Kootenai County Republican. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1899-1903, 1900-09-07
BorI. SIDES.

Occur q 'Alcne policy Is an issue in the
state campaign this year that proof is
furnished by the attitude Of the dem
ocratic press OF Idaho. Their posi-
tiOn on this question reminds one OF
the fellow who Is afraid Of his own
great majority of these newspapers |
have so far failed either to endorse or
condemn any act Of their chief cXcc,i-
tive in this matter, while the few who |
are courageous enough to say some
thing have confined their efforts to
misconstruction of the labor plank in |
the republican platform. Their OBJ |
jet is to confuse the voter and de- |
tract attention from their party's |
miserable record. But in this they
will fail and their party will be held
to a strict accounting for the acts Of
| its governor, Notwithstanding the at
tempt at expcdency in failing to
make their position clear through a
straightforward platform declaration.
The declaration in the republican
platform is set forth in plain Eng
!ish and admits OF no miScOnstruction.
In this connection the views of Hon.
X. III. Davis, author of the labor
plank In the republican platform, are
interesting. Under the caption OF
''ioth Sides" he expresses himself us
follows
The discussions which have grown out of
one clause In the republican state platform
may woll cause earnest and thoughtful men
to reflect That clause. considered in a
broad SENSE touches n question which during
an the ages since the dawn OF civilization,
has confronted statesmen. legislators and So
cn rcformers. The question is the rights of
employer and employee In their relations to
each other and the state. The world today is
. divided ON this question into two great class
-, each seeking the risht. but both by force
OF sclf-intercst, partially blinded to the die
tates ~ Justice and truth Under existing
social conditions, with the commercial spirit
dominant. the argument of the employer
that II Is his right to employ whomsoevcr he
Will MT such times and upon such terms rs
lac Wishes Is plausible and convincing. but ii
5 utterly ignores the idea OF moral obligation.
The result Is employers too often their
, right" To work wrong and Injustice 10 their
employees But there are two sides and We
may take n suppositoual ease To illust rate
+ them. A mine Is discovered In North Idaho;
II proves to BE- immensely rich. Intelligent
, American workmen are employed To mine
and mltl the generous ore. Realizing the
great profits flowing from their industry into
5 the the pockets OF the mine owners. the en-
/ poycs demand an Increase OF wages The
mi M pYNue ~,
miners to increased demands, The selfish
ness OF the miners goes beyond reason and
: the point Is reached where their d,.ma nc :
4 must hc refused or the profits OF the mine
owners wiped out. This Is phase OF the
conflict between employer and empioye.
whore the latter is clearly Ia the wrong NOR
: ally speaking but legally and commercially
: thr cmpiOyc has an uuuuNstionnbic right To
I extract from his employer the las, possible
cent OF wages even II Il drive the employer
: Ia bankruptcy. And IL too often happens
= that the employee unconscious Of what hr is
= doing stands tenaciously upon that right
! The mills close duwu and the employees are
forced IL break up homes and associations
and scatter broadcast over the land The
a employers then look about for a more ignor-
i ant and tractahlc class ~ workmen They
hunt Cinnamon, laps. Poles Huns. Italians
the dregs ef Europe and Asia To hrgin
with these employees are given good wages.
but II Is not long before the scliishuess In
the mtnv u@ncrs bcgins 10 assert Itself rhe
company Storr and the company boarding
y house appear The prices IN them rapidly ad-
yanec Alons comes dun spell; there arr.
more mca than iot's. down goes wages Ey-
cry month the employer gives tae screw a
= turn which presses the vmploye n little hard
- er. The bigger the profits Ia the mine owner
the harder the pressure On the wnrkmen In
the shaft ana an the dump Presently th.,
~ condition becomes lntolcrilhlc There + a
= uuton meeting maskvd men dynamite,
: wrecked mills aud riuricred men Then a
, mishty wave of indignation swecop, over the
v lands the cry uf iawlrssness il I'm every
: mouth and the demand j. that the ana rrh.>t,
: ani mardorer> h,' brought To- justice. lat Us
pause h"fv aud inquire who t. rtspnns ibl, Tor
t1t the anarchists Who induced them 10
I rome among u aud Who oppressed thcn up-
III thvy eNpledvd{ II man should gather
= uPuu hl> promises u million ratfI,snakt,, tp
I. Hi Sophers and then stAree and abuse thrr,
: nntll they husted thelr poisonous f,nsts tnta
oSrrs living CREATURE Ia tho neishhorhs,3
" Who wouj bo r,spansibl,s Wha would TIM
officers ~ the law ,evk Ia appr, hend and rnn-
= i<h the man Nha sathervl the snakes ar Tim
>uNkvsl ms may >eem tn bu far f,f.b.31
hat II brings ou' tbe l-oiat. tt Indicates thar
y the state must equality PROTEST liseig against
= / tho ntlsd,sds II ls,th CLASSES Irfi.g3,f.,.,
- must - tuS responsibilities a. woH a. M,
rights = raeh. II mva cannot operate their
" raii4s ana rana> satisfactorily without sna-
s ploysrs ls~3ess characters let the tnifl, AMI
mino, t. e'tSsl Again ttthe state +, Ia n.
, called upon 10 protest employers against
= Their own employees. the state should hay,,
+, saiuetatns tu say A. - the terms III the ron-
. tract tSiNeSn employer and rmplayr IN,
governor II this STATE has established an am
hioS mni hury1g ehsCh >utntts At the f.t,-,, a,
the mines ~ h,>it,ts,c ,.iun8v. saving q, an
wntAaicn, You shall nat ,.,A eu,oioyI,,nt
h'1 without the cnnseRt ~ the governor
, y thah : p"rmis>thle. the buard 81 arhItr,-
. 't"e ana onirol ought "a opan another bur
'@". sRSlRS ~ AL mimi owner>. You shall
e "'' y" 1ststnt>s uu'H sea- have obtained our