The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-09-06
SEVEN THOUSAND UNION
men MARCH In PARADE
St. Paus Workmen Tramp Through City Streets the
Music of Dozen Bands-AfternoOn Programme of
Speeches and Sports Is Checked at Close of Day by
Unions


prominence in the line; the tailors, who
/ all rode in carriages; the plumbers,
| and the ice wagon drivers.
Among the numerous picturesque
uniforms was that of the blacksniths
"a leather apron, blue shirt and cap
| and lighter blue suspenders. Each
blacksmith carried long-handled
| hammer
| AS the parade passed the Sixth
street entrance of the Hotel Ryan it
was critically reviewed by the judges,
Prof. Carl ROthfuss physical director
of the Y. M. c. A; Maj. Oscar Seebach,
| of the National Guard of Minnesota,
and f. w. Peterson, commander of
Camp Guy Carlton, Philippine Veter-
| ans.
At Harriet Island
| The abrupt change in the weather
| late yesterday afternoon cut short the
list of sports at the big Labor day pic
| mic on Harriet island; prevented the
| dances that were to have been enjoyed
| in the pavilion; bedraggled more than
| one white frOck, and brought much in
| convenience and some nervous shocks
+, to the crowd of pleasure seekers. But
as the rain did not fall in earnest until
after o'clock, the pleasures Of the
| afternoon were not lost Even If pic
! nickers had to stand for hours within
the pavilion; even if the telephone
| didn't work so that conveyanceS might
| be Summoned-no one was injured and
the races may be run some other day.
| While the Union band played early
in the afternoon at the grove pavilion"
| couples danced there who would not
hear speeches from the band stand.
First of the speakers was Gov. Van
| SAINT, introduced by President William
Templeman, of the Trades and Labor
assembly.
No one, said the governor felt
prouder of the magnificent parade in
the morning than he. He could not
| find word to express his gratitude to
the men that had taken so great a part.
| in the upbuilding of the common
| wealth.
Labor was the right hand of govern
ment-doing it's work in time of peace
| and fighting it's battles in time of war.
Capital and labor should remember
their mutual interdependence, With
out labor capital was powerless. What
would the manufacturer accomplish
without his many hands? What would
| the merchant prince be able to sell
without his army Of clerks.
| Capital and labor were as old as the
| human race. Capital organized, labor
| had a right to- do the same What
would have been the condition of labor
| today if it had not been for organiza-s
| ton. !
The governor hoped that labor might
| long continue to be employed at good
wages that every laboring man might
| be able topossess his own home. This
| would realize, actually and ,figuratiYely,
| the advice of Lincoln-.'Don't pull
| down your neighbor's house; build one
| of your own" For, each in the poSSeS-l
| sion of his own home, the American
| laboring men would be best fitted to
| attain the highest standard of Ameri-
can citizenship.
I The Address of the Day
Eben c. Ives, of the typographical
union, a member of the city charter
commission, said in effect:
1t is indeed unfortunate that the re-
| lations between capital and labor are SO
| frequently discussed from the viewpoint
| of the extremist.
We all know that there is an un-
avoidable antagonism between the en-
/ ployer and the employee; but it should
only be the antagonism of the buyer and
| imagine himself feudal baron, with the
power of life and death over his retainers;
nor should the employe consider himself
freebooter in enforcif1g his demands.
will assume, as admitted, that both
capital and labor have the right to or
self of this right to the fullest extent.
Labor has organized, but not so effec-
| lively as capital. 1t has found its adj
vance contested at every, point. Thou
sands of men have been discharged from
/ employment for even attempting to exer-
else the right to organize. Long and dis
hardships beyond description, and sub
| mission or starvation has frequently been
| the only alternative left.
| Apparently the labor laws as enacted
by the legislatures have been approached
with the prior conviction that they are
1 presumptively against public policy and
But while formal enactments have
thus been set aside, the common law, the
unwTitten law, the Judge made law, has
been rapidly extended in its application.
But perhaps piece of judicial legisla-
| tion has gone so far, or Is likely to have
such far-reaching results, as these late
| legal.
/ do not intend to sound note of dis
enlargement but only to point out dan
gers that are undeniable. 1t is also my
purpose to make some suggestions as to
what your future policy should be-.
Should Enter Politics
Why not give more attention to the
great field of politics, where capital Is so
powerful and dominating, and where the
influence of labor has been almost unfelt?
The working people and the middle class
es as we'll seem to have closed their
eyes to the many advantages that can
only come through political organization.
There is, therefore, paramount neceS-
sity that labor should take intelligent
political action. do not mean that it
should resolve itself into party of radi-
cal social reformers. Such party is
not likely to secure sufficient popular sup
port to become an effective force A few
clear-cut principles will suffice for a rally
ing point.
First, we should favor the extension Of
government ownership to the telegraph
lines the railways and the furnishing of
q