The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1903-09-08

ADDRESS
10 LaboriGg Men De-
livered at Syracuse.
GIVES some WHOLESOMH ADVICE
Takes Occasion to Discuss National
Issues of General Interest-Touch-
es on Finance and Trusts.

| In speaking on Labor Day at the an
nual fair of the New York State Agri-
| cultural association, it is natural %
keep especially in mind the two bodies
who compose the majority Of our PEG
pie and upon whose welfare depends
the welfare OF the entire state. II
circumstances are such that thrift,
energy, industry, and forethOught en-
able the farmer, the tiller Of the soil,
er, on the other, to keep themselves.
| their wives, and their children in rea
sOnable comfort, then the state is Wei
off, and we can be assured that the
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
has been our profound good fortune
as a nation that hitherto, disregard
ing exceptional periods Of depression
and the normal and inevitable f1uctu
atoms. there has been on the whole
| from the beginning Of our govern
ment to the present day a progress
siye betterment alike in the condition
Of the tiIler Of the soil and in the con
ditiOn Of the man who. by his man
ual skill and labor, supports himself
and his family, and enieavors %
bring up his children 50 that they
may be at least as well off as. and if
possible better off than ne himself
has been. There are. Of course, eE-
certiCns. but as a whole the standard
Of living among farmers OF our Coun-
try has risen from generation to gen
Grafton. ana the wealth represented
on the farms has steadily increased
while the wages of labor has likewise
risen, both 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
a great increase in the prosperity
among the business men and among
certain classes of professional
men; and the prosperity Of
these men has been partly the
cause ami partly the consequence
Of the prosperity of farmer and wage
worker. 1t cannot be too often re-
peated that in this country, in the
long run, we all Of us tend to go up
or 60 down together. If the everage
Of well-being is high, it means that
the average wage-wOrker. the average
farmer. and the average business man
are all alike well off. If the average
shrinks, there is not one Of these
classes which will not feel the shrink
age. Of course there are always 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. it is true that
if prosperity comes all of us tend to
share more or less therein, and that
IL
greater or less extent, feels the ten
sion. Unfortunately, in this world
the innocent frequently find them
selves obliged to pay some Of the pen
atty for the misdeeds Of the guilty;
and so if hard times comes, whether
they be due to our own fault or to
misfortune. whether they be due 10
some burst of speculative frenzy that
has caused a portion Of the business
world to lose its head-a loss which
no legislation can possibly supply
or whether they be due to any lack
Of wisdom in a portion of the world 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
interest among our people. The vel
fare of all of us, and therefore in pub
lie life that man is the best represent
ative Of each of us who seek to do
good to each by doing good to all; in
other words, whose endeavor it is, not
to represent any special class and pro
mote merely that classs selfish inter
ests. but to represent all true and hon
est men Of all sections and all classes
and to work for their interests by
working for our common country
We can keep our government on a
sane and healthy basis, we can make
and keep our social syetem what it
should be. only on condition of judg-