The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1914-07-09

So they are forced into the abs ard pO-
sitcn OF proposing to destroy all bust
ness power. They cannot, under their
theories Of government control busa-
Less. 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
err either in business or in Govern
ment. Their program will allow bust
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 I'M
fair treatment Of Ia Dor or fer any 9TH
er auti-social end.
This is the only tenable position on
the trust problem, for it faces the
facts, and does not try 70 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 dc not want
to destroy all corporations; we must
have large units to do our work.
SECOND: We cannot make eveU
man compete with every other MANI
we cannot so back to 1850, still less
to 1850.
THIRD: We cannot destroy mono
poly by attac king all forms OF concen'
tration whether monopolistic or not.
FOURTH: We cannot destroy read
monopoly by attacking its legal form.
We must find out and take away the
real economic basis of monopoly.
WHICH Is q VEL OiHc1CAI eAi
FIFTH: We can get no effective
results through the courts, with tha]
slow and restricted procedure.
SIXTH: We must encourage HON
est business, and allow that business
concen tration which will give the pow
er necessary to serve us. This policy
OF the encouragement Of decent busi-
ness is as important to the welfare
OF our people as is our other policy
OF ffective warfare against corrupt
and unfair business.
SEVENTH: There must be co-o1.
era alton among business men, among
wageworkers 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 busi-
ness. az in government, and that no
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 net
use power themselves, or let anyone
else have It. Their trust program, as Il
stands today, 10 made futile by THE
fear.
The real business problem is the
question Of that great mass OF corpora
tons, which are neither monopolies on
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 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, and also covering small
section. certain great businesses which
are substantially monopolistic. But, In.
between these two extremes, and Gov"
, ering by far the largest area Of our
total business, is a mass OF corpora
tons, having greater or less degree
of business concentration, but not
Individual, on the one hand nor in
any sense monop olistic on the other.
We have had now twenty-four ycars'
experience with trying to regulate
business by destruction. The result
has been nearly fiat failure. The ad"
ministration proposes policy Of fur
ther destruction, even more uninteh
Iigent In conception, and certain to be
more futile in performance, than the
existing policy which it 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 Com
mission to take case of monopoly,
find out what Is the real business cor
nerstone OF it's monopoly, and then
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 effioiency provided the Ell cheney ID