The Washington times. (Washington [D.C.]) 1901-1902, 1902-10-31
Continued From First Page.)

| people in the United States are climb
| ing up above the hard conditions OF rcv-
erty which have been the rule IN the
worlds life, into general comfort and IL
dependence to degree never before
known; that our prosperity is sound and
wholesome. and that courage and hope
are justified. rather than despondency."
Power and Dignity of Labor.
The Secretary dwelt at length on the
increasing power and dignity of labor.
The Industrial history of the last half
century was history frst of the steady
increase of productive power and second
only to that of the continual struggle
between these four interests-the brains,
the capital, the laborer, and the con-
sumer-to secure what each considers
to be fair share Of the benefits of the
increased wealth. zGdiual -
That struggle. he said, would continue
SO long as the increase of productive
power and the added increments Of
wealth that come from that increase
continue. Capital and brains always
got the advantage at first. But our in
dustrial history shows that the laborer
and the consumer slowly but surely
wrest their share of the advantages from
capital and secure it for themselves.
Mr.. Root gave statistics showing that
wages had been doubled in fifty years;
that the return on capital was lessened
by thirds, and that food and cloth
ing were cheaper.
Remedy for Trust Evils.
AS to remedy for trust evils, he said:
THE Republican party proposes to
follow this course; to regulate and curb
and suppress the bad trusts rather than
destroy the good and the bad together.
and with them. the prosperity which
brings such beneficial results to all our
country. The only Federal law to ac-
complish this result-the Sherman act
was passed by a Republican Congress
against Democratic opposition.
The Coal Strike.
OF President Roosevelt's part in set
tling the coal strike. Mr.. Root said:
When our President, In his brave and
direct way. acting out of his deep feel
ing for the needs of his people, under
took to get coal for them against the
coming winter by urging the substitu-
tion OF peace for war In the anthracite
region, Mr.. Hill. in New York. and Mr..
Olney. in Boston, condemned him. But
/ have an idea that the people of the
country do not agree with them: and
have an idea also that his action will
prove In the end to have resulted not
merely in getting the coal, but in max
ing a valuable contribution to the peace
full and reasonable process of develop
ment have been describing
Mr. Root then considered the Demo-
through tariff revision. He found little
good in 1t. because any tariff revision en-
gineered by the Democrats would mean
the destruction of the protective tariff
To hit at the trusts by tariff revision
would be to destroy the trusts by drag
ging them down in the general ruin.
"If the duties which protect trust
made articles he said, ARE unreason-
ably high then they ought TO be reduced
as to all the producers without any ref
erence TO the question whether they are
made by the trusts or not and IL the
duties are reduced as to any OF the pro-
ducers they must be as to all" Con-
tinuing, he said:
The Effect of Competition
"A little study of the course of busi-
ness in the country leaves no doubt that
it will take care of itself. Capital may
combine for the moment all the produc-
tive plants OF the country and so for
the moment monopolize the market.
But American competition Immediately
commences the construction of new
plants.
THE country Is too big, raw material
is too plentiful, the market is too wide,
our wealth is too great. our people are
too enterprising for any one concern to
monopolize the field If there is fair
play.
"The United States Steel Company was
supposed to be an overwhelming monop-