Polk County news-gazette. (Benton, Tenn.) 190?-191?, 1914-07-09

thousand dollars. The expenditure
By 4 candidate for Governor In a prl-
mary contest OF nearly forty thousand
dollars would have been impossible.
There we're also bills carrying out
our pledge 20 promote social and in
dustrial Justice bill. preventing the
employment OF women in manufactur-
ing establishments more than fifty
hours per week. or more than nine
hours per day. Minimum Wage Bill,
and a Child Labor Bill containing the
provisions advocated by the National
Child Labor Association and by all
persons interested in child welfare
a bill which wouL have prevented
the present exploitation OF child labor
in this state. including the disgrace
ful labor Of children under sixteen in
glass factories at night; a bill which
would have been the first step in CIV
ing to all the children of Pennsylvan-
ia what every child is entitled to have,
namely, a right to a time for play,
to the opportunity to grow up strong
In body, and to a mental and physical
training adequate to enable it to meet
the duties and responsibilities of man
hood or womanhood. The restrictions
on the labor of women and children
which the Pennsylvania Progressives
advocated are now on the statute
books OF a majority of the states, and
a number OF western states last year
enacted minimum wage laws.
Finally there were bills calling a
Constitutional Convention to readjust
your constitution to your existing
needs, q matter Of present and press
ing importance. / am informed that
there is practically no measure de-
signed to meet with efficiency a prob
lem of state administration or local.
government that does not run counter
to some clause of your constitution,
drawn as it was over forty years ago
to meet then-existtng, but not present,
conditions.
The Progressive Legislative and Elk
ecutive Committee also endorsed the
Workmens Compensation Bill prepar-
ed by the State Industrial Accident
, Commission, a measure representing
a reform OF vital Importance which
has been very generally adopted in
! all parts of the country and by all the
great Industrial states bordering on
Pennsylvania.
Thus you, the Progressive Party Of
! Pennsylvania, did your utmost to full
fill to the letter all pledges made
prior to the last election. The bills
carrying out. those pledges are not
law today because the State Senate
and the Executive are still in the con-
troll Of the Penrose organization. For,
remember, the organization controlled
by the forces for which Senator Pen
rose and the candidates on the Re-
publican state ticket stand-the same
forces which we fought at Chicago
is solely responsible for defeating this
legislation.
The Progressives have also taken
every possible step to fulfill the pled-
ges made In respect to National
Legislation In their first National Pre-
gressiye Platform.
/ | hold In my hand a pamphlet en-.
! titled, Progressive Congressional
Program" 1t contains some twelve
measures prepared by joint commit
tee of the Progressive members OF
Congress and of the National Legisla-
tive Reference Committee of the Pro-
gressive Party.
commend 1t, of course, to Pro-
gressives. but especially to those who
are trying to make it appear that the
Progressive Party represents merely
sentiment, and not definite, con-
crete measures.
The Progressive Party stands for
protection as regards business man,
farmer ard wege-worker alike. 1t is
@gainst all favoritism to special In
ferests 1t believes that the tariff IS
natter, not CT 'politics, but Of sound
uolic policy, and that it should be
handled in business way. The
schedules should be determined by
knowledge OF facts, not by trading
votes and log-rclling. 1t should be
he result Of the careful Iteration
II a body Of trained men. chosen not
or their political beliefs, but for their
.ypert knowledge of business condi-
ions We T-ocress yes adv ocate the
immediate creation OF non-partlsan
commission with power to propose re.
vision of the tariff rates, schedule by
schedule, treating each case on an In
telligent consideration of its merits,
divorced from favcritism and the fos'
tering OF special interests.
Let US turn now to the progressive
antitrust program. We believe In
cooperation among business men.
among farmers and among wage
workers. Our program is based on
the fundamental proposition that the
State should regard private monopo'
iistic power as contrary " public wei
fare. but that it should never attack
a particular business organization
merely because OF its size. In many
lines OF industry the unit OF social
and economic efficiency in our time
is large unit. What We want Is
business machinery strong and EN-
Gent enough to do our business work.
to supply well and cheaply the daily
needs of 100000 people. We want
that machinery run honestly, fairly