The age-herald., 1901-12-04

chief factor in the success of each man wage earner, farmer and capitalist alike must ever be the sum total of his own individual qualities and abilities. Second only to this comes the power of acting in combination or. association with others. Very great good has been and will be ac- compllshed by associations or unions of wage earners, when managed with fore thought, and when they combine insist ence upon their own rights with law abiding respect for the rights of others. The display of these qualities in such bodies is duty to the nation no less than to the associations themselves Finally, there must also. in many cases, be action by the government. in order to safeguard the rights and interests of all. Under our constitution there Is much more scope for such action by the state and the mu- nicipality than by the nation. But on points such as those touched on above the national government can act
 When all is said and done, the rule of brotherhood remains as the indispensable prerequisite to success in the kind of na- tional life for which we strive. Each man must work for himself. and unless he so works no outside help can avail him; but each man must remember, also. that he is indeed his brothers keeper, and that while no man who refuses to work can be carried with advantage to himself or anyone else. yet that each at times stumbles or halts; that each at times needs to have the helping hand outstrefched to him. To be permanently effective aid must always take the form of helping a man to help himself and we can all best help ourselves by joining together in the work that Is of common interest to all.
 Our present immigration laws are un- satisfactory. We need every honest and efficient immigrant fitted to become an American citizen. every immigrant who comes here to stay who brings here a strong body. a stout heart, good head and resolute purpose to do his duty well In every way and to bring up his children as law-abiding and God-fearing members of the community. But there should be a comprehensive law enacted with the object of working a threefold improvement over our present system First, we should aim to exclude abso- lutely not only all persons who are known to be believers in anarchistic principles or members of anarchistic societies, but also all persons who are of low moral ten dency or of unsavory reputation. This means that we should require more thorough system of inspection abroad and Q more rigid system of examination at our immigration ports, the former be- ing especially necessary.
 The second object of proper immigra- ton law ought to be to secure. by a care full, and not merely perfunctory, educa- tional test. some intelligent capacity to appreciate American institutions and act sanely as American citizens. This would not keep out all anarchists. for many of them belong to the intelligent criminal class but 1t would do what is also in point that is, tend to decrease the sum of ignorance. so potent in producing the envy. suspicion, malignant passion and hatred of order out of which anarchistic sentiment inevitably springs. Finally, all persons should be excluded who are be- low a certain standard of economic fit ness to enter our industrial field as com petitors with American labor. There should be proper proof of personal ca pacitv to earn an American living and enough money to insure a decent start under American conditions. This would stop the irtiux of cheap labor and the re- sulting e npetition which gives rise to so much of bitterness In American indus trial life; and it would dry up the springs of the pestilential social conditions in our great cities, where anarchistic organiza- tions have their greatest possibility of growth
 Both the educational and economic tests in wise immigration law should be de- signed to protect and elevate the gen eral body polite and social. A very close supervision should be exercised over the steamship companies which mainly bring over tho immigrants, and they should be held to strict accountability for any infraction of the law.
 Present Tariff System.
 There is general acquiescence in our present tariff system as a national policy The first requisite to our prosperity Is the continuity and stability of this eco homie policy. Nothing could be more un- wise than to disturb the business inter- ests of the country by any general tariff change at this time. Doubt, apprenen- sion, uncertainty are exactly what we most wish to avoid in the interest of our commercial and material well-being. Our experience in the past has shown that sweeping revisions of the tariff are apt to produce conditions closely approaching panic in the business world. Yet 1t Is not only possible but eminently desirable to combine with the stability of our eco homie system a supplementary system of reciprocal benefit and obligation with other nations. Such reciprocity is an in- cident and result of the firm establish ment and preservation of our present eco homie policy. It was specially provided for in the present tariff law.
 Reciprocity must be treated as the
 
 is to see that the protection granted by the tariff in every case where it is need ed Is maintained, and that reciprocity be sought for so far as 1t can safely be done without injury to our home industries. Just how far this is must be determined according to the individual case, remem- ber1ng always that every application of our tariff policy to meet our shifting na- tional needs must be conditioned upon the cardinal fact that the duties must never be reduced below the point that will cover the difference between the labor cost here and abroad. The well-being of the wage earner is a prime consideration of our entire policy of economic legislation. Subject to this proviso of the proper protection necessary to our industrial well-being at home, the principle of re- ciprocity must command our hearty SUD- port The phenomenal growth of our ex- port trade emphasizes the urgency of the need of wider markets and for a liberal policy in dealing with foreign nations. Whatever is merely petty and vexatious in the way of trade restrictions should be avoided. The customers to whom we dispose of our surplus products in the long run, directly or indirectly, purchase these surplus products by giving up some thing in return. The ability to purchase our products should. as far as possible, be secured by so arranging our tariff as to enable us to take from them those products which we can use without harm to our own industries and labor, or the use of which will be of marked benefit to us.
 It is most important that we should maintain the high level of our present prosperity. We have now reached the point in the development of our inter- ests where we are not only able to sup