete the actual separation Of tn
corporations into parts. The Progress
sives have declared for regulation O
! big business by means Of board sin
: liar to the interstate commerce CON
: mission. Some of the administratio
: Democrats and some Republican
: seemingly are inclined to believe tina
some kind of compromise may b
, made by the present administratio
between regulation Of the big comps
MES and their actual separation int
: units unconnected one with anothel
, President Wilson thinks he can n
: store competition without hurting bus
ness or tanning prosperity. He WI
} tell the people in a message early l
: the winter how he thinks 1t can b
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