The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-07-28

the wages paid abroad and embrace a
reasonable profit to the American pro-
Queer \ system OF protection thus
adopted and put in force has led to
the establishment OF a rate of wages
here that has greatly enhanced the
standard of living of the laboring man.
1t is the policy of the Republican par
ty permanently to continue that stand
ard of living. In 1897 the Dingley Tar
if Bill was passed. under which we
have had. as already said. a period of
enormous prosperity
Revision of Tariff
The consequent material develop
ment has greatly changed the condi-
tions 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 a 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 ex-
cesslve rate. On the other hand
there are other schedules in which the
tariff is not sufficiently high to give
the measure of protection which they
should receive upon Republican prin-
ciples, and as to those the tariff should
be raised. A revision of the tariff I'M
dertaken upon this principle, which is
at the basis of our present business
system, begun promptly upon the in
coming Of the new administration, and
considered at a special session with
the preliminary Investigations already
begun by the appropriate committees
of the House and Senate, will make
the disturbance of business incident
to such change as little as possible
Democratic Tariff Plan.
The Democratic party in its plat
form has not had the courage of it's
previous convictions ON the subject
of the tariff, denounced by it in 1904
as a system of the robbery of the
many for the benefit of the few, but
it does declare it's intention to change
the tariff with a view to reaching a
revenue basis and thus to depart from
the protective system. The introduc-
ton into power of party with this
avowed purpose cannot but halt the
gradual recovery from our recent fl
nancial depression and produce bust
ness disaster compared with which
our recent panic and depression will
seem small indeed.
The Farmer and G. o. p.
AS the Republican platform says,
the welfare of the farmer is vital to
that of the whole country. One of the
strongest hopes of returning prospect
ty is based on the business which his
crops are to afford. He is vitality inter-
ested in the restraining of excessive
and unduly discriminating railroad
rates, in the enforcement of the pure
food laws, in the promotion of scien-
tific agriculture, and in Increasing the
comforts of country life, as by the ex-
tension of free Rural Delivery. The
policies of the present Administration,
which have most industriously promot-
ed all these objects cannot fail to COM
mend themselves to his approval; and
1t is difficult to see how with his in
telligent appreciation of the threat to
business prosperity involved in Demo
cratic success at the polls he can do
otherwise than give his full and hearty
support to the continuation of the poll
cies of the present Administration un-
der ReDublfcau anSpicac
Labor and the Party.
We come now to the question of la
Dor. One important phase of the poll
cies of the present Administration has
been an anxiety to secure for the wage
Garner an equality of opportunity and
such positive statutory protection as
shall place him on a level in dealing
with his employer. The Republican
party has passed an employers liza
bility act for interstate railroads, and
has established an eight hour law for
government employees and on govern
ment construction. The essence of the
reform effected by the former is the
abolition of the fellow-servant rule.
and the introduction of the compare
employee injured in the service of his
employer does not lose all his right to
recover 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 Republi-
can party to do justice to the wage
Garner. Doubtless a more compre-
hensive measure for compensation of
government employees will be adopted
in the future; the principle in such
cases has been recognized. and in the
necessarily somewhat slow course of
legislation will be more fully embodied
in definite statutes.
Employer and EmpIoye.
The interests of the employer and
the employe never differ except when
it comes to a division of the joint
profit of labor and capital into diyi-
dends and wages. This must be a
constant source of periodical discus
sion between the erpplavar and tho