The Washington times., 1912-09-04

Tor Instance. that 1 am not concerned
with the interests of the general tax
payer, the general public. If he would
take the trouble to read what l have
said or to read our platform, he would
hnd that the commission principle
which we propose. and to which he and
his party are hostile, has for one of
It's special objects the careful considera-
tion of the needs of the general pub
lie. We emphatically disbelieve that
the needs of the general public will ever
century of tariff-making without such q
commission, for experience in nearly a
century Of tariff making without such a
commission has shown that nine-tenths
OF the Congressmen and Senators in
evitably pay heed to special interests in
tartff-making. so that II is a definitely
proved truth that under the system to
which Mr.. Wilson'S party. with his as
sent. is committed, the general public 8
interests will not be considered.
I'VE are advocating the commission
system which has been tried In Ger
many. and which has been one of the
pieces Of governmental and industrial
mechanism that have been so extra
ordinarily successful in building up the
great prosperity of the German empire.
Again. Mr.. Wilson says that I express
the desire that more of the money given
to protected industry should get into
the pay envelope of the workingman,
but that he can only find one sugges-
tion in our platform for accomplishing
our purpose. Which suggestion (af far
Cincinnati Inquirer. that Wilson paper)
Is the minimum wage proposition. II
Mr.. Wilson should read through my
speeches and the platform again. then
he will find that the minimum wage
proposition Is not advanced with refer
ence to the tariff: Our proposition is
concrete and simple, namely, that II In
any protected industry the conditions
Of life and work are not satisfactory
we shall forthwith take the protection
off that industry, and that It shall be
the duty of a Government commission to
oversee the industry and see II the con-
ditions are satisfactory.
Platform Is Sound and Fury"
II believe that If Mr.. Wilson's free
trade policy or tariff for revenue only
policy Is in good faith adopted, and not
merely treated as a campaign cry, wide
spread disaster will result to American
life. But l do not for a moment be-
lieve that a protective tariff by itself
offers in any way or shape the solution
for the economic and social injustice
against which we Progressives are striv-
ing. The Republican platform would
attempt to persuade US that it does
offer such solution, but the facts do not
bear it out; Even less do they bear out
the assertions of Mr. Wilson and the
Democratic platform that free trade or
tariff for revenue only will in even
the smallest degree help in the solution.
AS a matter of fact, our Democratic
opponents know this so well that they
are careful to add weasel phrases to
the statements they make about the
tariff, trying to show that though they
intend to deprive industry of protection,
yet somehow or other they are going
to do it m a way that won't hurt in
dustry; the two statements being, OF
course, contradictory, and being valu-
able only as showing the tnsincerity or
lack of clear thinking of the men max
ing both promises. .
"Mr. Wilson comes out squarely
against our proposal to regulate the
trusts. He has not anything to put In
its place except statement that he
stands by the great Democratic think
ers' who have made the Democratic
the Democratic platform on this sub
ject shows as complete freedom from
thought as any platform that ever was
promulgated. 1t is as nearly pure round
and fury as any platform possibly
can be. The only tangible proposal 1t
makes is to minimize the power OF the
Federal Government and give that
power more to the States. which doc
trine is at the root of most of the
corporations doing an interstate busi-
ness.
"Mr. Wilson Is now governor of New
Jersey and has been such for nearly
two years. If the Baltimore platform
really offers any hope for the trust
solution. why, during these two years
has nothing whatever been done by
New Jersey under Mr.. Wilson's lead OF
even attempted by Mr Wilson in Ne"