The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-11-21

prominent people attested their interest
by attending. Lyman J. Gage opened the
conference. and was followed by Prof. f.
r. L. Gould Of Johns Hopkins university.
The second days session brought Car
roll d. Wright. United States commits
sioner Of labor; Judge John Gibbons. Prof.
Henry c. Adams, secretary of the in,er-
state commerce commission. and ]. c.
Mccarthy. Many papers were read, and
there was every manifestation of p0ofound
interest in the opinions and Suggestions
offered.
One thing was noticeable and very sig
nificant-the uniformity expressed senti-
ment in favor of arbitration as the best
means of settling differences between the
employer and employee. There appeared,
however, some confusion of ideas as to
the proper method Of conducting arbisra-
tions. But this may be expected in the
present unsettled and unsaught state Of
the public nina.
All the talk was concilatory, which Is
a point gained for harmony Of action.
Each had his favorite plan and all the
conferees listened respectfully. This is the
first step toward organizing a parliament
of men" and establishing the federation
of the world" Among the striking sug-
gestions presented was the following from
Judge Tuley:
Force the workingmen to combine in
corporations, subject TO legislative con-
troll; force your capitalists to combine in
corporations, and then provide that they
shall appoint their committees of arbitra-
ton, and they shall meet in the month Of
January OF each year and they snail SCI
tie these points that give rise 10 these
strikes. The penalty ought 20 be forfeit
ure Of the rights of a corporation. Let
it be prompt and swift. You have got 10
have some stringent measures, and you
have got to have courts ike courts of
arbitration, thai come directly from the
wOrkingmen and from the capitalists. The
capitalist has no faith in the judiciary;
the workingmen are fast losing their faith
in the judiciary, 1 am sorry to say. What
they want are judges emanating from
themselves; the capitalist wants his, the
laboring man wants his; and if you can
give them their own courts you have
solved the difficulty.
This is a radical view of The matter,
b. t the history Z the past shows thai
great reforms must be pushed with
earnestnes5 and vigor if we expect bene-
fetal results. Radicalism is all right if
directed by sound judgment and a good
conscience. And the best thing on earth
to regulate the strong and sometimes
rash impulses of a conscientious radical
is to make him party to a representa-
tive conference OIL his fellows. This is the
essence of arbitration philosophy. The
unchecked tendency Of radicaiism is to-
ward tyranny. The typical radical is an
autocrat who disdains a conference upon
the ground that it is compromise with
error-he being the sole arbiter of what
constitutes truth and error.
All men should proceed upon the prin-
ciple that right must prevail. And when
one is convinced that he is right he
should be all the more willing to submit
his case and listen calmly to the argument
OF his adversary. p Coercive justice may
be right in spirit and intention, but it is
slow in method and operation. Sometimes
a slight concession, even 10 the wrong,
may result in a gain to the right. This
is what gives force and meaning to the
term forbearancS ITO err is human; to
forgive divine.2 Arbitration becomes
godlike when tempered with forbearance
and forgetful of past wrongs and ami
mosfties.
The. courts have for centuries been con-
Quoted upon the principle of compulsory
arbitrati lion. When men become fair
enough to render the compulsory feature
Of court trials dead letter that will be
the golden era of voluntary arbitration.
Then, and not till then. will we witness
the federation Of the world