The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1902-12-04

BILE to ratify the pending treaties, and II
there seem to be no warrant for the en-
deavor to execute others, or to amend
the pending treaties so that they can be
ratified, then the same end-to secure
eciprocity-should be met by direct
legislation.
Whenever the tariff conditions are such
that a needed change can not with ad-
vantage be made by the application OF
the reciprocity idea, then it can be made
outright by a. lowering of duties on a
given product.
The cases in which the tariff can pro-
duce a monopoly are so few as to con-
stitute an inconsiderable factor in the
question; but of course if in any case
it be found that a given rate of duty
does promote a monopoly which works
i'll. no protectionist would object to such
reduction of the duty as would equallze
competition
In nv Judgment, the tariff on anthra-
cite coal should be removed, and anth-
racite put actually, where it now is NOM
inaIly, 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.
immigration Law Needed.
I again call your attention to the need
of passing a proper immigration law,
covering the points outlined in my mes
present Congress; substantially such a
bill as passed the House.
Labor and Capital.
How to secure fair treatment alike for
labor and capital, how to hold in check
the INSCRIPTIONS man, whether employer
or employe, without weakening individ-
ual initiative, without hampering and
cramping the industrial development of
the country, is a problem fraught with
great difficulties and one which it is of
the highest importance to solve on lines
of sanity and far-sighted common sense
as we'll as of devotion to the right
This is an era of federation and combin-
alton. Exactly as business men find they
must often work through corporations
to grow larger, so it is often necessary
for laboring men to work through fedora
tions, and these have become important
factors of modern industrial life.
Both kinds of federation, capitalistic
and labor, can do much good. and as
necessary corollary they can both do evil
Opposition to each kind of organization
should take the form of opposition to
whatever is bad in the conduct of any
given corporation or union-not of at
tacks upon corporations as such nor upon
unions as such; for some of the most
far-reaching beneficent work of our peo-
pie has been accomplished 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 interest of each must be
brought into harmony with the interest
of the general public; and the conduct
OF each must conform to the fundamental
rules of obedience to the law of indi-
vidual freedom and of justice and fair
dealing toward all. Each should remem-
Der that in addition to power it must
strive after the realization of healthy,
lofty and generous ideals.
Every employer, every wage-earner,
must be guaranteed his liberty and his
right to do as he likes with his property
or his labor so long as he does not in
fringe upon the rights of Others 1t is
of the highest Importance that employer
and employee alike should endeavOr to
appreciate 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 attitude of sour
hostility and distrust toward the other.
Few people deserve better of the coun-
try than those representatives both of
capital and labor-and there are many
such-who work continually to bring
about a good understanding of this kind,
based upon wisdom and upon broad and
hluuly sympathy DSIWc6n employers anu
employed. Above ALL we need to remem-
Der that any kind of class animosity in
the political world is, If possible, more
wicked, even more destructive to national
welfare, than sectional, race or religious
animosity.
We can get good government only upon
condition that We keep true to the prin-
ciples upon which the nation was found
ed, and Judge each man not as a part of
al h,f mr. vi orb c
All that we have a right to ask of any
man, rich or poor, whatever his creed,
his occupation, his birthplace or his res
idence, is that he shall act well and hon
orably by his neighbor and by his coun-
try.
We are neither for the rich man as
such nor for the poor man as such; we
are for the upright man, rich or poor.
So far as the constitutional powers of the
national government touch these matters
of general and vital moment to it's ma
ton, they should be exercised in confor-
nifty with the principles above set forth.
Cuban Reciprocity.
I hope soon to submit to the Senate a
reciprocity treaty with Cuba. On May 20
last the United States kept it's promise
to the island by formally vacating Cuban
soil and turning Cuba over to those whom
her own people had chosen as the first
officials of the new Republic.
Cubt lies at our doors, and whatever af-
fects her for good or for i'll affects us
also. So much have our people felt this
that in the Plat amendment we definitely
took the ground that Cuba must hereafter
have closer political relations with us
than with any other power
Thus in a sense Cuba has become part
of our international political system.
This makes 1t necessary that in return
she should be given some of the benefits
of becoming part of our economic sys-
tenn. 1t Is, from our own standpoint, a
short sighted and mischievous policy to
fail to recognize this need.