Fergus County Democrat., 1912-09-10
WILSON MAKES GREAT
LABOR DAY ADDRESS
DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CAN.
DIDATE EXPLAINS POSI-.
TiON ON ISSUES.

WOUUTOW WlISOu COuoy oAoAy ECU SAO
third party platform in it's relation to
the laboring man. The occasion of his
speech was labor day celebration un.
der the auspices of the United Trades
and Labor council.
1t was the first expression from the
democratic candidate on the merits of
the progressive platform. The COVER
nor said that while on the one hand
was to be found there warm SYM
pathy with practically every project
of social betterment," that part was
merely "a proclamation of sympathy"
while the real program lay elsewhere
where the tariff and the trusts are
spoken Of
The governor assailed the minimum
wage idea, declaring that employers
would take occasion to bring their
wage scale as nearly as they could
down to the level of the minimum per-
mitted by the law.
With the idea of a federal commits.
sion to regulate monopoly the COVER
nor took emphatic issue. He declared
that the plans suggested not only
would legalize monopoly, but give the
chief employers of the country tire
mendous authority behind them
What the employers do will have
the license Of the federal govern
ment, including the right to pay
wages approved by the government"
said Governor Wilson.
He pointed out that it always had
been the policy of masters of the con-
sOlidated industries" to undermine or
or,iun Lob In,
and that plan of federal control as
advocated by the new party "sys-
tematically subordinates workingmen
to mOnopolies" and looks strangely
like economic mastery over the very
lives and fortunes Of those who do the
daily work of the nation"
Continuing, Governor Wilson said in
part:
Intelligent workingmen will ask the
men now seeking 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 basis
of all our life.
Answers Turn on Tariff.
Most of the answers they get will
turn upon the question of tariff duties,
from which our politicians never seem
able to get away On the other hand,
they will be told that if the democrats
get into power they may look to see
industry languish and wages go down
and employment become harder and
harder to find. They forget that DEM
ocrats constitute something like half
the nation; that democrats are en-
gagged in occupations of every kind,
depend upon all sorts of business for
their livlihood, share in every enter
prise of the country. 1t may safely be
taken for granted that democats are
not going to destroy themselves eco
nOmically.
'These uncomfortable predictions
come both from the old-line republi-
cans and from those republicans of
the new departure who are seeking
to build up third party of their own.
From republicans Of the old line these
forecasts of disaster were to be ex-
pected. They have long been their
stock in trade, but they were hardly
to have been expected from those who
had cut themselves loose from the old
er connections and who were boldly
working to make new things out of
old. And yet the predictions of the
leaders of the new party are as alarm
ing as the predictions of the veriest
standpatters. There is stimulating
breath of hope in every part of the
platform of the new party, except that
which touches the tariff and the trusts.
In fact, there is this very singular
feature about the platform of the new
party. 1t has two sides and two tones.
1t speaks warm sympathy with prac-
tlcally every project of social better
ment to which men and women of
broad sympathies are now turning
with generous purpose, and on that
side 1t is refreshing to read But that
is not the part of the platform that
reads like program. 1t is procla-
nation OF sympathy, rather an indica-
tion of the direction in which the lead
ers OF the party would fain sometime
move. The program lies elsewhere
where the tariff is spoken of and the
trusts. In that portion of the docu-
ment there is an air of business and
very definite indication of what is
intended to be done and by what
means.
The Roosevelt Program.
IL may De interpreted In the light
OF some interesting things Mr.. Roose-
welt has recently said. Mr.. Roosevelt
declares his devoted adherence to the
principle of protection. He declares
he is not troubled by the fact that a
very large amount of money is taken
out of the pocket of the general tax
payer and put into the pocket of Ger.
tain classes of protected manufactur.
ers, but that he is concerned that Sc
little of this money gets into the
pockets of the employees. | have
searched his program very thoroughly
for an indication of what he expects
to do in order to see to it that a larger
proportion of this prize money gets
into the pay envelope and l have
found only one suggestion.
There is plank in the program
which speaks of establishing a mini
mum or living wage, for women work
ers, and l suppose that we may as
sumo that the principle is not in the
1On0 r,ln vnnout tn ho cnnRda1 1T.