The sun., 1901-12-10
PRESERVING AMERICAN
STANDARDS.

President RooseyeltS endorsement of
Labor Unions, ana insistence upon re-
gard for and enforcement Of the eight
hour law in all government works and
contracts. if seriously regarded must b.
distastefu t. the anti-nnion and anti
strike opponents OF organized labor. His
endorsement u labor unions, the eight.
hour law. and his recommendations AS
10 the restricting emigration. as we read
them, Ill hinge upon his idea of prescrv-
ing from further deterioration the .Ameri-
can domestic standard. and If possible.
to raise those standards still higher.
II thiS position he well taken. ii opens
a field for study and discussion. not as to
the dcsirahility " what the President
suggests, hut as 10 how through the
avenues indicated, the preservation and
promotion Of these standards can le best
secured Iii the study of this matter tho
student is met at the start Of his invrSti-
cations hy this self-evidcnt fact, that the
present industrial power aud position "
the United States, arc due 70 the tariff
policy applied by the Republican party,
Another fact j. that in the development
~ thcS" conditions all the people have
been largely benefited aS is always the
case and probably always will he, some
have secured more than others, but in the
aggregate thc distribution of wealth has
4.,., -
case recognized, the inquiry comes %
he one ~ 70 the direction ~ the move
inrnt ana H. locality ~ it, hrnefcencc:
meeting the educational forces that have
always been prominent in our civic policy
the tariff haS stimulated intellectual rr-
rnlr III the magnificent achievement
nf industrial America, the laurcls of vic
tory must "a accorded to the mechanics
OF the country who have been at once
tile creators and operatives Of the "a 4
aggregation of mechanical appliances IN
The forc IL industrial production, I'll,
intellectual standards which these an
pliancc- represent il the general stand
ard of the propr--n standard higher thai
that IN any other people. Along th'
SANE line has cornc The development O
tile domestic standards If the people
the living ~ the people had to satisfy
larger demand; a demand for not onl.
more hnt for better things; better houses
better food hrtter furniture and bette
clothing. A. these demands grew III
American home market grew to hc IN
best III the world, not only for man
facturrd products bnt for food product,
10 protect tlS home market aud furthr
stimulate intellectual effort in Tncetin
its demands the tariff enactmrntS com
into force, and under their intiuenc
America has reached industrial snpr'
macy and At the same time developed
domestic condition that nutranks that I
any other people 1t is at the goal
this achievement that the suggestions {
the Presidents message comes with il
recommendations FOR care for labor int
ests along the line labor organization
ihNt IililiiNf'lt iIlH II'I'Nl'hil ~ ~
merely 10 preserve hut to promote; not
stand still, hut 10 move on. To move 4
not to mere commercial development
hut 70 still higher domestic standards
the bcttrrmcnt If the conditions ~ the,
people, the home people, and not fnreil
peoples is tire object Of that suggest,
effort This involves still better house
furniture. food and clothing for Il
American people, and still more Of the
desirable things. That is an unavoidal
conclusion. 1t means more wages, mo
leisure FOR the workmen, and great
consumption by the people general
And Wa think il possible 10 demonstra
mathrnatically. that stimulation of t
home market is the road 70 y surrr al
greater success than is the Ileveopmc
OF foreign commerce.
That the per capita consumption in II
country is far greater than elsewhere
evident; how much greater now we
not know. but our recollection is that
Few years ago, during much more GO
servstive periods Of trade stimulsti