Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1896-12-03

everybody was entitled to join an associa-
.tton except the slaboring man. The labor
Ing mans association has been the means
by which he has protected himself In the
warfare against other organizations among
other people.
Arbitration.
Now. my friends, the labor organization
has done much of good, and vet there is
good deal that society can do that will add
to and supplement the work NJ the lab0rlng
men themselves. want to speak of 1t
here, the principle of arbitration of differ.
ences between corporate employers and
their employees. That principle has been
forced upon the attention Of the American
people. l believe in arbitration. Arbitra-
ton is simply the extension Of the idea OF
the court Of justice. 1t IL merely institut-
ing tribunal, before which men may go
and settle their differences instead Of re-
sorting to violence to sattle those dthcr-
ences. You say the laboring men are inter-
ested III arbitration. Yes, they have 80
expressed themselves, but I want to say
to you, my friends that society has
higher interest even than the laboring man
in the principle Of arbitration. Society has
a right to protect Itself against these con-
tests between labor and capital. Society
has right to say to both employer and
employe, Instead Of asserting right or
claim and defending 1t by force, you shall,
in the interest Of society, submit to that
impartial tribunal, and let justice be done
by those who can see both Sides.
My friends, new conditions make new
laws necessary. In the olden times. but
one man employed a few laborers. There
was q bond Of sympathy between them.
He knew the names Of his employees. He
came in contact with them and sympathy
sprang from heart to heart and this sym
t,1Au fh0t
to agree upon amicable terms. But times
have changed. Instead of the employer
with q few employees, we now have great
corporation with Its thousands or Its tens
Of thousands of employees. 1t Is Impossible
for the employer to know his men. 1t Is I'M
should be that personal sympathy De-
tween them which control their conduct
towards each other. What must we do!
There Is but one thing that we can do.
Where that personal acquaintance has dis
appeared and, therefore. injustice cropped
in, society, with its paramount interests
and overshadowing rights, can step In, and
by law supplement that condition, that re-
lation, and substitute justice for force IN
the settlement of these difficulties.
Now, appeal to you to take the interest
in government that you ought to take.
want you to take an interest In politics.
am not here to tell you what opinions you
what measures would, in my Judgment
bring relief, but have right as an Amer
lean citizen speaking to American citizens
have right, say, to beg of you that
you shall recognize the responsibilities
which rest upon you as citizens and prepare
yourselves for the intelligent discharge OF
every duty imposed upon you. Government
was not Instituted among men to confer
special benefits to any. Government was
instituted for the protection Of all the citi-
zens in order that they might enjoy the
fruits of their own toll, and the results OF
their own exertions. And it is the duty OF
governments to make the conditions sur
| rounding the people as pleasant, as agree
able as possible And you must have your
opinion, and by your votes must have your
| influence in determining what these con-
dttions may be.
| My friends, if you find large number of
| men out of employment you have right
to inquire whether idleness is inflicted upon
| the human race by natural laws. BY the act
of the Creator, or whether it is due to leg
| islation which is wrong. If 1t Is due to
legislation which is wrong, then it is not
only your right but your duty to change
that legislation. The greatest menace to
the employed laborer to-day is the increas-
| ing army of the unemployed 1t menaces
| every man who holds position, and If that
army continues to increase. it is only a
| Question of time when those who are, as
you may say, upon the ragged edge, shall
leave the ranks of the employed and join
those who are out of work. My friends,
am one Of those who believes that If you
increase the amount of idleness, If you In
| crease the number Of those who cannot
work, and yet must eat, you will drive men
| to desperation and increase the ranks of
| criminals out Of those who would be earn
ing bread under better conditions The New
York World Of few days ago, editorially
| complained Of
The Incre lse of Crime.
My friends, if you find crime increasing,
| If you find idleness growing, 1t is not a
privilege only, 1t is duty that you owe to
yourselves and your country, to see wheth-
err you can change that condition and I'M
| prove the conditions that surround you.
| Now, when you come to use the ballot, I
want you to remember that the ballot was
given to you not by any man who employs
| you. That ballot was given to you by law.
You had it before he employed you. 1t will
be yours when your employment ceases.
You do not tell him that If he does not vote
according to your opinion you will quit
working for him. And yet you have just
| as much right to tell him that as he has
to tell you that you have got to quit work
(! ing for him If you do not vote the way he
wants you to. Ny friends, when l say this
| am not afraid Of offending anybody, be-
cause if there is an employer in this coun-
! try who believes that he has a right by
paying wages, to control the vote Of those
\ to whom the wages go, 1 say, if there is
| such an employer, l cannot offend him, be-
cause that man cannot be offended by any
| thing. have known Of men who thought
that because they loaned man money
that therefore, as long as they held his
notes, he must vote as they wanted
him, or risk foreclosure. I am not afraid
| of offending any man who has that opin-
| loan to intimidate citizen has yet to
learn the genius Of the institutions under
which he lives. I cannot impress upon
| your minds any more important truth than
this, that your ballot is your own, to do
with 1t what you please. And, that there
is nobody that must be satisfied with your
vote, except your judgment and your con-
science