The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1901-09-04
HARVEY
SCOTT ON
LABOR
His Address at Portland tie
Best of IFS Kind.
Given Our Readers in install
mentS For Careful Study.

Labor Day programme, as | intimate,
in my opening remarks, determined, t
select a speaker who would deal will
subject Of labor at this time 30 that W,
may be instructed and our goal mad,
clearer to our view. The gentleman
chosen is one who graduated from al
Oregon college and who for years hal
had much to do with the history Of thi,
state and in observing as we'll as mold
ing public opinion of new policies and
events. l take pleasure in introducing
to you Hon. II. W. Scott, who will make
the main address Of the day and foi
whose remarks bespeak your earnest
and careful attention" F."
MIR. scoTr's SPEECH.
| shall not deliver to you today any
commonplaces about tha nobility oI
labor. Labor is the lot Of us all Labor
indeed, is spoken of, in fiction, as 8
curse; but 1t is necessity to man, and
every attempt to escape from it becomes
more truly curse. Every human be.
ing who is fit to live works in one way
or another, by sweat Of the body OF
sweat OF the mind. They who work not
are not, except as they burden those
who do work. The dawdlng idler is
nothing-whether he be lazy rich or
lazy poor.
The man Of the present day is search
ing for the ideas that shall serve as the
basis Of the future social state; and
therein lies the danger he runs. For
man unhRppily can only apprehend the
utility OF ideas, or prove their inutility,
by dint OF experience. And it is too
much the case with any people that the
experience OF others is nothing to them.
There is doctrine OF socialism which
evobes the image Of a sort Of Paradise,
in which men, become equal, will enjoy
ideal felicity under the incessant direc-
tion of the state. This idea is deeply
implanted in France and Germany.
Our own country hitherto has differed
from Europe, or at least from Continent.
al Europe, in this: that ours represents
the maximum Of what can be effected by
individual initiative entirely, freed from
official regulation while Europe repre-
sents the maximum of what can result
from official regulation in the place Of
individual initiative. The gulf that sepa-
rates more and more every day the pow.
ertul civilization of English-speaking
from the decSying polity
OF the European continent takes ito ori-
gin or finds it's expression ic the differ
ence OF attributes conferred by the peo-
pie on the state. We trust we may not
have in our country any substitution of
perverting official influence for the nor.
NAL standards of the people.
Our resource once was to make our
own employment. But men cannot now
in such numbers as formerly, employ
themselves. Industry, most kinds, is
organized on a capitalistic basis. Most,
therefore, unless they possess land !
which they can till for their support,
must work for wages.
No longer, therefore, can the work
man, as formerly do what no would. |
Certainly not to the same extent as
formerly. Sc i-lependence is as valua-
BILE principle as ever ;but the workman !
must now rely on Lis fellows, TO an
extent once unknown. Organization Of |
workmen is the only method or process |
rough which this can be effected, !
combination compels COM
of labor. Workmen feel that
they can serve or save themselves only |
trough organization. They cannot
afford to Disregard the law of combina-
ton.
With the progress Of civilization indi-
'iduals tend 10 become more aud more
Differentiated. The result Of modern
civilization olashing with our dreams of
quality is not 10 render men more aud
more equal intellectually. but, on the
contrary, more and more different, with
Increase Of inequality. THIS is ten
iency against which We must guard
ourselves TO the utmost of our power.
The first requisite lie to perceive il and
. kI ow what it means, The result Of
his tendency specialization is trophy
II int lhgence. De Toqueyile pointed TO
I long ago. I'm proportion said he.
as the division OF labor receives more
through application. the workman
becomes weaker, Of ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS,
'nd more dependence. Every day the
Inference between the employer and the
workman increase :"
Thus, with the progress Of an indus
rial ciyillzition.the differentiation be-
ween the extreme grades Of population
proceeds with great rapidity. It even
ends, on occasion, to increase ia what
call a geometTical pro.
yression. Again, every one sees that the
present conditions OF industrial life,
which tend more and more to differsn-
late nien, are confronted by the power
Al laws Of heredity, which tend 10 bring
about the disappearance OF individuals
VINO sUTpass the average in too marked a
or at least W bring theB down
TO this average, The children Of great
men oileuer TALL below than rise above
the average level This is a support Of
he democratic spirit and means Of lie
preservation.
One OF the great eTTO. 4 oi modern