The Minneapolis journal., 1903-12-31
Some Features of 1908.

The record of events and of tenden-
cies in this country during the past
year has some entries In it which snow
that, while enormous commercial and
financial strength has been shown and
tests which would have disabled the
country financially and commercially
ten or fifteen years ago, have been sue
cessfully met; while the wave Of bust
ness and Industrial prosperity which
came five years ago is still with us IN
a somewhat diminished volume in GER
tain lines wrought at 90 high g pres
sure: while there has been betterment
in material things; While there IS a
bright Side: it is to be. regfettad fhtst
the year has not witnessed mitch 'ad--
vance in the virtues of self-control,
subordination, to, law, respect for the
rights of others. sua a..
1t is true that the acceptance of the
determinations Of the anthracite strike
commission was an event full of prom
Use for the peaceful settlement of CAPT..
tal-labor disputes; but it was a whole
some example which has not been fol-
lowed to any great extent. 1t has been
apparent that capital has not mastered
it's greed for unlawful gains, anor has
it become any more CONSCIENTIOUS IN
the matter. Of consultations for, pur-.
poses Of speculation; and plumber, as
the careers of several of these organi!
cations have shown. Nor has labor
parted with the. erroneous idea that, IN
this republic, the proper remedy for
corporate injustice and greed is the
plunging Of communities into anarchy.
This republic is supposed TO frown
upon anarchy and theoretically the
people are, described to be under the
protection Of the majesty Of the law.
The fact is, however, that many labor
unions set up their own code of laws
against the public laws when they
beat, MAIN or kill men who take the
Fpfaces OF strikers, and destroy the
property of the employers of labor,
claiming that to stop the progress OF
violence is a right inhering in them,
because they belong to the ranks of
organized labor.
The year 1903 has shown that there
are many people who, after all the ex-
periences Of the past, still believe that
murder, arson and rioting are the sole
remedies for righting wrongs, real or
fancied. This belief Is menace#to
public peace and order. The true
theory in our democratic republic is
that wrongs should be righted, not by
anarehy, but by peaceable and orderly
and legitimate methods. Only so long
Isas this saving doctrine has weightsand
power with our people is the security
of life and property assured.
\ ); We have, during the past year, seen
Elarge Industrial establishments shut
fup, because labor itself has insisted on
demands which forced their owners. to
shut them up. There have been cases
also, where capital has wreckeds$its
own industrial pfopertyato the detri-
ment of labor. In both cases there is
a criminal disregard Of mutual rights.
There has been little abatement in
! the activities of the lawless element
known as lynchers. There is a growth
Eef sentiment in the. south Favorable to
| speedy and lawful trials, as substi
tute for lynching, but the lawless pro-
cess still has q powerful Endorsement
by people who are characterized as
'"good citizens Judge Higgins of
Tennessee, not long ago, declared that
|ievery member Of a mob who had
broken into the jail at Lynchburg and
ltshot a. negro in his cell, where he was
19awaiting trial for an assault, was
guilty of murder and treason and he
secured indictments. to that effect
against twenty-five members Of the
llynching mob. This is a good example
for other southern judges to follow.
Flaws In the national morality have
appeared which would be 'discourag-
l ing if it were not for the fact that the