The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1916-09-05

labor as a mere commodity to market,
were subject TO restraint by novel and
drastic process in the courts, were
without assurance of compensation for
industrial accidents, without federal
assistance in accommodating labor dis
| putes and without national aid or ad-
vice In finding the places and the in.
dustrles in which their labor was mnst
needed. The couatry had no national
system of road construction and de-
velopment. Little intelligent attention
was paid to the army and not enough
10 the navy. The other republics of
America distrusted us, because they
found that we thought first of the
| profits of American investors and only
as an afterthought of impartial justice
and helpful friendship. Its policy was
provincial In all things: It's purposes
were out Of harmony with the temper
and purposes of the people and the
timely development of the nations In
terests.
Party Has Redeemed Promises.
So things stood when the Democratic
party came into power How do they
stand now? Alike in the domestic field
and in the wide field of the commerce
of the world, American business and
life and industry have been set free
to move as they never moved before.
The tariff has been revised, not on
the principle of repelling foreign trade,
but upon the principle of encouraging
| tf ft-o 20
equality with our own in respect of
the terms of competition, and a tariff
/ board has been created whose function
1t will be to keep the relations of
American with foreign business and
industry under constant observation
for the guidance alike of our business
men and of our congress. American
energies are now directed toward the
markets of the world.
The laws against trusts have been
clarified by definition, with view to
making it plain that they were not
directed against big business, but only
against unfair business and the pre-
tense of competition where there was
none, and trade commission has been
| created with powers of guidance and
accommodation which have relieved
business men of unfounded fears and
set them upon the road of hopeful and
confident enterprise.
BY the federal reserve act the sup
ply of currency at the disposal of ac-
tive business has been rendered elias
tic, taking its volume not from a fix
ed body of investment securities, but
from the liquid assets of daily trade,
and these assets are assessed and ac
cepted not by distant groups of bank
! ers in control of unavailable reserves
| but by bankers at the many centers
or local exchange who are In touch
with local conditions everywhere.
EFFECTIVE measures have been taken
for the recreation of an American mer-
chant marine and the revival of the
American carrying trade indispensa BILE
TO our emancipation from the control
which foreigners have so long exer-
cfsed over the opportunities, the routes
and the methods of our commerce with
/ other countries.
Ine interstate commerce commission
has been reorganized to enable IL TO
perform its great and important func-
tons more promptly and more efficient
~. We have created, extended and i'm
| proved the service of the parcels post.
SO much we have done for business.
What other party has understood the
task SO well or executed it 80 intelli-
gently and energetically? What other
party has attempted it at all? The Re
publican leaders, apparently, know of
no means of assisting business but
protection" How to stimulate it and
! put 1t upon a new footing of energy
and enterprise they have not suggested.
Farmers Have Been Benefited.
For the farmers of the country we
nave virtually created commercial
credit by means of the federal reserve
act and the rural credits act. They
/ now have the standing of other busi-
ness men in the money market. We
have successfully regulated speculation
In futures" and established standards
In the marketing of grains. BY an in
tell1gent warehouse act we have assist
ed to make the standard crops ayaila-
BILE as never before both for systematic
marketing and as a security for loans
from the banks. We have greatly
added to the work of neighborhood
demonstration on the farm itself of
improved methods of cultivation and,
through the intelligent extension of the
functions of the department of agricul-
ture, have made it possible for the
! farmer to learn systematically where
his best markets are and how to get at
| them.
The workingmen of America have
been given veritable emancipation
by the legal recognition of mans la
Dor as part of his life and not a mere
marketable commodity, by exempting
labor organizations from processes of
the courts which treated their mem
bers like fractional parts of mObs and
not like accessible and responsible in
dividuals, by releasing our seamen
from involuntary servitude, by making
| adequate provision for compensation
Ind ~. H