Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1904-12-06

49, 49, BISMARCK DAILY TRIBUNE, =. I
forces winch are more or less 1T wora
everywhere under the conditions 4 81
modern industrialism became startling
ly prominent. It's greatly to be wishes
that the department of commerce ant
labor, through the labor bureau, shoult
compile and arrange for. the congress !,
list Of the labor laws Of the variou.
states and should be given the mean
to investigate and report to the con
gress upon the labor conditions IN tn.
manufacturing and mining regioni
throughout the country both as tt
wages, as to hours of labor, as to, th,
labor Of women and children and as tt
the effect in the various labor CENTER
Of immigration from abroad. In THU
investigation especial attention shoult
be paid to the conditions of child labol
and child labor legislation in the sew
eral states. Such an investigation
must necessarily take into account
many of the problems with which thi,
question of child labor Is connected
These problems can be actually met IL
most cases only by the states them
selves, but the lack Of prs.aer legisla
ton in one state In such ] matter al
child labor often renders it excessive
" difficult to establish protective re
striction upon the work in anothe,
state having the same Industries, 81
that the worst tends to drag down thu
better. For this reason it would bs
well for the nation at least to endeavol
to secure comprehensive information al
to the conditions of labor of children IL
the different states. Such investigation
and publications by the national gov
eminent would tend toward the secur
Ing of approximately uniform legisla
ton Of the proper character among thu
several states.
5:.:...:,l Corporations. w., .
When we come to deal with grea,
corporations the need for the govern
ment to act directly Is far greater thar
In the case Of labor, because great cor
porations can become such only by en-
gagfng in Interstate commerce, and in
terstate commerce is peculiarly thu
field OF the general government. II
Ia an absurdity to expect to eliminate
the abuses in great corporations by
state action. 1t Is difficult to be pa
dent with an argument that such mat
tiers should be left to the states, be
cause more than one state pursues thu
policy Of creating on easy terms cor
porations which are never operated
within that state at all, but in Other
states whose laws they ignore. The
national government alone can deal
adequately with these great corpora,
lions. To try to deal with them in an
Incorporate, destructive or demagogi<
spirit would in all probability mean
that nothing whatever would be &C
complished and with absolute certain.
ty that If anything We're accomplish.
ed it would be Of harmful nature
The American people need to continue
to show the very qualities that they
have shown-that is, moderation, good
sense, the earnest desire to avoid do
ing any damage and yet the quiet de
termination to proceed, step by step
without halt and without hurry, In
eliminating or at least in minimizing
whatever Of mischief or Of evil there
Is to interstate commerce in the con.
duct Of great corporations. They ars
acting in no spirit Of hostility to
wealth, either individual or corporate
They are not 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 only that each acts in a spirit
of justice and decency toward his fel
lows. Great corporations are neces
sary, and only men Of great and singu.
lar mental power can manage such
corporations successfully, and such
men must have great rewards. But
these corporations should be managed
with due regard to the interest of the
public as whole. Where this can be
done under the present laws it must
be done. Where these laws come short
others should be enacted to supple.
ment them. r., ~ /,
Yet we must never forget the de.
termining factor In every kind Of work
OF head or hand, must be the mans
own good sense, courage and kindli.
ness. More important than any legis.
lation is the gradual growth Of feel
ing Of responsibility and forbearance
among capitalists and wageworkers
alike-a feeling Of respect on the par,
Of each man for the rights Of others, 4
feeling Of broad community Of inter
est not merely Of capitalists among
themselves and Of wageworkers among
themselves, but Of capitalists and
wageworkers In their relations to each
other and Of both In their relations t.
their fellows who with them make ur
the body polite. There are many cap
tains Of industry, many labor leaders
who realize this. A recent speech by
the president of one Of our great rail-
road systems to the employees Of that
system contains sound common sense
It runs In part AZ follows: