The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1904-09-15
KEPUBLICAN ISSUES.
Candidate Roosevelt OH Labor and
Capital, Agriculture and Other Issues.

AS for what our opponents say in
reference to capital and labor, indi-
vidual or corporate, here again all we
need by way of answer is to point to
what we have actually done, and to
say that If continued in power we shall
continue to carry out the policy we
have been pursuing, and to execute
the laws as resolutely and fearlessly in
the future as we have executed them
lin the past.
He then quotes from his speech of
acceptance on this subject in which
he affirmed that the solution of this
problem lies in the incubation of the
spirit of honesty, of courage, and of
common sense.
The treatment of United States citi-
zeus abroad, the question of the size
of the standing army and the civil
service are treated with characteristic
vigor.
The President treats the subject of
the tariff exhaustively, comparing the
records of the Republican and Demo-
cratic parties with regard to it, and
paying particular attention to the
Democratic assertions that protection
is robbery OF reciprocity he says !:
"Onr opponents assert that they be-
lieve in reciprocity. Their action on
the most important reciprocity treaty
recently negotiated-that with Cuba
does not bear out this asse1 ton.
Moreover, there can be no reciprocity
unless there is substantial tariff I;
free trade and reciprocity arc not
compatible. We are ON record as fav-
oring arrangements for reciprocal
trade relations with other countries,
these arrangements TO be on an equit-
able basis of benefit to both the con-
tracing parties The Republican
party stands pledged to every wise and
consistent method of increasing the
foreign commerce of the country.
That it has kept its pledge is proven
by the fact that while the domestic
trade of this country exceeds in vol
ume the entire export and import
trade of ell the nations of the world,
the United States has in addition Sc
cured more than an eighth of the ex-
port trade of the world, standing first
among the nations in this respect.
The United States has exported DUR
ing the last seven years nearly ter
billions of dollars worth of goods
on an average half as much again an
nually as during the previous four
years, when many of our people were
consuming nothing but necessaries,
and some of them scanty supply
even of these. 1t is matter
of regret that the protective tariff
policy, which, during The last forty
odd years, has become part OF the
very fiber of the country, is not now
accepted al defini tely established.
Surely we have right to say that it
has passed beyond the domain of
theory, and right to expect that not
only it's original advocates, but those
who at one time distrusted it on the
oretic grounds, should now acqiesce
in the results that have been proved
over and over again by actual expert
ence. These forty odd years have
been the most prosp 3rous years this
nation has ever SEEM more prosper
GUS years than any other nation has
ever seen. The farmer has
benefited quite as much as the manu-
tscturer the merchant, and the wage
worker. The most welcome and inn
pressive fact established by the last
census Is the wide and even distribu-
ton of wealth among all classes of
our ccuntrymen. The chief, agencies
in produ cling this distribution are
shown ny the census to be the develop
ment of manufactures, and the APP
plicatlons of new inventions to uni
verssl use. The result has been an
increasing interdependence of agricul-
E,o trv1tt rea
is now, as it always has been, the
basis of civilization. The six million
farms of the United States, operated
by men who, as class, are steadfast,
single minded, and industrious, form
the basis of ali the other achievements
of the American people and are more
fruitful than ell their other resources.
The men on those six million farms
receive from the protective tariff
what they most need, and that is the
best of all possible markets. All
other classes depend upon the farmer,
but the farmer in turn depends upon
The market they furnish him for his
produce. The annual output of our
agricultural products is nearly four
billions of dollars. Their increase in
value has. been prodigious, although
agriculture has languished in most
other countries and the main factor in
this increase is the corresponding in
crease nf our manufacturing indus
tries. American farmers have pros
pered because the growth of their
market has kept pace with the growth
of their farms"
The Democratic charge of increased
is treated briefly and to
the point. Detailed attention is
given to the Philippine question.
After rehearsal of the effects of
the islands the letter
says:
During the last five years more
has been done for the material aud
moral well-being of the Filipinos
than ever before since the islands first
came within the ken of civilized man.
We have opened before them vista
of orderly development in their own
interest, and not policy OF exp'oita-
ton. Every effort is beng made to
fit the islanders for sell -Poye gument,
and they have already IN large meas
ure received it, while tor the first
time in their history their personal
rights and civil liberties have been
Thav ara hainp aducatad