The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-08-07

ing to local conditions but should be
sufficiently high to make morality pos
sible and to provide for education re-
creation. proper care of the children,
maintenance during sickness, and rea-
son saving for old age; excessive hours
of labor should be prohibited for all
wage-workers, and night labor OF wo-
men and children should be forbidden;
one day of rest in seven should be pro-
yided by law. continuous twenty-four-
hour labor should be divided into
three shifts OF eight hours by law;
tenement house manufacture should be
entirely prohibited, and labor camps
should be subject to governmental
sanitary regulation; all industries en-
ploying women and children should
be specially subject to government in
spection and regulation; insurance
funds against sickness. accident, in
validism and old age should be estab-
lished by charge either in whole
or In part upon the industries; the
suffrage should be granted to women.
II for no other reason, to enable work
ingwomen to combine for their own
protection by the use of the ballot.
LAS a people we cannot afford to let
any group of citizens or any individual
citizen labor under conditions which
are injurious 10 the common welfare.
Industry. therefore, must submit to
such public regulation as will make
It a means of life and health, not of
death or ineficiency."
The Farmer.
THE country life commission
should be revived with greatly in
creased powers: it's abandonment was
a severe blow to our people. The vel
fare OF the farmer is a basic need
of this nation The country school
should be brought in touch with
country life. For this reason the pro-
gressives approve of government co.
operation with the farmer to make
the farm more productive. Co-operd
tive associations Of farmers both for
the production and the selling of
agricultural products should be en-
couraged. $50 long as the farmer
leaves cooperative activities with
their profit-sharing to tho city man
of business, so long will she founda
tons of wealth be undermined and
the comforts OF enlightenment be i'm
possible in the country communities.
The Tariff.
on the tariff he says: Il believe in
a protective tariff. but / believe in
IL as a principle approached from a
standpoint Of the interests Of the
whole people, and not as a bundle OF
preferences to be given favorite in
dividuals." He believes the American
people favor the principle OF pro-
tective tariff, but are in rebellion
against the wrongdoing and unjust
application OF that policy and the
abuses In past legislation. 'Jt Is not
merely the tariff that should be re-
vised, but the method Of tariff MAX
Ing and Of tariff administration.
The first steps should be the
creation Of a permanent commission
of non partisan experts of ample
powers to secure exact and re-
liable information" The present
tariff board is entirely inadequate in
point Of powers reposed in it and
scope of work undertaken" The
tariff commission in Germany affords
a splendid model. This commission
must scientifically determine the diff
ference in the cost Of production here
and abroad" the effect on prices to
the consumer" insure full justice 10
the pay envelope Of the wage Garner.
The commission must not attempt to
encroach on the tariff ma king power
OF congress. 1t shall report with full
publicity and promptly. The tariff
shall be revised schedule by schedule
to avoid the staggering blows to
business incident to former general
reyisions. The effect will be to wipe
out the 'iog-rolling and yote-trading''
secured by special interests in the
past, only by this means can the
tariff be taken out of politics" THE
substitution of tariff for revenue
only as proposed by the Democra Il.
platform would plunge this country
into tho most widespread industrial
depression we have ever seen" The
revision shall D. downward and not
upward and secure n square dea' not
ner, " to the fnanufa cturer. but -
The wage worke" and to the gene:;I
cC nsutn@r.
The Htri, osf of Living.
The high cost of living" says Mi.
Roosevelt. has risen during the last
few years out of all proportion TO the
increase OF most salaries and wages
What Is frs necessary is fearless,
intelligent and searching inquiry into
the whole subject, made absolutely of
n non partisan body Of experts with
no prejudice To warp their minds
no private object 10 ser9c. who shall
recommend any Necessary remedy
needless Of what interest may he hurt
thereby, and caring only for the in
terests of the people as a whole" The
Republicans promise such an inquiry.
but their rank dishonesty Of action
Al the Chicago convention makes
their e. ery- promise worthless 1t is
hopeless TO turn to the Democratic
party for relief. because. first. the
Democratic party affects to find the
entire high cost of living in the tariff. y
ignoring the patent fact that the
problem is worldwide. equally press
ing in free trade England and in
highly protected Germany. Moreover.
II the Democrats are sincere, they
must take all duties off the products
Of the farmer. and We certainly can
not afford to have the farmer struck
down" Various elements. economic
political and social. are pointed ont
by MIR. Roosevelt as contributing to
the high cost of living. Bat e+fee~
tive legislation regarding IL can only
BE framed on comprehensive scale
after thorough. scientific and
prompt inquiry
The Currency.
Mr.. Roosevelt declares that our
present bank currency based on gov
e-nment bonds Is unscientific, aud
urges the adoption OF system which
shall provide elasticity in the credit
and currency necessary for the con-