Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1901-12-03


including, among many other things. |
whatever concerns labor. and all matters |
affecting the great business corporations |
and our merchant marine. r.: r. ,...
The course proposed is one phase OF |
what should be comprehensive and far. |
reaching scheme of constructive states
manship for the purpose of broadening
our markets, securing, our business inter.
ests on safe basis and making firm our
new position in the International indus
trial world, while scrupulously safeguard
ing the rights Of wageworker and capi-
talist, of investor and private citizen. so
as to secure equity as between man and
man in this republic
Chinese Exclusion.
With the sole exception Of the farming
interest, no one matter is of such vital
moment to our whole people as the well
fare Of the wageworkers. If the farmer
and the wageworker are well off. 1t is alb
solutely certain that all others will be
we'll off too. 1t is therefore a matter for
hearty congratulation that on the whole
wages are higher today in the United
States than ever before in our history
and far higher than in any other country
The standard of living Is also higher than
ever before. Every effort of legislator
and administrator should be bent to Sc
cure the permanency Of this condition of
things and it's improvement wherever pos
sible. Not only must our labor be protect
ed by the tariff, but it should also be pro-
tected so far as 1t is possible from the
presence in this country Of any laborers
brought over by contract or Of those who,
coming freely yet represent standard
Of living SO depressed that they can un-
dersell our men in the labor market and
drag them to lower level. l regard it as
necessary with this end i'm view, to re-
enact Immediately the law excluding Chi
nese laborers and to strengthen it
wherever necessary in order to make its
enforcement entirely effective
| The national government should demand
| the highest quality Of service from its
| employees and in return it should be
| should be passed in connection with the
| interstate commerce law which will rem
der effective the efforts of different states
to do away with the competition Of con-
vict contract labor in the open labor mar
| ket. So far as practicable under the con-
| ditions of government work provision
| should be made to render the enforcement
! Of the eight hour law easy and certain
1 In all industries carried on directly or in
directly for the United States government
women and children should be protected
| from excessive hours of la bor from night
| work and from work under unsanitary
conditions. The government should pro-
vide in its contracts that all work should
be done under fair conditions and, in
addition to setting a high standard, shoul6
uphold 1t by proper inspection, extending
If necessary to the subcontractors. The
government should forbid all night work
for women and children as we'll as exces-
sive overtime. For the District of Column
bia good factory law should be passed,
and. as a powerful indirect aid to such
laws. provision should be made to turn
the Inhabited alleys, the existence Of
which is reproach to our Capital City
into minor streets. where the Inhabitants
can live under conditions favorable to
health and morals.
American wageworkers work with their
heads well their hands. Moreover
they take keen pride in what they are
doing. so that. Independent Of the reward.
they wish to turn out a perfect Job This
Is the great secret of our success in COM
petition with the labor of foreign coun-
tries.
Labor.
The most vital problem with which this
country, and for that matter the whole
civilized world, has to deal is the PROB
lem which has for side the betterment
of social conditions, moral and physical
in large cities and for another side the eff
fort to deal with that tangle of farrea CHI
ing questions which we group together
when we speak of labor The CHIEF
factor in the success of each man-wage-
worker farmer and capitalist alike-mus,
ever be the sum total of his own individ-
ual qualities and abilities. Second only tc
this comes the power of acting in COM
bination or asSocia ton with others. Very
great good has been and will be accom-
plished by associations or unions of wage
workers when managed with forethought
and when they CONT bine insistence upon
their own rights with law abiding respect
for the rights Of others. The display OF
these qualities in such bodies Is duty
to the nation no less than to the associa-
tions themselves. Finally there must also
In many cases be action by the govern
ment in order to safeguard the rights and
interests of all. Under our constitution
there is much more scope for such action
by the state and the municipality than by
the nation But on points such as those
touched on above the national govern
ment can act.
When all Is said and done. the rule OF
brotherhood remains as the indispensable
prerequisite to success in the kind9of ma
tional life for which we strive. Each man
must work for himself. and unless he sc
works no outside help can avail him. But
each man must remember also that he is
indeed his brothers keeper, and that while
no man who refuses to walk can be car
ried with advantage to himself or any one
else. yet that each at times stumbles OF
halts. that each at times needs to have
the helping hand outstretched to him. To
be permanently effective aid must always
take the form of helping a man to helI
|
selves by joining together In the work
that Is of common interest to all
| hmm igration.
Our present immigration laws are un.
satisfactory. We need every honest anG
efficient immigrant fitted to become ar
American citizen. every immigrant who
comes here to stay. who brings here a
strong body. a stout heart. a good head
and resoute purpose to do his duty wei
in every way and to bring up his children
as law abiding and God fearing members
Of the community. But there should be 2
comprehensive law enacted with the OBJ
ject OF working a threefold improvement
over our present system First We Should
aim to exclude absolutely not only all per
sons who are known to be believers in an
archistic principles or members Of anarch
istic societies, but also all persons wht
are Of low moral tendency or Of unsa
worry reputation. This means that WI
should require more thorough system O
! inspection abroad and more rigid sys
tenn of examination at our Immigration
| ports. the former being especially neces
Sary. =, -, = ,rs 4
Il The second object Of a proper in1migra
tion law ought 10 be to secure by care
}, fui and not merely perfunctory education
,I 7s,t, 10