The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-09-07
Wage-Earner Hears That
He Shares Alike With
Farmer and Business
Man in Depression and
Prosperity.
Never Before in Our His
tory Has Per Capita of
Circulation Been as
Large, Says President
Roosevelt.

President Roosevelt. in addressing the
many thousands gathered at the New
York State fair. said:
In speaking of Labor Day il is natu-
raj to keep especially in mind
the two bodies which compose
the majority of our people and
upon whose welfare depends the
welfare of the entire state. If circum-
stances are such that thrift, energy. in
dustry, and forethought enable the farm
er, the tiller of the soil, on the one
hand, and the wage-worker, on the other.
to keep themselves, their wives, and
their children in reasonable comfort,
then the state Is we'll of, and we can be
assured that the other classes in the
community will likewise prosper. On the
other hand, if there is in the long run a
lack of prosperity among the two classes
named. then all other prosperity is sure
TO be more seeming than real.
A Progressive Betterment.
'It has been our profound good for
tune as nation that hitherto. disre-
garding exceptional periods of depres-
sion and the normal and inevitable iuc-
1udlAOAos lnNAb mas DGGll OL luC NAuAt
from the beginning of our Government
TO the present day progressive better
ment alike in the condition of the tiller
of the soil and in the condition of the
man who. by his manual skill and labor
supports himself and his family, and en-
deavors to bring up his children so that
they may be at least as well of as. and
If possible better on than, he himself
has been. There are, of course, excep-
tions. but as a whole the standard of
living among the farmers OF our country
has risen from generation to generation.
and the wealth represented on the farms
has steadily increased. while the wages
OF labor have likewise risen, both as
regards the actual money paid and as
regards the purchasing power which that
money represents.
'Side by side with this increase in the
prosperity of the wage worker and the
tiller of the soil has gone on great tn
crease in the prosperity among the bust
ness men and among certain classes OF
professional men; and the prosperity of
these men has been partly the cause and
partly the consequence of the prosperity
be too often repeated that in this coun-
try, in the long run. We ali OF US tend
to 20 up or go down together. II the
average of well-being is high, it means
that the average wage-worker, the |
average farmer, and the average bust |
ness man are all alike well of.
Glasses Share Alike.
ere H. $1,000 ehry,1z~ 49, s--
one of these classes which will not feel |
the shrinkage. OF course there are al /
ways some men who are not affected /
by good times, Just as there are
some men who are not affected /
by bad times. But speaking broadly, IL 1
IS true that If prosperity comes. all OF /
US tend to share more or less therein, |
and that if adversely comes. each of US. /
20 greater CT less extent, feels the ten
sion. Unfortunately. in this world the /
innocent frequently find themselves |
obliged TO pay some of the penalty for /
the misdeeds of the guilty; and so q |
hard times come, whether they be due to \
our own fault or TO our misfortune, /
whether they be due to some burst OF 4
speculative frenzy that has caused a por-
tion of the business world TO lose It's /
head-a loss which no legislation can
possibly supply-or whether they be due
to any lack OF labor-in each case the
trouble once started is felt more or less
in every walk of life
1T is all-essential TO the continuance
OF our healthy national life that we
should recognize this community of in
terest among our people. The welfare
of each Of US is dependent fundament-
ally upon the welfare OF all Of US. and
therefore in public life that man is the
best representative OF each of US who
seeks 10 do good TO each by doing good
to all: in other words, whose endeavor
It is. not to represent any special class
and promote merely that class selfish
interests, but to represent all true and
honest men of all sections and all
classes and 70 work for their inter
ests by working for our common coun-
try.
Personality the Standard.
I'VE can keep our Government on
sane and healthy basis, we can make
and keep our social system what fl
should be. only on condition Of Judging
each man, not as a member OF class.
but on his worth as a man. II is an
Infamous thing in our American life,
and fundamentally treacherous 10 our :
institutions. to apply to any man any ,
test save that OF his personal worth. or
to draw between two sets OF men any /
distinction save the distinction o. con-