Idaho Springs siftings., 1902-12-06

Culll6S anu one WHICH II is OF Ilo nlBl-
est Importance to solve on lines of
sanity and far-sighted common sense
as we'll as of devotion to the right.
This is an era of federation and COM
bination. Exactly as business men
find they must often work through cor
porations, and as it is a constant ten
dency of these corporations to grow
larger. so 1t is often necessary for
laboring men to work in federations,
and these have become important fac
tors of modern Industrial life. Both
kinds of federation, capitalistic and
labor, can do much good, and as a
necessary corollary they can both do
evil. Opposition to each kind of or
ganization should take the form of
opposition to whatever is bad in the
conduct of any given corporation or
union-not of attacks upon corpora
tions as such nor upon unions as such;
for some of the most far-reaching ben
eflcent work for our people has been
accomplished through both corpora
tions and unions.
Few people deserve better of the
country than those representatives
both of capital and labor-and there
are many such-who work continually
to bring about a good understanding
u AA1o hluu, DdStU upOh WlSuOm ana
upon broad and kindly sympathy be-
tween employers and employed. Above
all, we need to remember that any
kind of class animosity in the politi-
cal world is, if possible, even more
wicked. even more destructive to ma
tional welfare than sectional, race or
religious animosity.
Secretary of Commerce.
1t is earnestly hoped that a secre-
tary of commerce may be created, with
seat in the Cabinet. The rapid null
tiplication of questions affecting labor
and capital the growth and complexity
of the organizations through which
both labor and capital now find ex-
preston. the steady tendency toward
the employment Of capital in huge cor
porations, and the wonderful strides of
this country toward leadership in the
international business world justify an
urgent demand for the creation of such
a position. Substantially all the lead
ing commercial bodies in this country
have united in requesting its creation.
1t is desirable that some such measure
as that which has already passed the
Senate be enacted into law.
Cuban Reciprocity.
l hope soon to submit to the Senate
a reciprocity treaty with Cuba. On
May goth last the United States kept
its promise 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.
We should always fearlessly insist
upon our rights in the face of the
ar,1 -HA \
ing hand do our generous duty by the
weak. ! urge the adoption of reciproc-
ity with Cuba not only because 1t is
eminently for our own interests to con-
troll the Cuban market and by every
means to foster our supremacy in the
tropical lands and waters south of us.
but also because we, of the giant re-
public of the North, should make all
our sister nations of the American
continent feel that whenever they will
permit 1t we desire to show ourselves
disinterestedly and effectively their
friend.
The Hague Court.
1t is a matter of sincere congratu-
lation to our country that the United
States and Mexico should have been
the first to use the good offices of the
Hague court. This was done last sum-
mer with most satisfactory results in
the case of a claim at issue between
us and our sister republic. 1t is earn
estly to be hoped that this first case
will serve as a precedent for others,
in which not only the United States
but foreign nations may take advan-
tage of the machinery already in ex-
istence at the Hague.
The lsthmian Canal.
The Congress has wisely provided
that we shall build at once an 18TH
mian canal, If possible at Panama The
attorney general reports that we can
undoubtedly acquire good title from
the French Panama Canal Company.
Negotiations are now pending with
Colombia to secure her assent to our
building the canal.
The Pacific Gable.
During the fall of 1901 a commune
cation was addressed to the secretary
of state. asking whether permission
would be granted by the President to
corporation to lay a cable from a
point on the California coast to the
Philippine islands by way of Hawaii.
A statement of conditions or terms
upon which such corporation would
undertake to lay and operate a cable
was volunteered.
The representatives of the cable
company kept these conditions long
under consideration, continuing, in the
meantime, to prepare for laying the
cable. They have, however, at length