The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-02-13

engendered." Surely this is the same and hopeful view to take. Guarantees that every man-laborer or capitalist may freely try to get the largest possi- Die reward for the expenditure of his tune and energy. and permission to re- sort to combination in that effort, should not be allowed to involve the irl- definite continuance of mutually des- tfuctlVe warfare, to the injury of the public as we'll as the combatants. Dem ocracy is responsible for the beginning of this warfare; democracy, in Presi- dent Eliot's opinion, must assume re- sponsibility for it's pacification. If the present tendencies to combination of both capital and labor were to be car ried to their full and final conclusion the whole of society would be divided into nlonopolistic trade groups; each group would be trying to benefit itself by raising prices on it's own goods or labor; the union being on everything would be of no advantage to anybody, and the only market would be "a hig- gling between entrenched monopolies.' demand consisting of many unionized monopolies would encounter a supply proceeding from single unionized monopoly. This situation" is properly characterized as almost unimag ginable.
 What then is to be done, taking the eacts as we find them and recognizing that social tendencies, once well started, may much better be managed by correc- tive and guiding rather than hostile and destructive treatment? For one thing President Eliot suggests the pos sible expediency of governmental in spection and control of both labor unions and employers associations, the warrant being in the fact that they are monopolistic in tendency and secret in form, i'll both these respects being ire concilable with democracy. But ap- parently he does not have much faith in this plan. '.The real remedies for destructive strife :" he says, whether the strife between workmen and capital ists or the strife between firm monop- olies and society at large, must be found through the deep workings of the same democratic spirit which created the conditions that made such strife possi- ble. Now, the effective democratic powers for good are the increase of in- telligence and skill through education, and the increase of efficiency through the promotion of individual liberty and cooperative good will. How to develop these powers is democratic society's great problem
 Good will is, in fact, the keynote of this wise and healthful address. President Eliot believes that by using "the great forces of publicity, dis cussion and fellow-feeling'' laborers and capitalists, through their organi- gations if they choose, could work to- gether for their common interests and the general social good without the mutual bitternesses and the common losses of recurring strife. Permanent industrial peace is to be sought, in his opinion. through such devices as joint agreements assuring steadiness of em- i ployment, localization of industry mak- ing possible the creation and preserva- i tion of permanent homes, admission of 1 the enploye to more intimate knowledge of his employers side of the business, giving him a more intelligent and personal interest in it, and guarantee that superior individual capacity will in | time secure superior reward. It is not, however, for its specific suggestions so much as for it's general tone of concilia- tion, sympathy and reasonableness that the address is a valuable contribution to the discussion of the labor question. If we could have more of such deep searching into fundamental causes, such comprehensive and tolerant analy- sis of surface manifestations and less 0. the hasty selfishness, blinded pre- judice and violent antagonism that are common among all classes, this ques- tion might be solved as readily and permanently as others of equal impor- tance and perplexity which society in it's slow evolution has met and disposed of. Providence Journal.