The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-09-02
A MODEL LABOR DAY SPEECH.

A MODEL LABOR DAY SPEECH.
The address of Senator Fairbanks in
Kansas City yesterday is one of the few
delivered on Labor day in which there Is
no display Of demagogy or Of partisanship
This is a distinct gain, since the typical
Labor day speech is made by men who use
it for political ends and who are too narrow
to grasp and discuss the economic questions
which touch the interests of labor in every
direction. Senator Fairbanks found enough
topics Of vital Importance to labor to make
a very interesting and instructive speech
One sentence which has the true ring
reads: 1--WE are essentially a Nation of
laborers, and We have no hospitality for
human drones" That Is a gospel that
needs preaching. We have no room in this
country for a useless leisure class or use
less loafer class. Every man of the work
ing age should have some useful employ
ment. If he does not. he is a cumberer of
the ground and should be made to feel so.
Another sentence which should attract
attention is: 1.-The quality rather than the
quantity of our citizenship is the all-essen-
tial consideration" A city with 100000 in
habitants which has no submerged tenth"
or even "a submerged twentieth, has a
brighter future than city of 100000 pop
ulation with tens of thousands living in
slums and unable to know the decencies OF
life. We have shut out the Chinese, not
because they are immoral, but because we
cannot afford to Introduce the Chinese
standard Of existence to compete with the
American high standard of living which the
industrial classes OF this country enjoy.
Senator Fairbanks makes it clear that one
of the pressing duties Of Congress is to
put the educational qualification upon all
immigrants. or any other restriction which
will prevent the degradation of the common
laborer of America to the level Of many
Of the tens of thousands that are landing
in New York. Self-preservation demands
that the laws protect the millions of COM
mon laborers from the degradation Of many
of the immigrants coming to US from
southern Europe. Even If the sentiment of
human brotherhood does not appeal to us to
prevent the growth of a large element of
wretchedly poor and ignorant beings, cold
| blooded self-interest should lead US to pre-
vent 1t.
| Another topic upon which the senator
| touched is the shorter day of labor. He
discusses 1t from the standpoint Of the
| wage-earner, which is well, but the rapid
| introduction of labor-saving machinery
seems to make it economic necessity.
hoe
| capacity of the American people, the great
| ly increased capacity to produce goods
| through the introduction of labor-saving
| machinery will sooner or later result in
| overproduction and long seasons of sus-
| pended activity. The other features of the
labor problem-organization, arbitration
/ Senator Fairbanks discusses with candor
and clearness. They are the questions of
| to-day. But he does not stop with them
| The evil Of child labor, which does not pre-
| vail to any extent in Indiana, he denounces
| in fitting terms. No conscientiously good
man can favor 1t, because it means the de-
struction of helpless human beings.
Passing beyond the problems of the hour,
the senator discusses the well-being of the
| laborer when he shall have reached the
| years when he cannot toll. This is topic
which is attracting the attention of high
minded and humane employers of large
| numbers Of men. He commends the policy
of pensioning men by corporations to which
they have given years Of faithful service,
and views with approval the consideration
| of the care Of faithful men when they are
| no longer able to labor.
The special feature of the senator's ad-
| dress which has a bearing on this and like
cities is the suggestion that organized labor
should have headquarters the same as have
| boards of trade. He believes that such
headquarters should be permanent, be-
| cause, he aptly says. labor is the most
permanent thing in the country. No one
institution could be more useful to the city
of Indianapolis than an extensive head
quarters for labor-a fact which must be so
| apparent that reasons to sustain it are not
necessary In conclusion, there runs
through this admirable address the senti-
ment Of oneness which is the essential
quality OF American citizenship-the one
ness which binds all together in a common
destiny. as apart from that demagogy
which would array one element against
another.