St. Paul daily globe., 1895-09-16
NO PANAcEA is IN SIGHT.
TO SETTLE SOCIAL PROB
LENS.
HAS NO POWER TO FIX WAGES
As 81 Remedy He Thinks 'Tis Best
for Men to settle the Cues
tions themselves


ject of industrial Arbitration"
The attendance was very much
smaller than the Importance of the
subject and the ability of the
speaker in dealing with it seemed
to merit Most of those present
were locomotive engineers, as it was
under the auspices of the various
lodges of the Brotherhood of Loco
motive Engineers in st. Paul and
Minneapolis that the lecture was
given. No admission fee was
charged, but, Notwithstanding this
fact, the attendance of workingmen
in other lines of industry was very
meager.
Walter A. Hammond, assistant
commissioner of labor in Minneso-
ia. acted as master of ceremonies,
and on the platform were Senator
Davis, DR.. Smith and L. G. Powers,
state labor commissioner.
The meeting opened with a song,
Hear My Prayer" by the Apollo
quartette, after which prayer was
offered by DR.. Smith, pastor of the
church. Then the Apollo quartette
sang Nearer My God to Thee" aft
er which Gov. Clough was intro
duced as chairman of the evening.
GOV. Clough simply said he did not
come prepared to make a. speech.
All he had to say was that the loco
motive engineers had more RESPONSE
bility resting upon them than any
other class of men on earth, and ne
wished them and their association
success. After another song by the
Apollo quartette, Col. Wright was
introduced. He spoke as follows:
MR.. .WRIGHT'S ADDRESS.
You Will pardon me if 1 make one or
two personal statements which. it
seems to me, are important at this
tlme. That there may be no mtsunder-
standing relative to what L may saw
this evening, 1 wish 10 assure YOU at
the outset that do not believe in gov
ernment ownership of railroads. l do
believe that there may be a species of
control by government which wiz work
adVantageously to all classes i wish.
further, to assure you that 1 do not
believe In compulsory arbitration: vet.
on the other hand, there may be feat
ures in the adjustment of the machin-
cry Of arbitration which are 1aore or
less compulsory, and which may be-
come effective only. by consent Of all
parties, thereby reducing the whole
scheme to the basis of voluntary arbi
tration. One might as we'll talk of
Voluntary coercion as of compulsory
arbitration. r:
Furthermore, I do not believe that
there is any solution, per Sc, of any of
the difficulties which beset humanity
at the present time. mean that there
Is no panacea which can be established
by law for the settlement Of labor or
social problems. I accept fully the
statement Of Mr.. Mill, ''that there is
not any one abuse or injustice prevail
ing in society by merely abolishing
which the human race would pass out
OF suffering into happiness
This Is particularly emphasized when
we understand what the labor ques-
tion is. 1t really comprehends everv
social industrial, and monetary condi-
ton which prevails or can prevail; but
concreteiy stated, it means the strug-
gle OF the working man to gain a high
standard Of living. The labor question.
therefore, recognizes the fallacy of at
tempting to win advantage by isolat-
ed attacks at some special point, and
that, like Christianity, civilization, and
ltS wonderful movements, it must at
tack all along the line, and hence
makes itself felt in all progressive
steps and attempts to reach a higher
the hackneyed statements of the old
scnool or political economy; that the
interests of labor and capital are one.
ana incorporates them with another.
that these interests are reciprocal: and
whIe 1t freely admits that capital loans
machinery and all the auxiliaries of
prouuctlon to the working man, with
/ out which advance he could not labor.
except at ruinous processes, it wants
capital to feel that it depends for it's
vitality upon the ability of labor to
| accept the loan; that capital invested
III the machinery or the plant or the
ways of a railroad is dead matter
untii the operative vitaiIzes it with his
presence, and it knows well tV,at If
elther undertakes to do as it chooses,
1t either fails or is obliged to accent
What relation, then, can government
nave to the settlement Of controversies
arising between the employees of rail-
roads and the corporations?
COMMITTED TO ARBITRATION
The federal government and seven.
teen state governments are committed
to the principle of Industrial arbitra.
! In m t1a,
been no declaration that laws provid-
| ing for such measures are unconstitu.
tional; in fact. there could be no such
declaration unless san attempt was
made to force parties into arbitration
Then the supreme courts of the states
and Of the United States would he
called on quickly to determine the
| whole matter.
The boards Of arbitration which have
been established so far are simply the
results Of the attempts of governments
to provide ready means by bringing
into existence a board to which resort
can be had by parties desiring to arbi.
trate their difficulties.
The principle, then, Is practically
liked by our governments. The United
States government and several state
governments have also fixed anothe,
principle, and that is that they have
right, under certain. circumstances
and for certain purposes, to control
even beyond the provisions CT theil
charters, the railroads of the country
One Of the most significant declara
tions in this direction is found in tn.
act to regulate commerce, passed By
congress in 1887 This declaration /,
that all charges made for any servic,
rendered or to be rendered in tn,
transportation of passengers or prop
erty on interstate railroads or in con
nection Herewith, or for the receiving
delivering, storage or handling of sucl
property, shall be reasonable and just
and every unjust and unreasonabl,
charge for such service is prohibited
and declared to be unlawful.
Under this provision the interstat
commerce commission has a yioht 4,