Willmar tribune., 1900-09-19
experience Is closed BY agreement between

experience Is closed by agreement between
employers.
"The laboring man Is also interested in
| legislation prohibiting oriental immiera-
] ton It is unfair to the American work
man, who is the foundation Of the nations
wealth in time Of peace and it's defense in
of having his occupation given to an
| oriental laborer, often brought in by con.
tract, who has no permanent interest In
our government II the Asiatics come
| here, work for few years, live on lower
| scale. and then carry home the net pro-
ceeds 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 prejudice cannot be disregard
ed, and we have seen how, in every indus
trial depression 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 Garner is the first to feel
Its effects, the principle which underlies
government by injunction is so far-reach-
ing that no one. can hope to escape ulti-
mately. The thing forbidden by an injunc-
ton would without the injunction be either
legal or illegal. If it would be legal, the
judge usurps the function of the legislature
when he forbids it. II 1t would be Illegal
the Injunction of the court is unnecessary,
for anyone who violates the law can, upon
conviction, be made to suffer the penalties
prescribed for such violation. The mean
est thief and the most brutal murderer are
entitled to trial by jury; why should this
right be denied the labor1ng man? Those
Rhn hxy} }r,i,,
not in favor of lawlessness; they are, on
the contrary, the best friends of law and
order. They deny the right of any man
to violate the law In an effort to advance
his own interests. but they insist that 1t
Is inconsistent with our ideas of govern
ment and dangerous to all classes to invest
any Judge with the three-fold power, first,
to make the laws; second, to bring accusa-
tion against those charged with the VIOLA
| ton of the laws, and, third, to sit in judg-
ment upon the case. Government by in
junction Is so indefensible that the anti
Injunction bill, indorsed by the Chicago
platform, passed the senate without yea
and nay vote being demanded, and since
that time no party platform has specifical-
ly indOrsed 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 leg
1slattOn. When the action Of political
convention must be submitted to the voters
for ratification at the polls, the convention
Is constrained to nominate a candidate
acceptable to the people; but when a SEN
ator is chosen by legislature the individ-
ual voter is far less considered. Even when
direct bribery Is not employed. the indirect
influence which corporations can exert is
resorted to. and more frequently still
money Is secretly used to aid legislative
candidates in close districts. Such oblisa-
tions are usually repaid in the caucus, and,
as rule, the majority In the caucus con-
trolls the party which has the selection of
the senator. II this question were SUBJ
mitted 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 Improvement by a change In
party affiliations.
1.-The laboring man favors direct legisla-
ton wherever practicable for the same
reason that he favors the election Of SEN
ators by popular vote. Direct legislation
brings the government nearer to the voter.
There Is more virtue to the people than
ever finds expression through their repre-
sentatives. To hold that representative
can act for the people better than they can
act for themselves, IS to assert that he is
as much interested in the people as they
are themselves, and that his wisdom Is
greater than the combined wisdom of the
majority Of the people. Neither proposition
is sound. Most If not all, of the evils COM
planned of in government are traceable to
the fact that the representative Of the peo-
pie has personal interests at variance with
the interests Of his constituency. Corrup7
ton in municipal, state and federal gov
ernment is due to the Misrepresentation
of the people by public servants, who use
their positions for private advantage. The
people should have an opportunity to vote
on public questions when these questions
can be submitted without too great incon-
venience or expense.
"But the laboring man is even more in
terested in the proposition to establish
labor bureau with a cabinet officer at, its
head. Such bureau would keep the ex-
ecutive in constant touch with the wage
earners of the country, and open the way
to the redress Of their present and future
grievances. If labor is given place In the
presidents official household. the man Sc
lected will necessarily be a worthy and
trusted representative of the people for
whom he speaks and his presence at cab
met meetings will give to those who toll
for their daily bread assurance that their
interests will be properly guarded.
Mr. GOmpers, the chief executive of the
Federation OF Labor. has. in his corre-
spondence with the secretary of the treas
ury. so ably presented the laboring mans
reasons for opposing gold standard and
national bank currency, that it is not
necessary to discuss those questions at
this time.
1.-THE laborfng man has abundant rea son
to fear the trusts. Mr.. Charles r. Flint
r., 1al} to A1.1,,
year ago in defense of the trusts. frankly
asserts that one Of the advantages of those
combinations Is that in case of local
strikes or fires the work goes onselsewhere,
thus preventing serious loss Is it possible
that any wage Garner can fail to see how
completely the trust places the emplOye
| at the mercy of the employer?
1.-THE resolutions adopted by various la
| Dor organizations in condemnation Of mil
1tarism and Imperialism justify me in maxi
ing a brief reference to those questions.
No class contributes more than the labor
ing class in proportion to its numbers to
the rank and file of the army: no class con-
to the expense of the army, and no class Is
more menaced by the existence of large
army. Most of the countries in Europe
which maintain large military establish
ments collect an income tax which adjusts
the burden of the government to the in
come of the citizen. Here our federal taxes
| are largely collected upon consumption,
| and while they are income taxes in the
sense that they must be paid; out of the in
| comes OF the people, yet the exact1ons are
not proportionate to the Incomes. The
| taxes upon consumption bear heaviest
upon the poor and lightest upon the rich
| and are in fact graded income taxes, the
per cent. collected decreasing as the in
| come increases. /
If this nation adheres to the doctrine
| that governments derive their just powers
| from the consent Of the governed, and the
people have an easy and ready means Of