Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1914-07-09


The government the hItm grasp and
reach to control these corporations.
So they are forced into the absurd 30
sitIon of proposing to destroy all bush
ness power. They eannof. under their
theories OF government control bust
ness. Therefore. their sole alterna.
tive is to destroy it. They are abb
solutely blind to the facts of history.
Unlimited competition has proved
one Of the greatest curses OF modern
civilization. II was unlimied com.
petition which created tht great
trusts, exactly as II crssta the
sweat-shop and is chiefly sspnslbie s
for child labor. The eNAFEedom
is merely the exceedingly olH freedom
which permits each man 10 CT his
neighbours throat.
The Progressives are of the ten
tieth century. They face th4 hts
OF today They are not afraid OF Iy.
er, either in business or in cow
ment. Their program viii ALLOW b.
ness concentration in so far as su
concentration gives social and econ
mic efficiency and good service 81
it will also give the Government ful
power to see that business concentra
ton does serve these necessary ends
and that it is not used for unfair com-
petition or for monopoly, or for the un.
fair treatment of labor or for any oth-
er anti-social end.
This is the only tenable position ON
the trust problem, for II faces the
facts, and does not try to turn back
the hands of the clock BY long and
disappointing experience we have had
several cardinal facts hammered into
us.
FIRST: We cannot and do not want
to destroy all corporations; we must
have large units to do our work.
lsEcQNnbNe cannot make ev@
fnsn compete WITH every dAer ma
1--WE cannot go back to 1850. SIT less'
to 1850.
\ THIRD: We cannot destroy NOM,
poly by attacking all forms OF concen-
| tration whether monopolistic or not.
FOURTH: We cannot destroy real
monopoly by attacking its legal form.
We must find ont and take away the
real economic basis of monopoly,
which is a very different thing.
FIFTH: We can get no effective
| results through the courts, with their
slow and restricted procedure.
SIXTH: We must encourage hon
est business, and allow that business
concentration which will give the pow
er necessary to serve US. This policy
| of the encouragement of decent busis
ness is as important to the welfare
of our people as Is our other policy
of effective warfare against corrupt
and unfair business.
SEVENTH: There must be coop
GRAFTON among business men, among
wage workers and among farmers
Our program recognizes the facts
! Of today. We must have businsSI
-r0NA;sr to ,dar@psTork. We Prog
sives Sfe not afraMAof poES
know that power can be ccgltrt
good ends and is necessary fol
ends. We know this is true In
ness, as in government, and IN
other position Is possible for the n
ern state. a.
We cannot control our great Nation
al businesses without power, National
power, But the Democrats dare not
use power themselves, or let anyone
else have II. Their trust program, as u
stands today, 10 made futile by this
fear.
The real business problem is the
question Of that great mass OF corpora
lions. which are neither monopo!ies on
the one hand, nor individual business
es on the other. Here is the truth
that so many overlook. II we view the
whole area Of cur business, we find at
one end covering small section,
part of our business which Is still
small and individual. We find at the
other end, ard also covering small
section, certain great businesses which
are substantially mcnopolistic. But, In
between these two extremes and coy
eriIng by far the largest area OF our
total business, is a mass of corpora
tons, having a greater or less degree
of business concentration, but not
Individual, on the one hand, nor IN.
any se2se monop olistis s7~fffy ofner
We have. had now tyenty-fopr years'
experience ! With flying to regulate
business BY destruction. The result
has been nearly fiat failure. The adj
n,lnistration proposes policy Of fur
tner destruction. even more unintei-
Iisent In conception, and certain to be
more futile In Performance, than the
existing policy which II amends.
The only alternative Is the Progress
sive plan, which is sane, effective and
fair. We propose to provide a strong
Commission. getting prompt action by
direct administrative process; with
power in that Commission to attack
directly all unfair and oppressive forms
OF competition; power in that Conn
mission to take case of monopoly,
find out what is the real business cor
nerstone of its monopoly. and thenT
bring the full strength Uf the Goves-sA
ment directly against it.. We propose
to do away with all unfair practices
by big business or little business.
We propose heartily to encourage hon
ast business and to rive full econa