The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1891-10-29
hours of labor, making them uniform
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Mr.. Pierce clearly enough perceives
and says that this is in the direction of
state Socialism, but he claims that ''the
people both in England and America
have grown quite away from iaissez fdire
doctrine and the tendency is strong and
constantly increasing in the direction of
governmental intervention to redress the
social balance" Such party, he claims,
will only carry out TO its full realization
the historic Republican issues, and will
by means of this Capitalization empha-
size the idea of nationality, while in its
ranks prohibition, labor reform and
protection-natural allies, he says
viii be united, and genuine democracy
secured.
As a possible platform for this "party
of the future" the writer suggests: Gov
enment ownership of railroads, tele-
graph lines, etc; municipal ownership
of gas and electric light works and of
street railroads; gradual and uniform
reduction of the hours of labor through
out the country; national aid to educa-
tion, but the suffrage not limited by an
educational test land speculation and
monopoly condemned, bnt the single tax
avoided.
He thinks that 4" No large extension of
our market in foreign countries is posi-
bic If we are to reduce hours of labor.
abolish child labor, call married women
from factory to home, and raise wages in
America regardless Of the effect upon the
cost of production" But reliance upon
the home market and adherence to the
protective system Twill not only make
labor legislation possible, but will be
economic wisdom as well, for by educa-
ton, by suppressing the saloon, by short
ening hours, by increasing wages, we
can indefinitely increase the capacity of
our people TO consume" In fact along
socialist lines and the Capitalization of
the government, the writer thinks the
remedies lie for social wrongs and ine-
qualities.
The main point in Mr.. Pierce's argu-
ment is the view he takes of the powers
of the constitution to regulate internal
commerce. 1t is very doubtful whether
any large number of people would ac-
cept the view, as it carries the idea of a
centralized government to an extent
that was hardly conceived by the found
ees of the Republican party, or by any
recognized school of political thought
at any time. Such an Interpretation
would probably not be accepted and at
present, despite Mr.. Pierce's hopefulness,
there are few indications that such
movement has even begun. 1t is quite
likely in the future as in the past that
political parties will be governed by ex-
pediency rather than by principles and
rightly so, because of the practical diff
culties always of putting abstract con-
siderations into actual realization.
This article is i'm line with the views
enunciated by Mr., Pierce in an address
in this city before the Union Club, an
organization started by him some time
since in the hope that it would be the
first , step in the formation of
the party of the future" The
second step, to say nothing of the
third and fourth, has not yet been taken.
Republicans, at least, should always
fight shy of new party movements. In
such movements they have always been
the sufferers. and Democrats the gamers.