Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-12-06
Strong But
Conservative Message
lconeIndea from page ll

1890 N
recognition b. the congress.
There is no objection to employees
Of the government forming or belong
Ing TO unions; bnt the government
can neither discriminate for nor dis
criminate against ~non.unlon men who
are IN lis employment, who seek 70
be employed under Il. Moreover, II -
a very grave improperly for govern.
mcnt employees 10 hand Themselves To-
gethcr for the purpose Of extortlng
improperly high salaries from the
government. Especially is this true
OF those within the classified ser.
vice. The letter carriers. both mn
nicipai and rural. are as a whole an
excellent body OF public servants.
They should be amply paid. But their
payment must be obtained by arguing
their claims fairly and honorably be.
fore the congress. and not by banJ-
ing together for the defeat OF 'hJse
congressman who refuse 10 give pftn.
ises which they can not In conscience
give. The administration has already
taken steps TO prevent and punish
abuses Of this nature: but It viii be
wise for the congress 10 supplement
this action by legislation.
Bureau OF Labor.
Much can be done by the govern.
ment in labor matters merely by Civ
Ing publicity 20 certain conditions.
The bureau Of labor has done excel
lcnt work OF this kind In many diff.
ferent directions. I shall shortly lay
before you In n special message the
full report OF the investigation Of The
bureau Of labor into the Colorado
mining strike. as this II a strike IN
which certain very evil forces. which
are more or less I'll work everywhere
under the conditions Of modern i0Gns.
frialism, became startlingiv pr 1fs.in-
rnt. II Ii greatly 10 he wished that
'he department of commerce ard
labor. through the labor bureau,
should compile and arrange for The
congress a iist nf the labor n ~ o'
the various states, md should re
given the means to investigate AMI
report 10 the congress upon the ialsf'
conditions In ihe manufacturing ans
mining regions throughout the coun
trv. beth ~ to wages, as TO hours q
labor. as Il the labor Of womca an
children, and Az 10 the effect IT. III
various labor eentors of lmmigyaiio
from abroad. In this inras4gsiiGl
especial attention should DO paid 7
the conditions Of child labor and child
labor legislation In the re s.ral states
Such an investigation " neces
sariiy take into account many nf III
problems With which this question Q
child labor Is connected. These prof.
lens can be actually met, In mos
cases. only by the states themselves
but the lack OF proper legislation I
one state In such a matter m chill
labor often renders II excessively di
ficult 70 establish protective rcstri'
tion upon the work In another stat
A@~t-- 49, uAruA t~A,utto& wn tht
the worst tends to drag down the be
fer. For this reason. II wonld \
we'll for the nation AZ least to q
deavor 10 secure comprehensive info
nation as 10 the conditions Of iabt
of children In the different state
Such investigation and publication h
the national government wonid ten
toward the securing OF approxin,s'"
uniform legislation of the proper cha
acter among the several states.
Corporations.
When We comc 10 deaf with so-i,s
ations the need for the governme'
20 act directly IL far greater than
the case of labor, because great @
porafIons can become such only !
engaging In interstate commerce NJ
Interstate commerce In ,ec iliafiy q
field ~ tho general government
Is an absurdi,y 10 expert y e'imi
ate the abuses In great cos,o's 10
by state action. II IN difficult 20
patient with an argument that 81
matters should be left 10 the stat,
because more than one state ptrsu
the policy Of crestlng on easy tern
corporations which are operat'
within that state AZ all but in 9th
states whose laws they ignore II
national government alone can de
adequately with these great corpoi
lions. To try 20 deal with them
an incorporate. destructive. or de-
aroeic spirit would IN all prohahiil'
mean that nothing whatever would
accomplished. and with absolu
certainty. that III anything were a