Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1902-09-10
ADDRESS BY
E. K. CHEADLE
A Very Interesting Discourse on So.
cial Evils and Economics De-
llvered on Labor Day.
GENERAL CONDITIONS OF LABOR
The Value OF Labor and the Condi.
tons Which Have Existed In the
Past and in the Present

Ladies and gentlemen: feel my
self honored In being asked TO address
this audience on this occasion. The
American republic has but few holi-
days. It is most appropriate that
among them should be numbered one
in honor of labor. day set apart to
be celebrated in honor of the toilers
of our country, of the men who delve
deep in our mines. OF the men who
plow and SOW and harvest our fields.
of the men and women who work In
factories, shops and stores, Of all the
laborers who carry on the countless
operations of toll in our country.
1t is hardly necessary to say that
such people are worthy OF the honor.
They constitute the foundation upon
which society rests. Without labor
there could be no society; without
labor there could be no human exist
ence. All classes OF men. the whole
structure of society-the pyramid OF
the government rests upon the labor
er. The laborer creates all wealth.
The Almighty Father has bestowed
upon us the countless and infinite re-
sources of visible nature. but without
the work of the toiler those resources
are valueless. II naturally follows
that whatever affects the welfare OF
the laborer. affects directly and most
powerfully the welfare of all society.
Because of this fact II is well that
on a day like the present we should
take time to consider the conditions
which affect the laborer; that which
makes for us prosperity OF adversely,
because in this We are all interested.
do not purpose to take your time
to any great extent this morning.
am not an expert in these sociologi-
cal matters. and we have with us a
gentleman who Is. and to him | shall
surrender most cheerfully the major
portion of the time. can only offer
for your consideration a few OF the
thoughts which occur to me. as an
American citizen. on an occasion OF
this kind.
On the celebration of any public
holiday, am always affected and
thrilled by one thought particularly:
The consciousness OF citizenship In
this great American republic. The
strains OF martial music. the throngs
of our fellow citizens. the gala ap-
pearance of our little town. all sug-
gest these thoughts to us. and on any
day OF this kind a man may we'll be
proud that he possesses as his birth
right the inestimable gift OF American
citizenship. We are prone at times
to take a pessimistic view Of things
to believe that matters are going from
bad to worse; that the condition of
things Is not what IL should be. But
this is a view to which cannot sub.
scribe. | am one of those who be-
lieve that the condition of mankind
is continually improving. and that II
will ever continue to improve. am
encouraged in this belief by the fact
that so many difficult problems have
been solved In the past. We may all
be encouraged by the Improvement
which has manifestly taken place In
so many OF the most important par
ticulars affecting the welfare OF the
masses Of our country.
In the days OF ancient Rome the
debtor who fell into the power of his
creditor, fell into a slavery worse
than has ever existed in our country
or than has existed in modern times
His creditors had over him the pow
er of life and death; his creditors
might take his body and partition II
among them, II they chose. II they
did not choose to resort to so extreme
measure, he might be imprisoned
or he might be made TO labor until
his debt was paid. which. In the ma
ture OF things, could seldom Occur
under such circumstances. II is true
we must look back two thousand years
to find such a state of affairs as that
but two thousand years is not so very
long a period in the history of thu
human race. The bare mention o.
fact like that may show us how fai
we have advanced, but We need no
20 that far back TO find examples
which illustrate what have said.
, have said that labor is the foundation
, Of society, the foundation Of govern
! ment-that all rests upon IL. II W,
look into the common law OF England
} upon which our own common law &
/, based. we shall find examples les
than a century back which illustrat
!. how great progress has been made Il
the actual freedom OF the masses o