The sun., 1901-11-13

to the acceptance of what was offered,
the necessity of working to avoid actual
want and this necessity has made the
workman the victim OF capitalistic greed.
No rush of business, no increase OF pro
fits caused by tariffs, and no cheapening
of the necessities OF nfe byAfree tr
policies have ever been fruitful in reliev-
ing the worker from that absolute ne
cessity, and yet that is the relief labor
seeks, and that is the relief necessary TO
make. him truly independent. We note
an indication of advancement along this
linei in the rumors about President Roose
velt's message to Congress. /.
These rumors say that the President
will recommend some legislation rcla-
tive to the right of labor to organize.
Under present conditions it it not pos
sibe to imagine that the President will
deny labor the right Of labor to organize
for its own protection. That has long
ago been conceded. 1t must be, and that
is intimated, that recommendation will be
| promotive of an adjustment of relations
between employer and employed benef-
| cial, in a wages benefit, of the worker;
| in other words to secure for labor bet
| ter share Of the profits of capital and
lahor's mutual efforts. As we have hint
| ed, popular opinion has asserted to and
upheld the employer in his close guarI.
| ianship of his business secrets; what the
| profits of the business might be could
| not be divulged, and consequently no one
could deny his assertion that the buSi-
ness would not afford il greater wage to
! labor. However much truth there may
have been in these claims in the old
days when American industries were
struggling for development and for a
.market for their products, the rapid uc-
cumulations of fortunes and the eni-
nous growth of capitalistic combnat ons,
and the apparently limitless resources Of
capital in making and conducting these
combinations. give explicit denial to the
capitalistic of inability to pay labor Al
liberal wage. Despite this denial the re-.
sources of capital enable it to coerce la
hor into dependent and scrvie place,
and to defeat it i'll every attempt it may
make to assert its right to better shar,,
Of labor profits. Relative to this Presi-
dent Roosevelts attitude toward labor,
and his attitude toward the trusts, as
the capitalistc manufacturing combna-
I 81; ,n1IaI is s,1uy n lno =
Of new thought about this important
matter. Assuming that the new admin
iStrative idea is TO recognize labor orga-
nizations as aut tlorities in the matter Of
wages and to compel publicity in the
conduct of corporation business, the sug-
grStions. if that is to be, of both of these
IDEAS in the forthcoming annual message
to Congress indicates a connection he
dent, which the labor leaders will doubt
less recognize and appreciate. Knowl-
edge is power. That old adage never had
hetter illustration than in the relations
the Struggles-between capital and labor
Capital has been powerful even to III
Justice because of its knOwledge-the
knowledge of its manipulations. Labor
: has been weak and defeated because il
has been compelled to grope in the dark
Hence its errors and its failures. Ac
ccpting the idea Of publicity as one that
iii realization and practice will serve I,
curb the power of the trusts and in
crease the power Of labor organizations
i'll affecting for the better, the genera
labor condition, suggests of course thi
collation. and distribution Of informa
! tion
: What recommendations are to be- mad,
I 10 effect this cannot Or course be anti
= pated. The vaStnesS of the interests in
! volved-the material, mental and mora
: well being of the vast army Of American
I industrial workers--indicatc the neccS
Z Sity Of il department Of the government
= devoted to labor interests, from whicl
1 reliable information upon amy ana III
5 labor topics could be had by those VIII,
9 wanted it, and from which beneficial in
II tlucnc"s could be cxrrted iii behalf q
: those who, despite the freedom and pros
I rcrity Of the Republic arr the submergc,
portion Of its people