Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-04-15
ON COMBINATION
Hon. Carol o. Wright Say. They Are
a GOOD Thing If Conducted on Right
Lines-Addresses the Manufacturers.

| New Orleans, April 15.-Interest ir
today's session of the National Associa-
tion of Manufacturers was centered III
| the resolutions which were expected Il
result in definite understanding of the
latitude of the association towards or
ganized labor. The committee held
three short sessions last night and be
gan work early this morning, but an
Inouncement was made that the repor,
|wonld not l,e ready before afternoon
When the forenoon session was called
to order, Hon. Carroll D.. Wright was
introduced and given hearty recep-
tion. President Roosevelt had been in
vited to attended and declined and
named Mr.. Wright to represent him.
Mr.. Wright said in part: "Combina-
| tion has in 1t all the elements of a
larged corporation, embracing more ell
einents. more factors, and therefore is
more powerful for evil or good than a
corporation in this country. But it rec
ognizes in its development an effort to
lQemOcrat1Ze INDUSTRY.
Like the great department stores
| that democratiZes the handling of goods
and enables the purchaser to secure in
one place all he may need in his shop
lping tour, a great combination enables
society to secure it's commodities on a
more stable basis than under previous
methods. Its evils are those of man
agement, not of constitution. These
evils may be handled by law and by
society. We need not fear them, for
when combination does not seek the
common good and does not accomplish
by its methods and its machinery of
production and distribution the welfare
of society, society itself will take care
of the matter. 1t is the result of the
development of the idea of associated
force, and therefore, under it industry
has secured greater power than 1t ever
received.
Conversely. single workingman.
working by the side of his employer,
was the employers personal associate,
but, as the employer developed into a
firm, and the firm into a corporation
and the corporation into a combina-
ton. the single workingman has devel-
came an employe OF the firm with a
larger number of fellow workmen. Then
he became the employe of a corporation
and the personal relation which for
merly existed was now severed or
weakened. Now he is grouped as the
fellow employe of thousands and thou
sands under great combination where
he is still further remote in personal
way from his employer. Does this
mean harm or does it mean good? The
reply depends entirely upon the atti-
tude of the two parties in this new re-
lation.
"Growth of sentiment underlying the
principles of justice outlined belongs
more thoroughly to the present than
any other preceding age, and will oy-
ercome the labor difficulties which ha-
rass the public, injure the workman
and damage capital Some of the
methods of labor unions are to be con-
demned. So are some of the methods
of capital. Because they cannot get
on together does not mean that either
or both must be destroyed. They
must get on together: that it necess-
ity of the time, and 1t is to the intel-
ligence of both interests of society
looks for the development of industry
on a basis of social progress.
At noon the resolutions committee
announced their report. The resolutions
embodied a declaration against boy
colts and lockouts, recognizing the right
of labor to organize, but without in
references with the liberty of em-
.ployes or employers; denying the right
of unions to fix wages and pledging the
association to oppose all legislation not
in accord with the foregoing principles.
The motion to adopt brought a protest
from James A. Taloy, Of Cincinnati.
who demanded that the resolution be
printed and held over until tomorrow.