Mexico weekly ledger., 1902-12-04
THELABoR PRoRLEm.
Unioniam Contains Much That Ix Good
and some bad.


and some bad.
How to secure fair treatment alike for
labor and fer capital, how to hold in
check the unscrupulous man, whether
employer or employc, without weakening
individual Initiative. without hampering
and cramping the industrial development
OF the cauntry, Is problem fraught with
great dlfhculues 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 10 the right This
Is an era OF federation and combination.
Exactly as business men md they must
often work through corporations. and as
II Is a constant tendency OF these cor
poradons TO grow larger, SO il Is often
necessary for laboring men to work In
federations, and these have become I'm
portant factors OF modern Industrial life
Both kinds Of federation, capltalistic and
labor, can DO much good. and as 8 nee
essary eorrollary they can both DO evil
Opposition 70 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 corporations as such nor upon
unions as such for some OF the most
fRr-reaching benehcent work for cur peo-
pie has been accomplished through both
corporations and unions Zach must re-
frain from arbitrary NJ 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 puhlies and the conduct Of each
must conform 70 the fundamental rules
of obedience 10 the law, Of indiv dual
freedom. and OF justice and fHir dealing
toward all Each should remember that
in addition to power Il must strive after
the realization Of healthy. lofty and gen.
erous ideals Every employer. every
wage worker, must be guaranteed his
liberty and his right to DO as he likes
with his property or his labor 50 long
as ne does not infringe upon tie r-~hts
tance that employer and employe alike
should endeavOr 10 appreciate each the
viewpoint OF the other and the sure dis
aster that will come upon both in the
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 ana labor
and there are many such-who work
continually 70 bring about a good under
standing OF this kind. based upon " sfioru
and upon broad and kindly sympathy be-
tween employers and employed Above
Of class animosity In the political world
Is. n possible, even more wicked. even
more destructive 10 national welfare
than sectional race or religious animos-
fly We can get Eoa& rovernment only
upon condition that we keep true 20 the
principles upon which this nation was
founded, and Judge each man not as a
part 0f class. but upon his Individual
merits All that We have q right 20 ask
Of any mar. rich or poor. whatever Ms
creed. his occupation. his birthplace or
his residence rs that he shall act well
and honnrnhly by bis neiRhhor hnd bv
his country. We are neither for the rich
mar as such nor for the poor man as
such we are for the upright man rich
or poor 80 far as the constitutional
powers nf the national government touch
these matters Of general and vital mo-
ment 20 the nation they should BE- exer-
eised In conformity with the principles
above set forth.
Recommends Department of Com
merce.
Il is earnestly hoped that secretary Of
commerce may be created with 4 seat in
the cabinet The rapid multiplication Of
questions affecting labor arc capital The
growth and completely Of Tie organ izat tlors
through which both labor and capital now
md expression, the steady tendency to-
ward the employment Of capital ia huge
corporations, and the wonderful strides u
this country toward Leadership In the ;n-
ternatioual huEineEs world justify an ur-
gent demand for the creation OF such a DO
Ettion. Substantially all the leading com
merCial bodies IN this country have united
that some such measure as that which -
already passed the senate be enacted into
law The creation OF such q departmerf
would in itself be an advance toward deal
ing with anc exercising supervision over
the whole subject OF the great corporations
doing an Interstate business, ara with this
eut ir view, the congress should en6ow
the department with large powers, which
could be increased as experience might
show the need.