Los Angeles herald., 1907-08-30

should receive as much money for as lit.
lite work as possible. Much recent social.
istic legislation has been in this direc-
ton. Men making laws for themselves
have in many countries enacted statutes
giving minimum wage. and determining
maximum labor day
That for the individual would no
doubt be an excellent Institution, both
for laborers as a whole, for the state
as UNFIT is suicide. How can we still
cling to the belief that every man, sell
fishly seeking his own ends, even IL he
seeks them by means which are on
the right side of the Jaw, will conduce
to the benefit of the community?
THE economists who hold that creed
are fatalists. We know better and we
see that the state may regulate labor so
as to secure benefits for tho state, which
could not he secured by the unchecked
dictates Of greed in the individual We
hold also that the state may so regulate
or modify our relations to other coun-
tries as to conduce to the benefit of the
whole working community This leads
one to consider the curious reason which
has dictated the doctrine that the work
man, knowing what is best for himself,
is also doing what will be best for the
community.
States Freedom
"It seems to be founded on belief in
the incompetence of the state to do
anything in relation to trade. Here, how
ever, we have the valuable lesson of in
ternational law before our eyes. The
freedom of the states from any interna-
tional law or conviction might with as
much reason have been urged as a tenet
as the freedom of the individual from
all state central in the pursuit of his
needs and greeds.
What we are aiming at in relation to
law and commerce is an organized en-
pire, and, If possible. an organized world.
That these would make for peace in the
widest sense, none can doubt. The
larger the unit the less the strife. We
desire to see the organization of the
world, not by the chance called free
trade, but by the wisdom of statesman-
ship in a great and extending commerce
Mutual understandings, treaties, con-
ventions, and even the writings of jurists
are the foundations of the law of ma
lions; so mutual understandings, treaties
and conventions, and even-although here
we have a doubt-the writings of econo-
mists may be made the foundations of
trade. Why should we not
bring about international trade-why
should we not enter into commercial
treaties with foreign nations for the re-
duction of their tariffs?
Concessions Needed
I'm all our International law there has
been mutual concession. So 1t is with our
commercial alliances. We must be pre-
pared to give preferences IL we are to re-
ceive preference; we must be prepaid to
the free entry into our markets
from those who shut the dooor of their
in our faces.
That the achievement of great in
trade by means of such a
policy is possible, 1 believe, and al
though L am by no means convinced
that free trade is absolutely the best
for every nation under all circum
stances, am convinced that freer trade
than the nations now enjoy would be
better for the great nations who are,
even during the soft peace carrying
on the tariff war with one another and
who, while they recognize the evils of
arms, are making their marts fort
resses against the peaceful entrance \of
each others wares and portcullis their
harbors with implacable tariffs"