The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1904-12-07


cirsl and rural, arc as q whole an ex.
cellent body OF public servants They
should be amply paid But their pay
ment must be obtained by arguing
their claims fairly and honorably be-
fore the congress, and no. by band,
ing together for the defeat of those
congressman who refuge to give
promises which they can not in con
science give. The administration has
Already taken steps 10 prevent and
punishment abuses of this nature;
but it win be wise for the congress to
supplement this action by legislation
Bureau OF Labor
Much can be dcne by the govern
ment in labor matters merely by civ.
Ing publicity to certain conditions,
The Bureau OF Labor has done excel
leni, work Of this kind In mans differ
ent directions. ! shalt shortly lay be
fore you in special message the full
report of tho investigation of the Bl,
reau OF Labor into the Colorado min
ing strike, as this Is strike In which
certain very evil forces, which .are
more or less at work everywhere un.
der the conditions of modern indus
trialism. became startlingly promin-
ent. II is greatly to he wished that
the Department of Commerce and La
hor, through the Labor bureau, should
compile ani arrange for the congress
a list of the labor laws OF the various
states, and should be given tho means
20 investigate and report to the con
gress upon the labor conditions IN
the manufacturing and mining re-
gions throughout the country, both as
10 wages, as to hours of labor, as to
the labor of women and children, and
as to the effect In the various labor
centerg of immigration from abroad.
In this investigation especial atten-
ton should be paid TO the conditions
of child labor and chi hi'dlabor legisla-
ton in the several states. Such an
investigation must necessarily take
into account many of the problems
with which this question Of child
labor is connected. These problems
can be actually met. in most cases
only by the states themselves; but
the lack of proper legislation in ono
state in such matter as child labor
often renders il excessively difficult
TO establish protective restriction W
on the work in another state having
the same industries. so that the worst
tends to drag down the, better. For
| this roasoa it would be well for the
nation at least 10 endeavor TO secure
comprehensive information as to the
conditions of labor of children in the
different states Such invest cation
and publication hy the national gov
ernnieut would tend toward The Sc
curing of approximately uniform leg
islatica of the proper character
among the several s.stes.
Corporations.
when we come to deal with great
corporations the need for the GOV
ernpleut to act directly is far greater
than In the case of labor because
great corporaticns can become such
/
Only by engaging in Interstate com
merce. and interstate commerce Is
peculiarly the field of the general gov
ernment. 1t is an absurdity to expect
Ia eliminate the abuses in great cor
porations by state action. II is dif
Gcnlt to be patient with an argument
that such matters should be left tC
the states. because more than one
state eursues the policy of creating
ON easy terms corporations which arc
never operated within that s.ate al
all but in other states whose laws
they ignore. The national govern
ment alone can deal adequately viii
these great corporations. To try (
deal with them in aD ntempeT1te
ldestrucsive. or demagogic spiri
would in all probability, mean tbs
nothing whatever would be accom-
plished. and. with absolute certainty
that if anything were accomplishe,
It would be OF harmful nature. Th'
American peop'e need to continue t'
show the very qualities that the
they have shown--that is. modera
itch. good sense. the earnest desire
tconcluded on Second Pagcl