The Detroit times., 1912-08-30


have been conducting II along the
Z lines laid down by Hamilton. Hamil-
ton believed that the common run OF
men had butt little qualification for
such business. that II could be readi-
ly comprehended and wisely directed
only by those who led in commercial
and Industrial enterprises and owned
I the chief bodies property In the
country. And In our time the leaders
! OF the Republican party have con-
sciously or unconsciously adopted his
notion.
They were the trustees, We were
their wards and took part In the COM
mon life as they planned and direct
ed. What went on in the trustees
meetings We were very seldom allow
ed TO learn-learned indeed only by
impertinent inquiry, only by congress
sional Investigations or trials In court,
which the trustees complained sadly
lnterfered with the regular course OF
business.
I'VE have not vet got tn the end OK
the inquiry, but We have found out
enough now 10 make II certain that
We shall change the whole method
and spirit OF conducting our govern
ment.
Probably nobody has been deceiv.
ed by the trustees, under this method
OF management which is to end on the
fourth OF March next, more than the
farmer. II Is hard to see where his
partnership was recognized at all. IL
is true that low tariff duties were es-
tablished on many products OF the
farm, but nobody has In our time
seriously feared that the farmers OF
other countries would successfully
compete In the food markets OF the
United States with our own farmers
at home.
The defenders OF our high protec-
tive tariff have often laughed very
condescendingly at those who MADE
themselves champions OF the con-
Isumer' and have maintained with
livery straight face that no such per.
sons as consumers could be picked
lout. We were all producers they said,
land a tariff intended TO protect pro-
lducers was for the benefit OF all OF
US. But II they really want TO see
great body OF consumers l commend
them to look upon the farmers OF the
United States-
Mr.. Roosevelt has proclaimed HIM
self ! convert To the protective policy
land has said that while he admitted
that no doubt some duties were too
high on the whole the policy pursued
Inv Republican administrations had
been received under that system oy
1.-THE manufacturers OF the country was
Legitimate booty, The analogy ID
VERY interesting one. Prize money Is
generally acquired by capture and
mot by any process Of earning, but
Mr.. Roosevelt says that his only OBJ
lection to the system Is that too much
Iof the prize money remains In the
Hands OF the officers and too little
of il is distributed to the crew. The
point I wish TO raise is from whom
is the prize money taken? 1 suspect
that a vast proportion Of II comes
out OF the pockets Of the farmer, for
/ see In him that great helpless class
the unbeneflted consumer.
This great ineQuity involves an
enormous disadvantage TO the nation
for the farmer surely Is one OF the
fundamental. general partners OF
every government II is a Significant
Thing that the petition give Us this
day our daily bread comes frst
among the petitions OF the Lords
prayer" ,t
The. present Democratic congress
had the old-fashioned idea OF govern
ment. They suppos that its benefits
and projections were TO be distributed
and introduced and passed bill
! known as the farmers free list Dill.
| But such changes did not comport
with the ideas and plans OF the trus-
] tees, and the president vetoed the free
/ list. / dare say he was right from his
point OF view, for he represented the
| trustees and not the people.
The trustees represent also the big
bankers and no Republican admins
| tration has attempted TO serve the
| farmer as he ought 10 be served In
| the matter. OF credits II Is pracu-
cally. impossible for the farmer TO bor-
row on the kind of securities demand
| ed at the banks.
The merchants constitute another
| large class OF consumers. Their In
Iterest to see trade quickened and va
ried, and they are the natural allies
OF the farmer SO are the manufac-
turers. II they but saw the real limita-
tons within which they are pent up.
IL our markets are not multiplied and
our doors are not thrown open, ! do
not see how the farmers and the most
OF the rest Of us are to avoid being
overwhelmed by the rising tide OF do
mestic prices. Prices are rising In
high tariff countries, but not In low
tariff countries.
And II the farmer is indeed part
rer with the rest Of Us. We shall give
him good roads and better transpor-
tation. and we shall link the markets
and the fields together In every pos
sible way.
I'VE are getting that sense Of social
res possibility without which no gov
eminent Il enlightened and no people
free. We intend not only to see that
men are dealt with justly. but that
they are helped humanely. that the
children are not suffered to stunt their
| growth by untimely labor. that women
are shieided against carrying too long
the cruel burden OF modern Industrial
work that men and women alike are
restricted to reasonable hours OF la
Dor, that their strength Is safeguarded
by proper sanitation, and that their
lives are protected from injury by
every device which can make their
occupations safe"