The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-01-04
CORPORATION PATERNALIsM.
A LOCAL RAILROAD INSTITUTION
so CHARACTERIZED.

road Relief and Hospital Depart
ment Is the Result of Corporate
Grecd-EviIs of the Day Greatly
Exaggerated-POOrer Glasses Far
Better on Than They Were in
Former Days-Our Civilization For
the Common Man-It Is Based IN
the Advancement of the Plain
PeOpIe-Give no encouragement to
Complaining.
Rev. A. NJ. Williams of Wesley Monu-
mental church preached an interesting
sermon last night on Material Discomfort
Unfounded." A feature of his sermon was
his reference to the Plant systems relief
and hospital department, a feature which
he does not think, as will appear, is al
togther to the interest of the employees.
His text was Ecclesiastes vii, 10. Say
| not thou, what is the cause that the form
er days were better than these? For thou
dost not inquire wisely concerning this"
"Pessimsm is very ancient" he said.
"Croaking must have been common in
Solomons DAY. 1 am glad he rebuked it.
1t is an unworthy use of human faculty.
Just now it seems to have regained its
popularity. The fashion in many circles
is to take a gloomy outlook as to the
prospects of humanity. Prophesies of ruin
are Illuminated from rostrum, pulpit and
press. 1t is generally asserted that the
people are in a bad material condition,
that they are growing worse and worse
| off, that the state of the industrial and So
cial life is such as to demand a revolu-
ton.
The lover of his kind is Obliged to take
notice of such a claim. No good man can
be Indifferent to the welfare of his fell
low. It is not right, however, to take for
granted these assertions. 1 believe that
the evils of the day have been greatly ex-
| aggerated. Interested demagogues, emo
tional preachers, sentimental philanthro-
phists have taken up superficial things
and have magnifed them into universal
grievances. Truth seeks to see things as
they are There are many in the civilized
| nations of the world who are unable to
make a living. The pauper problem is one
Of the sorrows Of our humanity. But it is
peculiar to our times or civilization?
Jesus said to captious Judas: The poor
you will always have with you. There is
no doubt this part of our population is
better cared for than ever before. No
man can truthfully say this class is worse
| off
The declaration of independence to the
| contrary all men are not created equal.
| AS long as unequal talents exist no plan
! will succeed which refuses to see the
| truth. All criticism then that is based
! on the inequality of human fortune may
| be adjourned for argument before that
| tribunal that made man. 1t is nature that
| is on trial, not human institutions.
A fertile soil in which grow discon-
tent is that peculiar state of business call
! ed hard times" Such periods afford
! powerful arguments ad HON for calamity
! howlers and perplexed earnest souls seek
! ing the truth The causes of these eco
| nomic phenomena have been examined.
| How little they are understood is seen in
! the fact that in one examination into the
! subject the causes assigned for them by
! the various social experts appearing be-
( fore the committee were embraced under
$50 different heads. This much is certain;
they are as old as history. There is no
doubt that panics are of periodical oc-
| currence, and they are followed always
by periods of long depression Revolution
may alter their features, but substantially
the same hindrance to progress will be
felt. While pauses in progress will be
felt, the trend of human veal will always
| be upward. The depreSsiOns of the pres
ent age are much in advance of the flush
| times of former eras of industrial history.
Another apparent justification of the
attack on our Institutions is found in real
| wrongs that are placed upon some of our
brethren. There are mean capitalists
there are unjust and heartless employers.
1t would be foolish to ignore things that
occur in our own communities. Noble
workmen have been punished for eXercis-
ing their rights in the most conservative
way, by the odious blacklist. In word,
| the use of such a mean weapon may be
denied, but the tree is known by its fruit;
| actions speak loudeG than words. When
competent, sober, skilled workmen find
| it impossible to get work after having
served on labor committees, the conviction
| will force itself on the sympathetic obser-
want. that a mark has been put on the
man; not by his Maker, not by his sin, but
by his superior clad in few brief days
of power.
Another Illustration of the wrong that
tempts men to extreme conclusions, is
seen in an institution growing in our own
section. l do not know from what source
it comes, whether it springs out of the
| fertile brain of southern ingenuity, imbib-
ing a foreign microbe, or is the evolution
| of a lifetime of seltishmess. l do know
however to what class it belongs. 1t is
corporation paternalsm. A corpora ton
determines to protect its employees, it or
| ganizes itself into an insurance company;
every employee is expected to join. Fail
ure to join, at any rate, puts him
at disadvantage in promotion
In the association he finds that some of
his legal rights are barred him. In case
of accident in the service of the company
the just thing is for the company to at
least pay the full wages during the disa-
bilty of the injured. This was the old
custom But when the corporation, in the
loving capacity of a father comes in, the
employee finds his wages suspended, his
stipend, during confinement, paid by his
fellow workmen and the net result much
reduced. In case of death by accident his
family receives a compromise settlement
in the name of insurance. The underlying
principle of this institution is thoroughly
vicious 1t is pure paternalism produced
by corporate greed. If this movement
must be taken as q symptom and is the
result of a general movement. I am forced
to declare that state paternalism is a
thousandfold more desirable. Give us con-
stitutional socialism in preference to these
little compulsory communities that sepa-
rate our people involuntarily into classes
and 1SscOura op thoir fra formal oseocfatio