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

immediate creation OF q bipartisan
commission with power TO propose re-
vision of the tariff rates, schedule by
schedule, treating each case on an IN
telligent consideration OF its merits,
divorced from faYoritism and the fos-
tering OF special interests.
Let us turn now TO the progressive
antitrust program. We believe IN
cooperation among business men,
among farmers and among wage
workers. Our program is based on
the fundamental proposition that the
State should regard private monopo-
listic power as contrary 10 public vel
fare, but that it should never attack
a particular business organization
merely because of its size. In many
lines of industry the unit OF social
and economic efficiency in our time
is o large unit. What we want Is
business machinery strong and eiii-
Gent enough to do our business work,
to supply we'll and cheaply the daily
needs of 90,0O0,000 people. We want
that machinery run honestly, fairly
and without monopoly. In short, we
want business. power ample to serve
us, and we d0 not want that power
abused. We want the controB OF cor
porations. to be exercised effectively
and promptly, so as to get results We
should end once and for all the at
tempt to regulate business by SER
les of lawsuits. We wish to put q
stop to the misdeeds Of business
men who do wrong. We wish also to
put stop to the marrying and perse-
cution of honest business men who do
right.
The Progressives therefore advo-
cate the creation of a strong Inter
state Trade Commission and would
give such Commission, primarily,
three powers:
First, the power of Investigation.
The Commission should be able to as
certain on complaint or on lite own
motion, whether monopoly In fact
exists, and If II does exist, the, basis
Of its monopolstic power.
Second, the powesA directly to pr9
hibit all unfair trade practices wlthkr
|
enable the Commission to stop klf
monopolies based on unfair and Eop-
| pressIve trade practices. Whenever
| monopoly is based on such PRACTICES,
what 10 needed 10 not the right tefrec.
ommend that suits be brought by the
!. Attorney-Generai, or by anyone else
What isn<aesded is the direct power In
Cd ha
wrong.
Third, the pows er to end the exc'u-
sive control of a factor necessary to
production by an o, der adapted to the
circumstances of thH art'cu'ar case
The order may invcWo ehanses IN or
ganization, in mar Sment, or in the
conduct of the otess' Where ex'
elusive possessxE of a natural re-
source is the s.s Of the monopoly
t may be- nec/ sNy to subject itsNpcs
session to obnNssAan.r public
service, th1Hs, the obligation to sell
to others II reasonable amount at
reasonably Sates.
Our obstructive program Of anti
trust Legislation has no quarrel with
large business organizations as such.
Or the contrary we recognize that
business efficiency in production can
be attained only through business or
gdnization. But we demand that the
government be clothed with all the
necessary power to crush monopoly
with all its attendant evils.
Cnutrocfad with tIio Y,rntrro ~, M -
have the Democratic antitrust pro
gram now under discussion in the
Senate of the United States. That
program proves the inadequacy OF the
Democratic Party for the present and
the future of the Nation. 1t is, and
always will be. the States Rights
Party. the Party opposed to strong
Federal action, the "Party-afraid-of1I
Power"
We cannoG control our great Ma
tional businesses without power, Ma
tional power. But the Democrats dare
not use power themselves, nor let any.
one else have 1t. Their trust pro-
gram, as 1t stands today, is made fu-
tile by this fear. Their official admin
istration bills propose weak Federal
Trade Commission, with no power ex-
cept to investigate and export. They
fear to give the government the
strength to cope with corporate abus-
es. They fear to give the Commits
sion power to prevent unfair trade
practices. Indeed, their measure
would hardly give. the Commission
power really to investigate, much less
to destroy by proper administrative
order, monopolies based on the exclu-
sive possession of factor essential
to production. To the powers Of in
vestigation and recommendation which !
the bill proposes to give to the Com
SO far as they go, we have
no objection. 1t Is the inadequacy of
the COMMISSIONS power to destroy |
which WE condemn.
But the Clayton Bill goes hopeless
ly wrong In that it forbids specifi. |
cally any combination, or agreement !
In interstate commerce, between any !
two or more corporations, firms or
even individuals, which in any way |
lessons or restricts the competition !
between them. This is the hub OF (