Evening star., 1924-09-01

not restricted. Unemployment would
become a menace and there would fol-
low an almost certain reduction Of
wages, with all the attendant distress
and despair which is now suffered In
so many parts Of Europe. Our hrst
duty is to our own people. The second
important factor is that of a tarin
for protection. I have already given
you some examples Of the wages paid
in Europe. Such scale means that
goods caI be produced much cheaper
there than they can here. II our
policy of protection is to be ABANDONED
the goods which are now made by the
wage earners Of America will be MADE
by the wage earnerS OF Europe. Our
own people will be out of employment.
Our entire business system Will pe
thrown into confusion, with the want
and misery which always accompany
the hard times of attempted economic
readjustment. Under free trade the
only way we could meet European COM
petition would be by approaching the
European standard of wages. l want
to see the American standard OF living
maintained. We shall not be mlsied
by any appeal for cheap goods, II we
remember that this was completely
answered by President Mckinley or
President Harrison when he stated
BY restrictive immigration, by ad-
equate protection, / want to prevent
America from producing cheap men.
Expense Of Government.
To these must be added economy OF
expenditure by the local and national
Governments. There are about 24,OOO,-
900 heads of families in the United
States. 1t takes 100000 of these
working at IS day to pay the pres
ent cost of Governments. This gives
us some idea Of what public expense
takes out of the productive power or
the nation. No matter what any one
may say about making the rich and
the corporations pay the taxes, In the
end they come out of the people who
toll. 1t Is your fellow workers who
are ordered to work for the Govern
ment, every time an appropriation
bill is passed. The people pay the ex-
pense of government. often many
times over. in the Increased cost of
living. I want taxes to be less, that
the people may have more.
l am for peace and against aggres-
sive war. l am opposed to warlike
preparations. But l am in favor of
an adequate Army and Navy to In
sure our citizens against any inter-
ference with domestic tranquility at
home or any imposition abroad. 1t
is only in peaceful conditions that
there is a real hope of progress l
want to have America cooperate in
securing a speedy settlement of Eu-
ropean differences. and assist in
financing a revival of business which
would be OF world wide benefit to
wage earnerS. am in favor Of
continuing and extending the policy
of covenants between nations for
further disarmament and more extern
sive guarantees of permanent peace.
These are some of the policies
which 1 believe we should support.
in order that our country may not
fail in the character Of the men and
women which it produces. I want to
see our institutions more and more
humane. But l do not want to see
any of the people cringing suppliants
for the favor of the Government,
when they should all be independent
masters of their own destiny. 1 want
to encourage business that 1t may
provide profitable employment. 1 want
to see jobs hunting for men. rather
than men hunting for jobs. 1 want
the factory able to consume at a fair