Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1904-12-10
4 WWUAL MESSAGE

icrou, directions. shall shortly lay
hciOIO You p "a special message the
iuN r.uurt ui tho Investigation of the
hurOBu of labor into the Colorado
mimi. strike as This ia r. strike in
which certain very evil forces which
rr moro ur Jess at work every here
under tho cnndE IONS of modern en-
duairlnlism, became atartlinHiy pr0mi-
nHnt Dc ig greatly fo ho wished that
GOO department of commerce and la-
nIr. through the labor bureau. should
compile and nrrauro Tor the congress
lHt OF the labor laws ~ tho var
I louis states aud should boz given che
means tO Investigate aud report 90
/ trt con ross upon 'ho labor cOndi
IIrs Iu fhe manufacturing and min.
nH rUE|una throughout me country
both 1H tu WAGES. ua tO hours of la.
Iur as to the labor of women and
children, and aa to thD effect in the
various labor ceniors of immigration
r abroad Zoo thIs Investigation
.gg'ai attention should Doe paid 90
flU conditions of child lnhur and
rhIld.lahor legislation lu tho several
states. Such an iDVcstigatlon would
necessarily take into account many
nf the problems Zoo which thiH uurs.
I tIun of child labor H connected.
These problems can be actually met.
Boz most cases. only hy The states
themselves. tut me lack of proper
I legislation ln one state in such a
matter az child labor often renders n
excessively difficult Co establish pro
.eDtlvo restriction upon che work 90
another state having The same indus.
rIps. ao that the worst tends to drag
l down iho better. For thls reason. 30
would be VOL for the nation at least
lo tndoayor to secure comprehensive
Information as TO the conditions OF
oft labor OF children in the different
states Such Investigation and pghii
cation hy the national government
would tend toward securing OF ap.
pruK.mately uniform legislation of che
proper character among The several
states
Corporations.
When We come to deal with great
corporations The need for the govern.
mont 20 act directly is iar greater
than boz the case off labor. because
great corporations can become sucn
only by engaEing boz interstate com
morco. and interstate commerce iB pc.
cullarly the field of the general gov.
crnmont u is an abBurdlty 90 OK.
psct 20 eliminate the abuses Ia great
/ corporations by state action u 10
difficult tO De patient with an argu-
mCnt that such matters should be-
I left tO the states. because more than
one state pursuos the policy OF Gre
atinH ON easy terms corporations
which are never operated within
/ that state az an hut In other states
whose laws they ignore The nation
/ al government alone can deal adoqua.
I toly with these great corporations.
I To ry 90 deal with them In an intern.
perutp. destructive or domagoEic
I spirit. would In an probability. mean
that nothing whatever. would De ac.
Complished. and with absolute Ger.
I tuinty, that 10 anything were accom-.
I plIshod DO would be- ~ a harmful ua.
\ turc The American people need io
I continue 90 show the very qualities
| that they have shown that b.. mod.
l GRAFTON good sense. the earnest Dc.
\ sire to avoid doing any damagC. and
I yef the quiet determination 90 pro.
Coed step by STEP without halt and
/ without hurry. Ia eliminating or at
least in minimizing whatever OF mis-.
chief or of evil there is 90 Interstate
I commerce u thr conduct uf great
corporations they are acting ln mo-
/ spirit of hostility 20 wealth. either
| individual or corporate. They are noe
against the rich man any more
than against the poor man on
the contrary. they are friendly alike
toward rich man and toward poor
man. provided oniy th3i each acts lu
a spirit of Justice and dcconcy Co.
ward their fellows Great corpora.
tIuna are necessary. and only men of
great and singular mental power can
manage such corporations success
fully, and such meu must have great
rewards but those corporations
should be- managed with due regard
ITO The interest Of the public as a
whole Where this can be done under
the present laws "a must be- done
Where those laws come short orders
should be enncted 90 supplement
them.
Yet we must never forget the de-
tCrmlning factor ln every kind Oi
work, Of head or hand. must be- the
mans own good sense. courage. and
Ikindliness. More important than any
Legislation is the gradual growth of
feeling the responsibility and forboar
ancc among capitalists and wage
workers alike, feeling OF broad
community OF interest. not mere
Ily Of capitalists among them
selves, and OF wage workers amOnr
themselves, but OF capitalists and
wage workers in their relations tu
each other and OF both IN their re-
lasions tO their fellows who with
them make mp the body polite There
are many captains OF industry. many
labor leaders, who realize tails a re.
cent speech by the president OF one
lof our great railroad systCms 90 the
I employees OF that system contains
sound common sense. II runs in part
as follows
"a is my belief we can hottor sorve
each other. better understand the man
as well as his business. when moot
Ing face 20 face. exchanging views
and realizing from personal contact
We serve but one Interest. that of
our mutual prosperity.
Serious MISUNDERSTANDING can not
occur where personal good will ex
lots and opportunity for personal OK
plantation is present.
I'm my early business life / had
experience With men of affairs of a
character to make me desire 90 avoid
creating a like feeling OF resentment
to myself and che interests 10 my