Evening star., 1936-06-01


candidates are more important.
Second. conventions and whom they
nominate are important. but what
the candidates themselves say after
they are nominated is more impor-
tant.
This means merely that when
the Cleveland convention is over
Senator Borah will reserve the right
to examine the speeches of the NOM
!nee and determine for himself
whether the issues are being made
In conformity with the principles be-
lieved by the Idaho Senator to be
paramount. If they are not, Borah
will not pport-because he cannot
IN conscience support-such a nom
inee. Neither will he support Mr..
Roosevelt, whose policies are diamet-
rically opposed TO what Senator Borah
believes.
Nominee Must Conform.
In other words, if the next Repub-
lican nominee wants Borah to cam
paign for him, he must adopt the
basic idea for which the Idaho Sena-
tor stands. And Borah, moreover,
believes as he did in l932-when in
the same manner he refrained from
supporting Hoover-that anybody who
devlates from the anti-monopoly doc
trlne in 1886 Is doomed to defeat and
that likewise the Republican party
may be doomed to extinction.
Now what is this anti-monopoly
doctrine. and who disagrees with
Borah about It? Unfortunately, in
the short space of Commute ad-
dress over the radio, it was not pos
slble to furnish all the background of
the controversy nor to outline its i'm
pllcatlons. But in a nutshell Borah
feels that concentrated economic
power is just as bad as concentrated
governmental power, and, he might
have added, merger of the two
means the destruction of all liberty of
opportunity and brings faScism.
1t is true that Borah made general
accusations as to the existence of
monopoly which would have to be
proved in court Mere bigneSs is not
monopoly. Price fixing is a basic
feature of monopoly, and when big
and little units in business get to-
gether TO fix priceS-or to stabilize"
them, as the more fashionable phrase
has it-there is danger to the system
of individualism which Borah regards
as essential to economic recovery.
Platform Blast Insufficient.
Will Landon recognize the implica-
tions Of this issue and make them his
creed? A brief platform plank de-
nouncing monopoly is far from ade-
quate. What Borah demands is that
the anti-monopoly doctrine be made
the central theme of the whole cam
paign, in order that the independent
and the man of small business may
have his opportunities to grow and
make a profit increased, instead of
diminished.
1t will be recalled that Borah fought
the N. r. A. on this ground and the
N. r. A. collapsed because it gave
certain advantages to big business
and tended toward priceflXlng and
the abolition of the competitive sys-
tenn.
There are some business men who
want e-flxing-as, for instance,
some of the coal operators. There
are rice-fixing advocates in the oil
industry. To agree with your COM
petition is often easier than to fight
your competition. The Roosevelt ad-
ministration, which has virtually
abandoned the Sherman antitrust
laws, has shown signs Of developing
the cartel or monopoly system along
the lines of the Hitler and MuSsolini
economic policies. Borah sees this
coming and wants the Republican
nominee to fight it tooth and nail.
He regards it as so important that
II the Republican nominee pussyfoots
or straddles or submergeS the issue
and tries to carry water on both
shoulders, Borah will not have his
heart in the campaign nor his voice,
Landon Knows Combined Power.
But can a man like Gov. Landon
espouse the Borah doctrine? AS an
independent oil man he knows what
It is to fight larger units. Also he
can accept If he wishes in its entirety
the economic philosophy of business
leader like Alfred P Sloan, jr., presi-
dent of General Motors, whose out
standing speeches last week are COM
pletely consistent with the anti
monopoly doctrine of the Idaho Sena-
tor. In fact, they constituted per-
haps a more detailed explanation of
honest competitions advantages to
the masses of consumers than was
possible in Borah's discussion of the
subject which was largely from the
viewpoint Of governmental policy, in
stead of economic evolution.
This correspondent has always dis
agreed with Borah on his foreign
policy and believes that the Senator
Is overlooking the fact that fascism
and monopoly and pricefixing all
arise out Of the consequences Of
domestic isolations or self-contain-
ment. which makes regimentation and
rationing of production and employ
ment inevitable. International CO.
operation, on the other hand, whether
through the League of Nations or
any other device of diplomatic USE
fulness that can assure us against
war, means enlargement Of trade and
markets and gives stimulus to the
competitive system.
Notwithstanding this paradox in
Borah's reasoning. the speech is
challenge on the monopoly issue,
which the Democratic as well as the
Republican party must meet and on
the exposition of the problem during
the campaign. the translation Of what
it means to the average man by way
Of future opportunity and future jobs.
will depend victory or defeat in No.
veniber.
(Copyright 1936.)