Imperial Valley press., 1912-08-06
ROOSEvELTS SPEECH
[CONTINUED FROM PAGE TWOl

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| state to inquire into wages paid in
various industries and to determine
the standard which the public ought
| to sanction as a minimum; and we be-
! lieve that, as a present installment of
what we hope for in the future, there
should be at once established in the
nation and its several states minimum
standards for wages of women, taking
the present Massachusetts law as a
basis from which to start and on
which to improve
| 1T is abnormal for any industry to
| throw back upon the community the
| human wreckage due to it's wear and
| tear, and the hazards of sickness, ac-
cldent, invalidism, involuntary unem-
ployment and old age should be pro.
vlded for through insurance. This
should be made a charge in whole or
IL part upon the industries, the en-
| ployer, the employe, and perhaps the
! people at large, to contribute several
| ly in some degree. Wherever such
standards are not met by given estab-
lishments, by given industries, are un-
provided for by a legislature, or are
baked by unenlightened courts. the
workers are in jeopardy, the progress
siVe employer is penalized, and the
community pays a heavy cost in les
sened efficiency and in misery. What
Germany has done in the way of old
age pensions or insurance should be
studied by us, and the system adapted
10 our uses, with whatever modifica-
| tions are rendered necessary by our
dlferent ways of life and habits of
thought.
The Farmer
There is no body of our people
whose interests are more ineXtricahlv
lnterwoven with the interests of all
the people than is the case with the
farmers. The country life commits
sion should be revived with greatly
increased powers; its abandonment
was a severe blow to the interests of
our people. The welfare OF the farm
er is basic need of this nation. I;
Is the men from the farm who in the
past nave taken the lead in every
great movement within this nation.
Wnelher IN time of war or in time of
peace 1t is well to have our cities
prosper, but it is not well if they pros
per at the expense of the country.
am glad to say that in many sections
OF our country there has been an ex
traordlnary revival of recent years in
lnleIllgent interest in and work for
those who live in the open country.
IN this movement the lead must be
taken by the farmers themselves: but
our people as whole, through their
governmental agencies, should back
the farmers
Control of the Trusts
The present conditions Of business
cannot be accepted as satisfactory.
mere are too many who do not pros
per enough, and of the few who pros
per greatly there are certainly some
whose prosperity does not mean well
Tor the country. Rational Progress
slves, no matter how radical. are well
aware that nothing the government
can do VIII make some men prosper.
and we hardly approve the prosperitv
no matter how great, of any man. if
1t comes as an incident to rendering
service TO the community: but ve
wish to shape conditions SO that =
greater number of the small men who
are decent, industrious and energetic
snail be able to succeed. and so that
the Dig man who is dishonest shall
not be allowed to succeed at all.
our aim is to control business. not
10 strangle it-and, above all not to
continue policy of make believn
strangle toward big concerns that do
EVIL, and constant menace toward botb
Dig and little concerns that do well
Inc Democratic platform offers
hothlng IN the way of remedy for
present industrial conditions excent
Hrst, the enforcement of the anti-trusy
law IN fashion which. if words mean
anything, means bringing business +,
a standstill; and, second the insi.-
teice upon an archaic construction of
the states rights doctrine in thus deal
ing with interstate commerce-an in
sistence which, in the first place 10
the most fragrant possible violation If
.he constitution to which the men,
DerS OF the Baltimore convention as-
sert thelr devotion, and which. in the
next place, nullifies and makes an
empty pretense of their first state
ment
me antitrust law should be kent
On the statute books and strengthened
SO as 10 make it genuinely and thor
oughly effective against every big CON
Germ tending to monopoly or guilty. of
ahtI-soclal practices. At the Same
tifhe' a national industrial commits
SION should be created which sbould
nave complete power to regulate and
control all the great industrial con
Germs engaged in interstate business
winch practically means all of them
IN this country.
very much wish that legitimate
BUSINESS would no longer permit itself
70 pc frightened by the outcries of
iiegltlmate business into BELIEVING
that they have any community inter'
est. ih'ei-
The Tariff
DeHeVe in protective tariff
oul Delleve in it as a princinle an.
proached from the standpoint of tho
interests OF the whole people. and NOT
q bundle of preferences to be given to
favored individuals. In nv opinion
the American people favor the nrin'
clple of a protective tariff. but tbev
desire such a tariff to be established
primarily In the interests of the wage
worker and the consumer. The chief
opposition to our tariff at the present
moment comes from the general CON
Vlctlon that certain interests have
oeen Improperly favored by over pro
lection. ] agree with this view.
, High Cost of Living
There can be no more imnortant
question than the high cost of living
necessities. The main purpose of the
.IosresslVe movement is to place the
ArEla aVtx..