Polk County news-gazette. (Benton, Tenn.) 190?-191?, 1914-07-16
ROOseVeIt'S
Speech

OpEGNu
motion, whett A monopoly In fact
exists, and II it does exist, the basis
of its monopolI5tle power.
Second, the power directly to pro
hiblt all unfair trade practices within
it's jurisdiction. This power would
enable the Commission to stop all
monopoIies based on unfair and OPP
pressive trade practices. Whenever
monopoly is based on such practices,
what is needed Is not the right to REQ
ommend that suits be brought by the
Attorney-General, or by anyone else.
What ls needed Is the direct power In
the Commission Itself to stop the
wrong.
Third, the power to end the e<clu-
sive control Of factor necessary TO
production by an order adapted to the
circumstances of the particular case.
The order may Involve changes In or
uanization, In management, or In the
conduct of the business. Where ex-
elusive possession of a natural re-
source 10 the basis Of the monopoly,
Il may be necessary to subject its pos
session to the obligation Of public
service, that 10, the obligation to sell
TO others a reasonable amount at
reasonable rates.
Our constructive program OF anti
trust legislation has no quarrel with
large business organizations as SAGA.
On the contrary we recognize that
business efficiency in production can
be attained only through business Or
ganization. But we demand that the
government be clothed with all the
necessary power to crush monopoly
with all its attendant evils.
Contrasted with this program we
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 St+.te's Rights
Party, the Party opposed to strong
Federal action, the "Party-afraid-of-
Power"
We cannot 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 it, Their trust pro.
gram. as 1t stands today, is made flu
tile by this fear Their official admin
istration bills propose weak Federal
Trade Commission, with no power ex-
cept to investigate and report. 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
mission, so far as they go, we have
no objection. It Is the inadequacy OF
the Commissions power to destroy
monopoly which we condemn.
But the Clayton Bill goes hopeless
~ wrong In that 1t forbids specif'
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
their whole position. They propose
to force every man to compete with
every other man. They hold that two
farmers selling milk across State
line cannot cooperate; and that two
men doing any business across State
line cannot form partnership or
corporation. They insist that there
must be no big business power, con
centrated power, or large enterprise
anywhere, and that our business must
80 back to the period Of not merely
1850. but 1850; to the cobbler's bench,
the grist-mill. and the blacksmith's
forge.
This Is economic absurdity. I'VE live
In the twentieth century, not the sew.
enteeth. We have ninety millions OF
citizens, scattered over almost, four
million square miles. They cannot
exist in any such primitive business
status. We must have ample power,
large units, to do the work of today.
But the Democrats dare not give to