The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1902-12-05
THE LABOR PROBLEM.
Unionism Contains Much That Ia Good
and some Had.


How to secure fair treatment alike for
labor and for capital how to hold in
check the INSCRIPTIONS man whether
employer. or employe. without weakening
individual initiative, without hampering
and cramping the Industrial development
OF the country, Is problem fraught with
great difficulties and one which IL is OF
the highest Importance to solve on lines
OF sanity and far-sighted common sense
as well as of devotion to the right. This
Is an era OF federation and combination.
Exactly as business men find they must
often work through corporations, and as
II is constant tendency OF these COR
porations 10 grow larger. so II is often
necessary for laboring men 10 work in
declarations. and these have become Inn
portant factors OF modern industrial life
Both kinds OF federation, c1pisaiis;ic and
essary. corrcllary they can both do eyll
Opposition to each Kind OF organization
should take the form of opposition TO
whatever is bad in the conduct OF any
given corporation or unicn-not OF at
tacks upon corporations as such nor upon
unions as such. for some OF the most
pie has been accomplished through both
corporations and unions. Each must re-
Train from arbitrary or tyrannous inter-
ference with the rights of others Or
ganized capital and organized labor alike
should remember that in the long run
the interest OF each must be brought
general public: and the he conduct OF each .h
must conform TO the fundamental rules
OF obedience 70 the law. OF individual
freedom. and OF Justice and fair dealing
In addition to power IL must strive after
the realization OF healthy. lofty and gen.
e e deals, Every ennloyer. every
liberty and his right to do as ne likes
with his property or his labor so long
as he does not infringe upon the rights
of Others. 1t IS OF the highest .mpor-
lance that employer and employe alike
should endeavor to appreciate each the
viewpoint OF the other and the sure dis
aster that will come upon both In the
long run II either grows 20 take as habit
ual 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 labor
and there are many such-who work
continually 40 bring about good under
standing Of this kind. based upon wisdom
and upon broad and kindly sympathy be-
tween employers and employed Above
all. we need 20 remember that any kind
OF class luminosity IN the political world
is. II possible. ever more wicked even
more destructive 20 national welfare
than sectional. race or religious animos-
upon condition that we keep true to the
principles upOr which this nation was
founded. and Judge each man not as a
merits All that We have a right 10 ask
OF any man. rich or poor. whatever his
creed. bis occupation, his birthplace, OF
and honorablv hv his ncighbOr and BY
hts country We are neither for the rich
man as such nor for the poor man as
such: we are for tho upright man rich
or poor SO FAR AS the constitutional
powers OF the national government touch
these matters ~ general and vital mo-
ment 10 the nation. they should he exer-
cised in conformity with the principles
above set forth.
Reco nm ends Department ~ Com \
mcrce.
II Is earnestly hoped that a secretary OF
commerce may be created. with seat In =
the cabinet. The rapid multiplication OF h
questions affe citing labor arc capital the X
growth and cornp.exity OF the organ cations
through which both labor and capital row
tiEd expression. the steady tendency to-
ware the employment OF capital IN huge
and the wonderful strides OF 1
this country toward leadership In the in
ternatioral business world justify an ur-
gent demand for the creation OF such po-
sitior. Substantially all the ieac!rg COM
mercial bodies In this country have unltec
Ia requesting Its reation. Ii Is Desirable
hat some such measure as that which has
already passed The senate be enacted into
law The creation OF such department
would in Itself be an advance toward deal
ing with and exercising supervision over
the whole subject OF the great corporations 4
doing IN Interstate business; and with this I
end In view. the congress should sr5ow \
the department. with large powers. which \
could be increased as experience might
show the need.