Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1905-12-07

In any great labor disturbance not only
are employer and employe Interested. but
Every considcrabie labor dificulty IN
4 which Interstate commerce il involved
| should be investigated by the government
public.
The question OF securing healthy. self
| respecting. and mutually sympathetic at
capitalist and wage-worker. is a difficult
| one. All phases Of the labor problem
prove difficult when approached. But the
underlying principles, the root principles,
in accordance with which the problem
| must be solved are entirely simple We
We must face accomplished facts. and the
principle OF treating man on his worth
as man rather than with reference TO
class to which he belongs. There are
| selfish and brutal men in all ranks OF life.
II they are capitalists their se!fishness
| and brutality may take the form, OF hard
indifference to suffering. greedy disregard
fof every moral restraint which interferes
| with the. accumulation OF wealth, and
| cold blooded exploitation OF the weak; or,
/ IL they are laborers. the form OF laziness
| OF sullen envy OF the more fortunate, and
Of Willingness to perform o deeds Of MUIR i,r,
! as reprehensible In one case as In the
other, and all honest and farseeing men
should join In warning against 1t wherever
| 1t becomes manifest individual capital
| list and individual wage worker, corpora
! ton and union, are alike entitled to the
! obey the law. Moreover, in addition to
| mere obedience to the law. each man.
| IL he be really good citizen. must show
genuine desire to look at any question
| arising between them from the standpoint
| OF that neighbor no less than from his
| own; and TO this end IL Is essential that
| capitalist and wage worker should con-
suit freely one with the other. should each
| strive to bring closer the day when both
shall realize that they are properly part
! ners and not enemies. TO approach the
| questions which inevitably arise between
! them solely from the standpoint which
/ treats each side in the mass as the en-
| envy OF the other side in the mass is both
wicked and foolish. In the past the most
brought about the downfall OF republics
| has ever been the growth OF the class
! spirit. the growth OF the spirit which
| fare OF the public as a whole to the well
| fare OF the particular class TO which he
belongs. This inevitably brings about a
| merits as an individual, but on his posi-
| ton az belonging to certain class In
the community II such i5 spirit gtow Sso %p
| fatal to u.s. as in the past 1t has proved
fatal to every community in which 1t has has
become dominant. Unless we We ,, GoIy
sense OF the great Fundamental
| truth that our concern is with the individual
| ment cannot permanently hold the place
| which 1t has achieved among the nations; The
vital lines OF cleavage among our people do
| not correspond. a3d indeed run at right an
| giles to, the lines OF cleavage which divide
| occupation from occupation, which. divide
| wage workers from capitalists, farmers from
| bankers men OF small means from men OF
large means, men who liye in the towns from
| mon who live in the country; for the vital
| line of cleavage is the line which divides the
| honest man who tries to do we'll by his
neighbor from the dishonest man who does Ill
| by his neighbor In c. ner words, the stand
| ard we shout establish Is the standard
| ~ pa,ck NOT q standard of ton.
| OF means. or Of social position. 1t Is the
| MANS moral quality, his attitude toward the
! great questions which concern all humanity,
| his cleanliness Of life, his power to do his
| duty toward himself and toward others. which
really count; and IL We substitute for the
| standard OF personal Judgment which treats
| each man according to his merits, another
! standard In accordance with which all men
/ o. one class are favored and all men OF an
other class Disseminated against, We shall do
| irreparable damage to the body polite. l be-
lieve that our people are too sane, too self
respecting, too fit for enlargement. ever
| to adopt such an attitude. This government
1 Is not and never shall be government by q
| plutocracy This government Is not and
j never shall be government by mob. II
shall continue to be In the future what IL
| has been in the past, a government based on
the theory that each man, rich or poor. Is to
| ne treated simply and solely on his worth az
a man, that ri his personal and property
| rights are to be safeguarded and that he Ia
| neither to wrong others nor TO suffer wrong
| from others.
| Insurance.
| The great insurance companies afford strik-
| In examples OF corporations whose business
has extended so lar beyond the jurisdiction OF
the states which created them as to pre-
| clude strict enforcement of supervision and
regulation by the parent States. In my last
| annual message l recommended that the
| Congress carefully consider whether the pow
! er OF the Bureau OF Corporations cannot con-
fe to
! have emphasized the importance OF an early
! and exhaustive consideration of this ques-
! ton. to see whether II is not possible TO fur
nish better safeguards than the several
states have been able to furnish against cor
ruption Of the fragrant kind which has been
! exposed.
The Revenues.
Touching the question of tariff and
revenue the views of the President are
as follows:
There Is more need OF stability than of
| the attempt TO attain ideal perfection in
| the methods OF raising revenue; and the
| shock and strain to the business world GER
tain to attend any serious change in these
methods render such change inadvisable IN
less for grave reason. IL is not possible to
lay down any general rule by which to de-
| tCrmne the moment when the reasons for
will outweigh the reasons against such a
cnange. Much must depend, not merely on
the needs, but on the desires, OF the people
as whole; for needs and desires are not nee
essarily Identical OF course no change can
be made on lines beneficial to, or desired
by, one section of one state only. There must
be something like general agreement among
the citizens OF the several states, as repre-
scented in the Congress, that the change is
needed and desired in the interest OF the
people as whole; and there should then be
a sincere, intelligent, and disnterested effort
70 make II In such shape will combine, so
far as possible, the maximum of good 10 the
people at large with the minimum of neces-
sary disregard for the special interests OF
localities or classes. But in time OF peace
the revenue must the average, taking
series OF years together equal the expend /
lures or else the revenues must be increased.
Last year there was deficit. Unless our ex-
penditures can be kept within the revenues
then revenue laws must be readjusted.
1t is as yet too early TO attempt TO outline
what shape such a readJustment should take.
for II is as yet too early to say whether
there will be need for 1t. 1t should be con-
sidered whether II is not desirable that the
against or in favor OF any other nation niaxi-
mum and minimum tariff rates established by
! the Congress, so as 10 secure certain reci-
! procity OF treatment between other nations
and ourselves Having in view even larger
| considerations OF policy than those OF a
purely economic nature. II would, In my
| Judgment, be we'll to endeavor to bring about
| closer commercial connections with the other
people Of this continent. ! am happy to be
abe to announce to you that Russia now
treats US on the most favored nation basis.
Economy in Expenditures.
The necessity for economy and q
rigid scrutiny of appropriations is
made manifest, with this proviso:
YET in speaking OF economy, ! must in no
, | wise be understood as advocating the false
; | economy which IL In the end the worst ex
! travagance. To cut down on the navy, for
instance, would be a crime against the ma
: ton. To fall to push forward all work on
tic Panama canal would be as great folly.
Currency.
The currency question is dealt with
: as follows:
Every consideration OF prudence demand;
tho addition nf al ~ eIae.icify 4.