Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-09-09

industry who have brought our coun-
try to its present height of frenzied
speculation. Gigantic frauds are
palned upon the people, and by law
lessness achieve wealth, being careful
only to keep outside of actual violence
and the common Jail. Captains of in
, dustry, how much of the unrest, the
MOB Violence and the labor troubles Of
the time have been bred and fostered
by your methods? We ask for an
answer"
These are grave charges from one
whose legal training and high position
excluded the possibility OF careless
| speech. Only last July President
Roosevelt uttered similar sentiments.
He said.
In these days corruption, public
and private, appears to be poisoning
the moral sense of the people and de-
basing their virile patriotism, sordid
motives are rampant in the land, false
| capitalization of industry is swindling
investors, gross bribery is the tolerated
| means of carrying elections, barbarous
vengeance degrades the nobility Of
| justice and robs the courts of their
proper dignity, 'boodlers" destroy the
manhood of public officials, and gross
corruption is being uncovered even in
the executive department of the ma
tional government.
Governor La Follett of Wisconsin in
his speech at Chautauqua, N Y, on
July IS, said: Today great aggregations
| of corporate wealth buy immunity in
our legislatures, and throw the burden
which they should bear onto the in
diVldual taxpayer of every municipal
| lty and state. Betrayed by his repre-
sentative, the individual taxpayer is
oVertaNed for the benefit of the cor
poratlon Government by corporation
IS as destructive of the liberties of the
people of this country as the exercises
OF the same power by a foreign mon
arch. The arbitrary control of the
price of coal, and iron and corn, and
wheat, and beef, whether by an ex-
tortlonate transportation rate, or by
monster combination, is q more abso-
lutte tyranny OF the American people
than quartering the army of King,
George upon the American colonists
without their consent. There can be
no such thing as COMMERCIAL slavery
| and individual freedom We may
Ol,
may have the semblance of democracy
! but Industrial servitude means 4politi-
cal servitude. Monopoly in TRANSPORTED
ton and coal and iron and the food
products, makes n pretense and a
mockery of political freedom H.f.. IVA
The evidence of these three competent
witnesses should prompt us to be, care-i
full in charging to Labor Unions all the
Industrial disasters of the time This
evidence would indicate that the work.
ing classes have just reason for COM
plant, however it is not my purpose or
desire to place responsibility where it
does not belong. The problem present.
ed is momentous one. 1t calls for no
appeal to passion or prejudice or fear
1t calls for courage and patriotism and
self-sacrifice.
Our manufacturers lead the world,
our Workmel are the most skilled, our
flnanciers the most far sighted. All
this has given US unprecedented pros
perlty. Prosperity that even the enor-
nous stock exchange frauds of the past
months cannot arrest. In the midst of
this prosperity why listen to calamity
takers, demagOgueS who seem to think
that 1t is desirable to stir uD hatred
between investors and workers. There
cannot be too much capital at the beck
and call of those captains of industry
having the ability to use it. Every
dollar put into production is an invita-
ton to go to work. 1t calls for labor,
it prays for labor it is useless without
labor. If all the capital in the country
wealth used in the production of more
1th--u-nrn re
night, it would be a sad calamity for
the working classes. Before new
capital could be utilized from the |
wealth of the community there would !
be much suffering-perhaps many |
deaths. The capitalist as the owner of |
capital is the friend of the laborer. |
The capitalist as the possessor of a |
privilege is the enemy of the laborer in
so far as his privilege prevents the la
borer from an equality in bargaining
with his employer. 1t is our duty to
remove this inequality by wise legisla-
ton.
1t is a matter of great thankfulness
that American workmen are sharing in
the present prosperity. The best kind
of success is his. The betterment of his
social condition, the higher standard of
living, the increase of intellectual cul-
ture, all bear witness to the fact.
Every day sees capital and labor
coming together Every day sees an
advance in ethical standards relating
to the problems of industry. We have
learned to distinguish the Inscriptions
employer and the INSCRIPTIONS work.
man, we know their object is gold, that
they look upon society as n graft and
make haste to secure the loot and spoil.
They represent greed and class hatred,
they are the lawless in the Industrial
world, they are to be feared and con-
demned. The important thing for the
public today is to give more attention
to the difficulties arising from the COM
binations of capital and labor. We
must learn the civilized and rational |
way of dealing with these questions. | J
This can be done most effectively, :
quickly and with least trouble, ex-
pense and loss by creating a healthy
and proper sentiment on the subject
Let the public, the army Of consum-
ers, crystalize its opinions in favor of
proper relations between employer and {
in which the rights of both s
are recognized and nrotacted. i'm favor