The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1916-11-01
My Consumption Of the Presidency
By CHARLES EVANS HUGHES
By CHARLES EVAN

/ myself and the men who are to he nv
colleagues.
In this matter again l differ abso
lutely from the policy of the present
administration. Democratic platforms
have declared that government has no
right to levy tariff duties except for
income. This is the fundamental faith
OF the Democratic party.
| pledge myself and those who stand
with me to deal with the needs of
! laboring men the country over, what
ever their trade or organization. upon
the principle of giving the largest pro-
lection possible to every American
working man and the largest partici
patton possible in the prosperity of
our industries with special favors to
none
Finally it is to be remembered that
every European government is putting
itself behind its industries: organiz-
ing them, encouraging them and sug-
costing economies. When the COM
mefcial struggle begins anew, the in
dustries of every European country
VIII go into the world markets backed
by the effective cooperation and in
telligent oversight of their govern
ment
Our national policy requires that
government maintain a strict super-
vision Of business organization This
can be done effectively and yet leave
the government free to encourage
legitimate and wholesome business en-
terpriSe. | stand for such supervi-
non and control of business, but | de-
mand also that business great and
mail (and especially the small bust
aess) be treated fairly and Justly.
only under such conditions can bust
ness pay living wages or compete with
toreign manufacturers.
In this respect again the present adj
ministration holds a policy entirely
opposite 1t has viewed business en-
terprlse with suspicion and has made
he government brake to stop the
wheels of legitimate industrial pro-
gress. 1t has treated the business
men of this country as though thew
'ere suspicious characters. 1t has
assumed that capital and labor are
natural enemies. In four years il has
put this country further on the road
10 class war than has been accomp-
ushed in a generation before. The
men who>stand with me believe in the
honesty of the American working man.
hey believe no less in the honesty of
he American business man. and thew
Il,
.ound not in class war but in mutual
justice and fair dealing, not as be-
.Ween capital and labor in the alb
5tract but as between men and men.
You know the road we have trav-
9led this last four years. Mr.. Bryan
md Mr.. Daniels are it's monuments of
executive efficiency Our murdered
and forsaken citizens in Mexico re-
zeal a conception of American citi-
zenship plain enough to see but a new
one for American patriotism to adopt:
che monument of class bitterness
ra1sed by this administration throws
1 sinister shadow across our political
lorlZon; the unjust accusation against
business men has left bitter taste
- VA ii''iOiioha ilIC. IL you prefer
this path it is plainly marked And
he end of it is class war
You ask what road | propose to ira
gel? These are the milestones which
mark tan executive responsible to
the whole nation, cabinet chosen
from the ablest Americans, a foreign
policy that stands courteousIy but
firmly for American rights, flag that
protects the American in his lawful
rights wherever his legitimate bust
ness may take him, PREPARATION for
trade competition which shall protect
all groups of American wOrkmen, a
government oversight of business
which will fearlessly eliminate abuses,
but will act on the assumption that
the average business man is honest.
and finally domestic policy which
looks to industrial peace, and to sound
and permanent prosperity based up
on the development of American trade
and the building up of American in
dustries.
We Americans are in one boat You
cannot strike a blow at one group
without injury to all. Common JUS
tice and fair play will settle our diff
culties if suspicion and bitterness are
let alone. These are the principles
by which l propose to be guided.