The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-12-05

/ again call your attention to the
need OF passing a proper immigration
law. covering the points outlined in ms
message to You at the first session II
the present congress; substantially such
a bill has already passed the house
Labor and Capital.
How to secure fair treatment alike for
labor and for capital. how 10 hold in
check the INSCRIPTIONS man, whether
employer or employee. without weak
ening individual initiative, without
hampering n cramping the Industrial
development of the country, is a prob
lem fraught with great difficulties and
one which IL is the highest Importance
TO solve on line of sanity and far-sight-
ed common sense as well as OF deyo-
4! ton TO the right. This is an era OF fed
, GRAFTON and combination. Exactly as
! business men find they must often work
through corporations, and as il is \
constant tendency of these corporations
10 grow larger, so it is often necessary
for laboring men TO work in declarations,
and these have become important fac
tors OF modern industrial life. Both
kinds OF federation, capitalistic and la
Dor, can do much good, and as a neces-
sary corollary they can both do evil.
Opposition 10 each kind OF organization
should take the form of opposition 10
whatever is bad in the conduct OF any
given corporation or union-not of at
tackS upon orpor lions as such nor
upon unions as such; for some of the
most f~ar-reaching beneficent work Cor
our people has been accomplished
through both corporations and unions.
Each must refrain from arbitrary or
~tyrannous interference with the rights
of others. Organized capital and organ
lied labor alike hould remember that
in the long run the interest OF each
must be brought into harmony with the
! interest of the general nInlsr- and the
conduct of each must conform TO the
fundamental rules of obedience to the
law, of individual freedom, and of JUS
tice and fair dealing toward all. Each
should remember that in addition to
power it must strive after the ~realiza-
ton of healthy, lofty, and generous
ideals. Every employer, every wag
worker, must be guaranteed his liberty
and his right TO do as he likes with his
property or his labor so long as he does
not infringe upon the rights of others.
1t is of the highest importance that en-
ployer and employee alike should en-
deavor to appreciate each the view
| point of the other and the sure disaster |
that Will come upon both in the long
run If either grow to a as habitual
an attitude of sour hostility and dis
trust toward the other. Few people de-
serve better of the country than those
representatives. both of capital and la
bor-and there are many such-who
work continually to bring about a good
understanding of this kind, based upon
wisdom and upon broad and kindly |
sympathy between employers and en-
ployed. Above all, We need to remem-
Der that any kind of class animOsity in
the political world is, if possible. even
more wicked, even more destructive to |
national welfare, than sectional, race. |
Or religious animOsity. We can get
good government only upon condition |
tho Z XTTn Eaaa fT1ra = fhn rTIn r1nS 1lnn |
which this nation was founded, and
judge each man not as a part of Il class. |
but upon his individual merits. All
that we nave a right to ask of n man
rich or poor, whatever his creed. his
occupation, his birthplace, or his resi-
dence, is that he shall act well and hon
orably by his %neighbor and by his coun-
try. We are neither for the rich man |
as such nor for the poor man as such;
we are for the upright man, rich or
poor. So far as the constitutional DOW
ers of the national government touch
these matters of general and vital mo-
ment to the nation, they should be ex-
ercised in conformity with the princi-
pies above set forth.
Department of Commerce..
1t is earnestly hoped that q secretary |
of m may be created, with Il seat
in the cabinet. The rapid multiplication
of questions affecting labor and capital,
the growth and compleXity of the Or
| CARNATIONS through which both labor
and capital now find expression, the
steady tendency toward the employment
of capital in huge corporations, and
the wonderful strides of this country
toward leadership in the international
business world justify an urgent de-
mand for the creation of such a posi-
ton. Substantially all the leading com
mercial bodies in this country have
united in requesting its creation. 1t is
desirable that some such measure Is
that which has already passed the SEN
ate be enacted into law. The creation
of such a department would in itself
be an advance toward dealing with and
exercising supervision over the whole
subject of the great corporations doing
an interstate business; and with this
end in view, the OngrG should endOW
the department with large powers.
which could be increased as experience
might show the need.
Reciprocity With CuD;..
| hope soon to submit to the senate a
reciprocity treaty with Cuba. On May
20 last the United States kept its prom
Use to the island by formally vacating
Cuban soil and turning Cuba over to
those whom her own people had chosen
as the first officials of the new republic.
Cuba lies at our doors. and whatever
affects her for good or for i'll affects US
dISO. So "a IdNS Jul pIOIlC AS4N NAAAS
that in the Plat amendment We def
nitelv took the ground that Cuba must
hereafter have closer political relations
with us than with any other power.
Thus in a sense Cuba has become a
part OF our international political syS-
tenn. This makes it necessary that IN
return she hould be given some Of the
benefits of becoming part of our eco
nomic system. 1t is, from our own
standpoint, a short-sighted and mis-
chievous policy to fail to recognize this
need. Moreover, it is unworthy of a
mighty and generous nation, itself the
greatest and most successful republic
in history, to refuse to stretch out a
helping hand to a young n weak Sis
ter republic just entering upon its ca
reer of independence. We shoul al
ways fearlessiy insist upon our rights
in the face Of the strong, and We should
with ~ungrudging hand do our generous
duty by the weak l urge the adoption
of reciprocity with Cuba not only be-
cause II is eminently for our own inter