The evening world., 1912-09-02
Minimum Wage Scale a Dan
gerOus Plank That Gives
Power TO Employers.
TRUSTS ARE FAVORED.
Federal Control Proposed Is
the Perkins-Gary Plan Ad-
vocated in Washington.

BUFFALO. N. y. Sept. Gov.
woodrow Wilson to-day analysed tho
third party platform In its relation
TO the laboring man. The occasion Of
his speech was . Labor Day celebra-
ton under the auspices of the United
Trades and Labor Council. II was the
first expression from the Democratic
candidate on the merits OF the pro-
gressive platform. The Governor said
that. while on the one hand was to be
found there warm sympathy with
practically every project of social bet
terment," that part was merely "a
proclamation OF sympathy" while the
real programme lay elsewhere, where
the tariff and the trusts are spoken
Of"
The Governor assailsd the minimum
ware idsa, declaring that employers
would take occasion to bring their
wage scale - nearly ~ they could
down to the level Of the minimum
permitted By law.
mission 20 regulate monopoly, the
Governor took smphatao issue. he de-
oisrsd that the plan sugvsstsd not only
would isssiiss monopoly but give the
chief employers OF the country tire
msndous authority behind thsm."
What the employers do will have
the license of the Federal Government,
including the right to pay wages APP
proved by the Government, declared
Gov. Wilson. He pointed out that It
always had been the policy OF tine
masters Of consolidated Industries" to
undermine organized labor in q great
many ways. and that a plan Of Federal
control as advocated by the new party
'looks strangely like economic mastery
over the very lives and fortunes OF
those who do the daily work of the
nation"
WoRklNoMEN WILL ASK THE
MAIN QUESTION.
Intelligent workingmen." said the
Governor, will ask the men now seek
| Ing their votes what they may be
| expected to do for them. l do not
mean for them separately. but what
they may be expected to do for the
country which will entitle them to the
confidence OF those who perform the
daily labor which lies at the bases OF
all our life.
Most OF the answers they get will
turn upon the question Of tariff duties.
from which our politics never seem
able to get away. On the one hand.
they will be told that II the Dem
ocratic party gets into power they
may look to see industry. languish. and
| wages go down. and employment De-
come harder and harder to ind.
"They forget that Democrats con-
stitute something like half the nation
that Democrats are engaged In occu-
pations OF every kind. depend upon all
sorts of business for their livelihood
share in every interest and enterprise
of the country. 1t may safely DC
taken for granted that Democrats are
not going to destroy themselves econ
omically.
These uncomfortable predictions
come both from the old-line Republi-
cans and from those Republicans OF the
new departure who are scoring 70 pui'o
up q third party Of their own. From
Republicans OF the old line these fore
casts of disaster were to be expected
They have long been their stock II
trade. But they were hardly to hav'
been expected from those who had cu'
themselves loose from the older connec
tons and who were boldly working te
make new things out OF old.
And yet the predictions of the lead
ers of the new party are AS alarming al
the predictions OF the veriest standpat
ter. There Is the stimulating breath Of
hope In every part OF the platform Of
the new party. except that which
touches the tariff and the trusts.
PLATFORM HAS TWO SIDES ANr
TWO TONES,
in fact, there Is this very singular
feature about the platform OF the new
marty: 1t has two sides and two tones
1t speaks warm sympathy with practi
cally every project OF social bettermen
to which men and women OF broad sym
pathles are now turning with gener
GUS purpose. and on that side 1t Is re
freshing to read.
"But that Is not the part OF the plat