The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-07-28

anu Will Inc DuSiHcSS oC-
struction that it openly advocates as
a, remedy for present evils. will bring
ABOUT the needed confidence for the
restoration of prosperity.
Republican Doctrine Of Protection.
The Republican doctrine of protec-
ton, as definitely announced by the
hePuohcan convention of this year
ana by previous conventions, is that a
tarin shall be imposed on all imported
products, whether Of the factory, farm
or mine, sufficiently great to equal the
d1nerence between the cost of produc-
ton abroad and at home, and that this
difference should, of course. include
the difference between the higher
wages paid in this country and the
wages paid abroad and embrace a rea-
sonaole profit to the American pro-
Queer A 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
pol1cey of the Republican party per-
manently to continue that standard of
living In 1897 the Dingley tariff bill
was passed, under which we have had,
as already said. a period of enormous
prosperity.
Necessity for Revision of Tariff.
The consequent material develop
ment has greatly changed the condi-
lions under which many articles de-
scrlbed by the schedules of the tariff
are now produced. The tariff in a
number of schedules exceeds the diff
ference between the cost of production
of such articles abroad and at home,
including reasonable profit to the
American PRODUCER. The excess over
that difference serves no useful pur-
pose, but offers a temptation to those
who would monopolize the production
and the sale of such articles in this
country to nrOfjt NV the xooSSive ro @
On the other hand. there are other
schedules in which the tariff is not suf-
nciently high to give the measure of
protection which they should receive
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
a special session with the preliminary
Investigations already begun by the ap-
propriate 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 it's plat
form has not had the courage of it's
previous convictions on the subject of
the tariff, denounced by it in 1904 as
system of the robbery of the many
for the benefit of the few, but it does
declare its intention to change the
tariff with a view to reaching a reve-
nue. basis and thus to depart from the
protective system. The introduction
into power of a party with this avowed
purpose cannot but halt the gradual
recovery from our recent financial de-
preston and produce business disaster
compared with which our recent
panic and depression will seem small
indeed.
Farmer and the Republican Party.
AS the Republican platform says, the
welfare of the farmer is vital to that
of the whole country One of the
strongest hopes or returning prosperity
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 poll
cies of the present administration.
which have most industriously promo
ted all these objects, cannot fail to
commend themselves to his approval:
and it Is difficult to see how with his
intelligent appreciation of the threat
to business prosperity involved in
Democratic success at the polls he can
hearty support to the continuation of
the policies of the present administra-
ton under Republican auspices.
What the Party Has Done for Labor.
We come now to the question of Ia
Dor. One important phase of the poll
cies of the present administration has
been an anxiety to secure for the
an equality of opportuni
ty and such positive statutory protec-
ton as shall place him on a level in
dealing with his employer The Re
publican party has passed an employ
ers' liability act for interstate rail-
roads. and has established an eight
hour law for government employees and
on government construction. The es-
sence of the reform effected by the
former is the abolition of the fellow
servant rule, and the Introduction of
the comparative negligence theory by
which an employee injured in the SER
his right to recover because of slight
negligence on his part. Then there is
the act providing for compensation
for injury to government employees, to-
gether with the various statutes re-
curing safety appliances upon inter-
state commerce railroads for the pro-
lection of their employees, and limit
ing the hours of their employment
These are all instances of the desire of
the Republican party to do justice to
the wage-earner. Doubtless a more
measure for compen-
sation of government employees will be
in the future; the principle in
such cases has been recognized, and in
the necessarily somewhat slow course
of legislation will be more fully en-
bodied in definite statutes.
of Employer and Employe.
The interests of the employer and
the employe never differ except when
1t comes to a division of the joint pro-
fit of labor and capital into dividends
and wages. This must be a constant
source of periodical discussion be-
tween the employer and the employe,
as indeed are the other terms of the
Advantage of Union.
To give to employees their proper po-
sition in such a controversy, to enable
ir,fa In, hal ms