The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1908-08-21

tons under which many articles de-
scribed by the schedules Of the tariff
are now produced. The tariff in a
number of the schedules exceeds the
difference between the cost Of produc-
ton Of such articles abroad and at
home, including reasonable profit to
the American producer. The excess
over that difference serves no useful
purpose, but offers a temptation to
those who would monopolize the pro-
duction and the sale Of such articles
In this country. to profit by the excess
i've rate. On the other hand, there are
other schedules in which the tariff Is
not sufficiently high to give the meas
ure of protection which they should re-
ceive upon Republican principles, and
as to those the tariff should be raised.
A revision of the tariff undertaken
upon this principle, which Is at the
basis OF our present business system.
begun promptly upon the incoming Of
the new administration, and considered
at special session with the prelimi-
nary investigations already begun by
the appropriate committees of the
House and Senate. will make the dis
turbance of business incident to such
q change as little as possible.
Labor and What the Republican Party
Has Done For II.
We come now to the question Of Ia
Dor. One important phase Of the pol
icies of the present Administration has
been an anxiety to secure for the wage
Garner an equality of opportunity and
such positive statutory protection az
shall place him on a level In aeal,a.
with his employer. The Republican
party has passed an employers liabil.
ity act for interstate railroads. and has
established an eight hour law for GOV
eminent employees and on government
construction. The essence of the re-
form effected by the former Is the
abolition Of the fellow-servant rule.
and the Introduction of the compare
tive negligence theory by which an en-
plOyee injured in the service of his
employer does not lose his right to re-
cover because Of slight negligence on
his part. Then there Is the act pro-
viding for compensation for injury to
government employees. together with
the various statutes requiring safety |
appliances upon interstate commerce
railroads for the protection of their
employees, and limiting the hours of |
their employment. These are all in
stances Of the desire Of the Repub-
lican party to do Justice to the wage
Garner. Doubtless a more comprehen.
sive measure for compensation Of gov
eminent employees will be adopted In
the future
To give to employees their proper
position in such controversy, to m
able them &c scs~m-1 hin themselves
against employers L.aaing great cap
its!l, they may well unite, because in
union there Is strength and without 1t |
each Individual laborer and employee |
would be helpless. The promotion Of |
industrial peace through the instru-
mentality of the trade agreement II
often one Of the results Of such union |
when intelligently conducted.
There is large body Of laborers,
however, skilled and unskilled, who
are not organized into unions. Their
rights before the law are exactly the |
same as those Of the union men, and
are to be protected with the same care
and watchfulness.
In order to induce their employer
into a compliance with their request
for changed terms Of employment ;
workmen have the right to strike In q
body. They have right to use such
persuasion as they may, provided it
does not reach the point Of duress, to
lead their reluctant co-laborers to Join
them in their union against their en-
ployer, and they have a right, II they
choose, to accumulate funds to support
those engaged in a strike, to delegate 1
to officers the power to direct the &C
ton of the union, and to withdraw
themselves and their associates from
dealings with. or giving custom to
those with whom they are In contro-
versy.
What Labor Cannot Lawfully Do.
What they have not the right to do
Is to injure their employers property,
to injure their employers business by
use Of threats or methods Of physical