Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-10-18

be applied in Latin-America and in
Mexico and throughout the world If
we are to have lasting peace and
security. (Applause.l They are, first,
that we do not NEEDLE with matters
which do not concern us, and, second,
that we not only say. but that in
fact we do respect the rights of other
states, small as we'll as great; and
finally that il must be known in this
hemisphere and throughout the world
that American lives and American
property and American commerce
will be safeguarded. (Applause.)
There are some, when that assertion
is made, who think that II means
war. II does mean the sanction OF
peace. What 1t does mean Is this:
You have in organized society, the
sanction Of force behind your courts,
behind all your peaceful instrument
talities. You do not have to indulge
In riots and bloodshed to carry out
the DEGREES Of your courts, because.
behind all that Is done through the
peaceful activities of free institutions,
you have the sanction Of the force OF
organized society. And In our inter
national relations, II we are to invite
respect, we must respect ourselves.
II we are to have the esteem OF other
nations, we must show that we UNDER
stand our rights and respect them.
II our citizenship Is to have Its dig
nifty maintained, we must show that
we understand its dignity and are pre-.
pared to maintain 1t. II in q world Of
arms we are to live undisturbed. with
our rights recognized, 1t will be be.
cause we understand ourselves, and
make our convictions known and
stand before the world prepared,
peaceful, secure. (Applause.)
In the Matter Of Business.
Now, then, I turn from consider
atoms OF this character. ! meet with
the suggestion that the present ad.
ministration has done great deal
for business. II is said-I believe 1t
was said in this city--that It had un-
shackled business. Well. when ! in.
ouire how this has been accomplished
am referred to the ANTITRUST act.
II Is said that business was heavy
with uncertainty, because OF the lack
Of clear definition Of the wrongs
described in the antitrust act, and
that this administration had come to
the relief of business, and had Sc
cured adequate definition of evil.
II know something Of. the statutes
and l think know what they de-
clare and what they mean, or Al
least what II can be said they dc
not accomplish, and am free to say
that | am amazed at any such claim.
as there has been put forward. There
has been no clarihcation of the anti
trust act. There has been no dehni
ton of the offcnses described by tn,
antitrust act. What has been don,
is the addition Of a phrase to tn,
law, the content Of which no lawyei
knows, (Applause.) ! refer to th,
phrase unfair competition" or "un
fair methods Of competition" which
has been introduced into the Law
through the Federal Trade commits
sion bill, a term of unknown pur
port, When statutes are skillfull,
drawn and legal terms are used the!
are supposed to Be used in connec
ton with the meaning they have &C
quired, and so the ancient meanini
OF words referred to has sort o
index to the meaning of the statute
Ample remedies exist for that
Our courts, federal and state, ar
| full of that description. Every mer
chant knows there is a remedy 70
that. No action, OF course, was ne
cessary for that This unfair com
petition manifestly does not mea
that, and yet. nobody knows jus
what it does mean, and that Is wha
the clarihcation Of the antitrust &C
lis; but It is said that the matter
to the Federal Trade CON
mission--and here is another extra
ordinary fallacy--the Federal Trad
commission cannot define its ow
powers, or the legal meaning Of tn
terms which confer these power
, and what has been accomplished b
the introduction Of this fake phras
is the invitation Of years OF litigs
ton, in order that in some way "
may find out what It means. (Ar
piause.)
II Then, il is said that business HI
been aided by the government shiI