The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1902-12-05
THE LABOR PROBLEM.
Unionism Contains Much That IS Good
and Some Bad.

and Some Bad.
How to secure fair treatment alike for
labor and for capital, how to hold in
check the unscrupulous man, whether
employer or employee, without weakening
individual initiative, without hampering
and cramping the industrial development
great difficulties and one which it is OF
the highest 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 combination
Exactly as business men find they must
often work through corporations, and as
it is constant tendency of these cor
porationS to grow larger, so it is often
necessary for laboring men to work in
portant factors of modern industrial life.
Both kinds of federation. capitalistic and
labor, can do much good. and as nee
Opposition to each kind of organization
should take the form of opposition to
whatever is bad in the conduct of any
given corporation or union-not of at
tacks upon corporations 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-
ganized capital and organized labor alike
should remember that in the long run
the interest OF each must be brought
general public; and the conduct of each
must conform to the fundamental rules
freedom, and of Justice a and fair ro dsaling
toward all. Each should remember that
in addition to power i, must strive after
the realization of healthy, lofty and gem
erous ideals. Every employer, every
wage worker. must be guaranteed his
liberty Lib e5 and his right to do as he likes
as he does not infringe upon the rights
of others. 1t is of the highest mpor-
ea 70 nna e
viewpoint of the other and the sure dis
aster that will come upon both in the
uai an attitude of sour hostility and d dis dis
trust toward the other. Few people de-
serve better of the country than those
and there are many such-who work
continually to bring about a good under
standing of this kind; based upon wisdom
tween EMPLOYERS and employed Above,
all. we need to remember that any kind
Of class a1,mosity in the political world
more destructive to national welfare,
than sectional, race or religious animos-
upon condition that we keep true to the
principles upon which this nation was
founded, and judge each man not as a
merits. All that we have a right to ask
of any man, rich or poor. whatever his
creed, his occupation. his birthplace. or
and honorablv by his neighbor and bv-
his country. We are neither for the rich
such: we are for the upright man rich
or poor. So far as the constitutional
powers of the national government touch
these matters of general and vital mo-
ment to the nation. they should be exer-
cised in conformity with the prime pies
above set forth.
Recommends Department of Conn
merce.
1t is earnestly hoped that a secretary of
commerce may be created, with seat in
the cabinet. The rapid multiplication of
questions affecting labor anC ca pital the
growth and completely of the orgariz "a tons
through which both labor and ca pital now
find expression, the steady tendency to-
ward the employment of capital IL huge
corporations, and the wonderful strides Of
this country toward leadership in the in
terna tionaf business world justify an ur-
gent demand for the creation of such a po-
sition. Substantially all the icing COM
mercial bodies in this country have united
in requesting its creation. 1t is desirable
that some such measure that which has
already passed the senate be era acted into
law. The creation of such a department
would in itself be an advance toward deal
ing with anS exercising supervision over
the-whole subject of the great corporations
doing an interstate business; and with this
enc in view, the congress should enGow
the department with large powers, which
could be increased as experience might
show the need