The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1895-09-27
I THOUGHTFUL ADDRESS.
Hon. Carroll ID. Wright Discusses
Different Phases of the Labor
Problem.
Greater Education and Application
of Christian Spirit the Real
Solvents.

| uC dO 4NOl illoi iloil
evening by Hon. Carroll d. Wright,
was attended by fair sized audience
and was throughout most inter
esting one, and it is to be regretted
that the hall was not filled to it's Ca
pacity on this occasion, as there was
| food for reflection in what he said.
The remarks he made were delivered
in an easy manner, with nothing of
the oratorical about them. In fact it
was PLAIN talk with his audience up
on the question of the day.
In opening his address he said it
was always best for one to get his
bearings. He always liked a good
definition of any subject. For the
most comprehensive definition of la
Dor, he turned to Ruskin, and quoted
paragraph, starting out with state
ment that 'labor is the contest of
the life of man with his opposite"
Generally, he said, in discussing the
labor question, people did not realize
what it really meant. 1t is not today
merely question of wages. Twenty
five years ago it might more possibly
have been, but it has gone beyond
that point now, and becomes one
most closely connected with our So
cial life. In short he held that it in
volved the matter Of furnishing the
opening to employment as we'll as the
return therefor. There is much dis
content in society, always has been
and doubtless always will be, and he
who does something to allay this dis
content is a benefactOr thereto The
labor question is simply the discomfort
which exists today among the indus
trial classes. 1t covers all phases of
discomfort and nothing can be gained
in the attempt to settle it by cutting
off corners nor across lots.
He followed the march of the Aryan
race from it's early home ia Asia, to
the rich table lands of that country,
how it was gradually pushed out and
crossed the borders into Europe, and
finally to America, and covering this
country. What was the cause of this?
Discomfort. This is the labor queS-
tiOn. Solve it you cannot. 1t has
not been known under the same name
through all the years but it has been
the same thing in all time. He re-
ferred to the military spirit of the
early centuries and how the wars of
Alexander and others helped in the
spread of christianity and civilization
as,nothing else could. But the age of
militarism has passed to that of in
dustrialism.
Turning to the remedies of the Ia
Dor problem he mentioned quite a
number which have been put forward
to solve the problem. The first was
socialism. He commented on this to
some extent, and said that one of the
best definitions he had seen was that
socialism was a criticism upon society.
He thought there was much good to
be learned from socialism which con-
sists of two elements, the political
element which would tear down and
destroy, and the constructive element
which would build up. The political
element would doubtless solve the
question, but not in the way desired
as it's success meant death. Construc-
tive socialism, he said means progress.
The people of this country really be-
long to that element as our progress
has been along the line of taking
the best there is of everything.
He referred briefly to the anarch-
lists and clearly showed to what ex-
tent they would carry things. The
two great forces in society are indi-
viduaIism and altruism, and either
developed TO the extreme to the ex-
clusion of other means ruin, developed
together they means happiness and
prosperity. The anarchist would SIM
ply develop one force and carry it to
extreme with resultant disaster. But
the danger from socialists and anarch-
lists in this country is not great as
they comprise but a small per cent of
the people.
He spoke of the attempt to settle
the labor question through legislation
of various kinds. AS rule attempts
of this kind are ia, ures, though mat
tiers may be alleviared to some extent
thereby and much accomplished.
Arbitration wa another method,
and he fully explained the matter Of
compulsory arbitration, and what
would be the result # carried out. The
Trouble he said ~, that no matter
which way the court found, it result
ed in fixing wages by law. In enforc-
ing the decree, if il was against the
employers there was property to levy
on. But if against the employees how
would you enforce it, especially if
there were thousands of them, except
through force, and the success of such
means meant practical enslavement.
D,,t in vo1uptorv arhitrot;on +baro