Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-11-20

But the time has come, when, If we
are to do justice among the people Of
4 the United States, some subjects which
are now constitutionally local must be-
come constitutionally national. 1t is flu
| tile to inquire what legislation, il any
should be adopted to prevent or adjust
| the devastating controversies between
the employer and employed, between
capital and labor, until there is power
as broad and as comprehensive as the
problem itself TO prescribe a solutions
1t is hardly worth While to enlist the
best thought of the country upon re-
strictions and regulations OF trade COM
binations and industrial monopolies SO
long as forty five states in hopeless con-
fusion hold the only power that can be
exercised.
For emphasis repeat that the man
hood of the republic is the first essen
tial to the continuance of prosperity.
There is a very large proportion of this
manhood that works for wages and an
other large proportion that lives and
dies in poverty. There is growing SEN
timent among them that to define and
preserve their rights, the hand of the
government must intervene more effec-
&.
er the complaint Is well or Ill founded,
can not now inquire. only know that
the complaint exists, and there ought
to be some tribunal with power to adj
minister full and adequate justice
There is no such tribunal and can be
none until the constitution of the Unit
ed States is so amended as to give con-
gress jurisdiction over this struggle
which wages necessarily turnout the
whole sovereignty of the republic. /
know that there is a widespread feeling
that Industrial combinations are drift
ing toward monopolies. / know that
there are but two forces which can be
trusted to regulate prices-competition
and law. / know that the people of this
country will no more submit to indus
trial monopoly than to governmental
monarchy; and yet we are powerless to
even project remedies or investigate the
causes of the inquietude, for there is no
authority broad enough to embrace the
subject. My conclusion is that good
government must contribute its part
toward the maintenance of the high
standard of manhood which has hither-
to been at once our pride. and protec-
ton. and that good government in its
highest form is unattainable until we
nationalize some of the mighty problems
which are now vexing the public mind.
Zone of the fundamental conditions Of
prosperity is work for the people, not
part of the people. but all the people
who either want to work or must work.
be paid; the lowest, sufficient to make
~ @.,v- nft I, III &-k
anything that genius can command. It
is manifest that the workers Of Ameri-
ca. if they work efficiently, will produce
something, and that what they produce
must be sold. 1t is clear, therefore,
that one of the most important duties
before us is to 30 adjust our laws at
home and 80 frame our treaties with
other nations as to give the people of
the United States the maximum amount
of work. The problem involved in this
subject has totally changed within re-
cent years Formerly our chief concern
was to prevent the producers of other
countries from invading and occupying
the markets of the United States. 1t
now is to invade and occupy the mar
kets of other nations.
II am a profound believer in the
American system of protective duties
upon imports. 1t has given us our own
markets and has been the most potent
factor in a development which has no
parallel in the annals Of the hfhan
race. It's history is luminous with proofs
Of the patriotic wisdom In which 1t was
conceived. 1t is true, however, that
while it protects our own markets, it is
not an effective weapon for the conquest
of international trade. Hitherto our ex-
ports to Europe have been chiefly OF ag-
ricultural products, and altho there has
been an occasional outcry among the
economists of Great Britain, France and
Germany. we have met only temporary
obstacles. During the last few years,
however, our manufactured products
have been offered in foreign markets at
price that has created intense alarm.
and it is but conservative statement
of the situation when l say that the
powers of Europe are in substantial
concert. at this moment, to discover the
most effective way of limiting the agri-
cultural and excluding the manufac-
tured products of the United States.
can not criticise this vast commercial
conspiracy, for 1t is obvious that,
viewed from their standpoint, 1t has
been necessary to protect themselves
against the ruinous invasion with which
they are threatened. The best minds of
the transatlantic ministries have re-
solved that we must either import more
or export less. If we remain immova-
bic 1t is safe to predict that France,
Germany, Austria and Russia will in
crease the tariffs already existing
against our exports and that within five
years England will impose a duty upon
every manufactured article originating
in this country. I believe that 1t was
in view of this situation that President
Mckinley upon the very eve of his as
sasslnation delivered that memorable
address, in which the apostle of protec
ton appealed for freer trade to be at
tanned thru the medium of reciprocal
arrangements
Stimulated partly by the remarkable
utterance to which / have just referred,
and partly by the self-evident impor-
lance of the question, the people of the
United Etates are again thinking deeply
of the tariff and reciprocity. The first
hours of this impulse toward change
in the system should be marked with