The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1902-12-11

perts who should approach the subjec
from business standpoint, having il
view both the particular interests af
fectcd and the commercial well-bcin!
of the people as a whole. The ma
chinery for providing such careful in
vestiga!ion can readily be supplied
The executive department has alrcad,
at its disposal methods of collectin!
facts and figures; and If the Congress
desires additional consideration to tha
which will be given the subject by it,
business experts can bo appointed
whose duty it should be to recon
mend action by the Congress aftor
deliberate and scientific examination O
the various schedules as they are af
fected by the changing conditions. Th.
unhurriec. and unbiased report Of this
| commission would show what changes
should be made IN the various sched
ules, and how far these changes coulC
go without also changing the great
prosperity which this country is now
enjoying or upsctting its fixed ccono
mic policy.
The cases in which the tariff can
produce a monopoly arc so few as to
constitute an incOnsiderablc factor in
the question; but Of course if in any
case 1t be found that a given rate of
duty does promote a monopoly which
works ill, no protectionist would OBJ.
ject to such a reduction of the duty az
would cqualizc competition.
In my judgment the tariff on an
thracite coal should be removed and
anthracite put actually, where it now
is nominally, on the free list. This
would have no effect at all save in
crises; but IN crises it might be of
service to the people.
LABOR AND CAPITAL.
How TO secure fair treatment alike
for labor and for capital, how to hold
in check the unscrupulous man,
whether employer or employee, with
out weakening individual initiative,
without hampering and cramping the
industrial development of the country,
is problem fraught with great di0i-
culties and one which it is of the high
est importance to solve on lines of
sanity and far-sightcd common sense,
as well as Of devotion to the right.
This is an era of federation and COM
blnatlon. Exactly as business men
find they must often work through
corporations, and as il is constant
tendency of these corporations to grow
larger, 80 it Is often necessary for
laboring men to work in federatlons,
and theso have become important fac
tors of modern industrial life. Both
kinds of federation, capitalistic and
labor, can do much good, and as a
necessary corollary they can both do
evil. Opposition to each kind Of or
ganization should take the form of op-
position to whatever is bad in tho con-
duct of any given corporation or union
hot of attacks upon corporations as
such nor upon unions as such; for
some Of tho most far reaching benefi-
cent work for our people has been &C.
complished through both corporations
and unions. Each must refrain from
arbitrary or tyrannous interference
with the rights of others. Organized
capital and organized labor alike should
remember that in the long run the in
tercst of each must be brought into
harmony with the interest of the geh-
eral public, and the conduct of each
must conform to the fundamental rules
of obedience to the law, Of individual
freedom. and Of justice and fair deal
ings toward all. Each should remem-
ber that in addition to power it must
strive after the realization of healthy,
lofty and generous ideals. Every en-
ployer, every wage-worker, must be
guaranteed his liberty and his right to
do as he likes with his property or his
labor so long as he docs not infringe
upon the rights of others. 1t is of the
highest Importance that employer and
employee alike should epdeavor to ap-
preciate each the viewpoint of the
other and the sure disaster that will
come upon both in the long run if
either grows to take as habitual an at
titude of sour hostility and distrus
toward the other. Few people deserve
better of the country than those repre-
sentatives both OF capital and labor
and there are many such-Who work
continually to bring about good un-
derstanding of this kind, based upon
wisdom and upon broad and kindly
sympathy between employers and en-
ployed. Above all, we need to re-
member that any kind of class AMI
mostly in the political world is, if
possible, even more wicked, even
more destructive to national sAxelfarc
than sectional, race or religious AMI
mostly. We can get good govern
mont only upon condition that we
keep true to the principles upon which
this nation was founded, and judge
each man not as part of a class, but
upon his individual merits. All that
we have right to ask of any man
rich or poor, whatever his creed, his
occupation, his birthplace, or his resi-
dence, Is that he shall act well anc
houorably by his neighbor and by his
country. We are neither for The rich
man as such nor for the poor man as
such; we are for the upright man, rlct
or poor. So far as the constitutions
powers of the National Government
touch these matters of general anC
vital moment to the nation thew should