Connecticut western news., 1903-09-17
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER r, 1sO
GOING TO EXTREMES.

GOING TO EXTREMES.
 It seems to be a law of nature, as we'll as the custom of mankind, to go to ex- tremes. The weather is constantly changing, from one extreme to the other. The four seasons of the year follow each other in rotation, but they are entirely different. The arctic weather of winter is just the opposite of the torrid weather of summer, and the leaves of spring unfolding with new life are just the opposite of the dying and falling leaves of autumn.
 Mankind goes from one extreme to the other The periods of business prosper ity are always followed by periods of depression, panic and diversity, just as sure as night follows day. This is be- cause mankind is prone to go to ex- tremes, instead of being content with a happy medium of reasonable wages, reasonable profits, and reasonable busi- ness prosperity. Some people cannot bear prosperity. It makes them proud, tyranical and overbearing. The coal barons manifested and exemplified this spirit last year in their dealings with the public and with the coal miners.
 History, both sacred and profane, il- illustrates the proneness of mankind to 20 to extremes. After the IsraeGtes were miraculously delivered from Egyptian bondage, they immediately plunged into all manner of excesses, and even caused Aaron to make a golden calf for them to worship. They were punished for that sin, however, and they wandered forty years in the wilderness, and of the 600, 900 men who came out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, only Caleb and Joshua were permitted to enter the promised land of Canaan.
 It is recorded in Deuteronomy VIII, 4, that while the Israelites wandered in the wilderness, their raiment waxed not old upon them in forty years. That was a dull time for tailors and clothing deal CTS, and it would have been a poor time for walking delegates to order strike. In the same chapter of Deuteronomy we read that in order to humble the Israel ites, God suffered them to hunger, and fed them with mama for forty years. That was dull time for wheat raisers, millers, bakers and peddlers, but it is not recorded that any of them went on a strike. But if we observe the history of events, and the trend of affairs, we discover that it is necessary to humble the capitalists as well as the laborers.
 It is an old proverb that 8 man must first learn to obey before he is fitted to govern. In other words, man must first learn self control before he can be entrusted with much power. AS a rule the capitalists have learned the value of self control, and diplomacy, better than labor unions have. That is not to be wondered at when we see the vast diff ference in the number of men enrolled as capitalists, and the vast army enrolled in labor unions. The labor unions are composed of men of many nationaGties, many conflicting opinions or interests, and of course large organizations of men are unwieldy and more difficult to handle, or to agree on any definite course than smaller bodies are. Labor unions seem to be necessity while there is so much difference of opinion between capital and labor. But some labor unions are not controlled by the brightest minds in them, but are con troled by numbers, by men who have never studied the art of diplomacy.
 There is one passage in the Lords Prayer that we never could fully under stand, viz: ..GIvE us this day our daily bread" That might have been an ap- propriate petition for the Israehtes in the wilderness, who did not work, yet expected to be fed, yea fed on mamma In the present age that petition should be uttered by tramps; but the honest willing and capable workman is willing to earn his daily bread There have been so many and so great disturbances in the general labor situation during this year, and the end is not yet, that il is asserted that capitalists now propose to wait for the end of the factional wars and strikes, and have already cancelled contracts or plans for nearly $20O, ,OOO, ,OO'
 worth of building operations. If this b, true some laboring men will want t, change one part of the Lords Prayer s,
 that it will read "give us chance t.
 earn our daily bread" Thus we se
 that in the labor market, as in all othe
 markets, one extreme follows another
 and that diversity often follow
 prosperity.
 On the subject of building operations
 the Springfield Republican of Septembe
 2. 1908, contains the following srtici