The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-09-06

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secured. Approximately, one-third of
the twenty-four hours must be given
to sleep; if another third of the day
Is devoted to manual labor, only eight
hours are left for eating, for going to
and from the place of work, for the
reading of current news, for menta!
Improvement, recreation, social inter-
course and domestic life. Since the
hours occupied in eating and travel
cannot be encroached upon, every hour
added to the days labor must be talk
en- from the time for available intellect
ual development, recreation and the
family.
The labor organization has been
consistent and persistent advocate of
the doctrine of arbitration, although
it is olrncult to see why he burden of
this reform should be thrown upon the
laboring man. Surely the employer,
If he would take comprehensive view
OF his own interests. would be as much
benefited by arbitration as the en-
ploye, and because every prolonged
contest between labor and capital
brings interruption to business and
pecuniary loss to those who are in no
way responsible for the disagreement.
society in general is even more inter-
eSted than employers or employees. The
desire for justice is so universal that
the public can be depended upon 10
support the finding of an impartial
board of arbitration as certainly as it
can to support the successful con-
testant in lawsuit. The court of
arbitration is one of the certainles of
the future. and when it is secured and
perfected. we shalt wonder why its
coming was delayed so long
The black list. by means of which
employers combine TO deprive the dis.
charged workman OF employment.
is one of the more recent menaoes TO
the laborins man. The independence
of the wage.earner decreases as the
difficulty of obtaining employment in.
creases. and the skilled workman.
whose life has been spent in acquiring
efficiency IN certain trade or occu.
patton. becomes practically the ehattei
OF the employer If every opportunity
to make use of his experience is closed
by agreement between employers.
The laboring man is also Interested
in legislation prohibiting oriental i'm.
migration. 1t is unfair TO the Ameri.
can workman. who is the foundation
of the nations wealth in time of peace
and its defense in time OF war. TO sub.
lect him to the danger of having his
occupation given TO an oriental la.
borer, often brought in by contract,
who has no permanent interest in
our government. TT the Asiatics come
here, work for few years. live on a
lower scale, and then carry home the
net proceeds of their toll, the drain
upon our money supply will be similar
to that caused by landlordism in other
countries. The political objections to
oriental labor are scarcely less weighty
than the economic ones Race preju.
dice cannot be disregarded. and we
have seen how. in every industrial de-
preston, race animosities result in
riot and bloodshed. We cannot afford
to bring into this country those who
cannot amalgamate with our people.
The attempt to use the injunction of
a court to deprive the laboring man
of trial by jury should alarm all our
people. for while the wage-earner is
the first to feel it's effects, the prin.
ciple which underies government by
injunction is SO far-reaching that no
one can hope to escape ultimately. The
thing forbidden by an injunction
would, without the injunction, be eth
err legal or illegal. If it would be le-
gal. the judge usurps the function Of
the legislature when he forbids it. If
it would be Illegal the injunction of
the court is unnecessary, for any one
who violates the law can, upon convic-
ton, be made to suffer the penalties
prescribed for such violation. The
meanest thief and the most brutal
murderer are entitled to trial by jury;
why should this right be denied the
labo:ing man. Those who oppose gov
eminent by injunction are not in favor
OF lawlessness; they are, on the con-
trary, the best friends of law and or
der. They deny the right of any man
to violate the law in an effort to adj
vance his own interest, but they in
slst that it is inconsistent with our
ideas OF government and dangerous to
all classes to invest any judge with the
three-fold power; first, to make the
laws; second, to bring accusation
against those charged with the viola
ton OF the laws. and, third, to sit in
judgment upon the case. Government
by injunction is SO indefensible that
the anti-injunction bill, indorsed by
the chicago platform, passed the SEN
ate without yea and nay vote being
ty platform has specifically Endorsed
government by injunction and no
prominent member of any party has
entered upon defense of the system;
and yet corporate influence is so strong
that it has thus far been impossible to
secure any remedial legislation.
The fact that United States senators
are elected by legislatures, rather than
by the people directly, lessons the
laboring mans influence in securing
favorable federal legislation. When
the action of political convention
must be submil.~- to the voters for
ratification at the polls, the convention
is constrained to nominate a candi-
date acceptable to the people; but
when senator is chosen by legisla-
ture the individual voter is far less
considered. Even when direct brib-
cry is not employed, the indirect infiu-
ence which corporations can exert is
resorted to, and more frequently still
money is secretly used to aid legisla-
tive candidates in close districts Such
obligations are usually repaid in the
caucus and, as a rule, the majority
in the caucus controls the party which
has the selection of the senator. If
this question were submitted to the
voters, the majority in favor of the
election of senators by direct vote of
the people would be overwhelming.
and yet partisanship has delayed the
adoption of this amendment. The
people submit To policies which they
do not like rather than secure i'm