Mrs. Grundy. (Tracy City, Tenn.) 1903-1930, 1914-07-23
the government the Arm grasp and

So they are forced into the absurd po-
sition of proposing to destroy all busi-
ness power. They cannot, under their
theories of government control bust
ness. Therefore, their sole alterna'
tive is to destroy it. They are alb
solutely blind to the facts OF history.
Unlimited competition has proved
one of the greatest curses of modern
civilization. It was unlimited COM
petition which created the great
trusts, exactly as it created the
sweat-shop and Is chiefly responsible
for child labor. The New Freedom
is merely the exceedingly old freedom
which permits each man to cut his
neighbours throat.
The Progressives are of the twen-
tieth century. They face the facts
of today. They are not afraid of pow
er, either in business or in Govern
ment. Their program will allow busi-
ness concentration in so far as such
concentration gives social and econo-
mic efficiency and good service. But
it will also give the Government full
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 9TH
er anti-social end.
This is the only tenable position on
the trust problem, for it 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.
SECOND: We cannot make every
man compete with every other man;
we cannot go back to 1850, still less
to 1850.
THIRD: We cannot destroy mono
poly by attacking all forms of concen-
tration whether monopolistic or not.
FOURTH We cannot destroy real
monopoly by attacking it's legal form.
We must find out and take away the
real economic basis of monopoly,
which is 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
err necessary to serve us. This policy
of the encouragement of decent bust
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 business
power to do our work. We Progress
sives are not afraid Of power. We
know that power can be controlled to
good ends and is necessary for great
ends. We know this is true in bust
ness, as in government, and that nc
other position is possible for the mod
ern state.
We cannot control our great Nation
al businesses without power, National
power. But the Democrats dare moi
use power themselves, or let anyone
else have It. Their trust program, as II
stands today, Is made futile by this
fear.
The real business problem Is the
question of that great mass of corpora
lions. which are neither monopolies or
the one hand, nor individual business
es on the other. Here is the truth
that so many overlook. If we view the
whole area of our business, we find al
one end, covering small section,
part of our business which is still
small and individual. We find at the
other end, and also covering a small
section, certain great businesses which
are substantially monopolistic. But, II
between these two extremes, and GOV
ering by far the largest area of oul
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 II
any sense monopolistic on the other
We have had now twenty-four years
experience with trying to regulats
business by destruction. The result
has been nearly flat failure. The ad
mnistratlon proposes policy OF fur
Their destruction, even more unintel
ligent In conception, and certain to b'
more futile In performance, than thu
existing policy which 1t amends.
The only alternative is the Progress
sive plan, which is sane, effective ant
fair. We propose to provide a stront
Commission, getting prompt action b!
direct administrative process; witt
power in that Commission to attacl
directly all unfair and oppressive forms
of competition; power in that Com
mission to take case of monopoly
find out what is the real business cor
nerstone of its monopoly, and thel
bring the full strength Of the Govern
ment directly against 1t. We propose
to do away with all unfair practices
by big business or little business
We propose heartily to encourage hon
| est business, and, to give full Scope
to efficiency, provided the efficiency Il
| nsed for the benefit and not to the de