The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1904-01-23
HANNA ON
SOCIALISM
Ohio Senator Tells His Opinion Of
Trade Unions and UphOIds
the Power OF Education.

BOSTON, Jan. Ex-senator Marcus
A. Hanna Of Ohio contributes to the
February number of the National Mag
azine, published IN this city, timely
and forceful article under the caption
of Socialism and the Labor Unions
1t embOdies in concrete form some OF
the conclusions drawn by Senator Han.
ma from his observations and expert.
ence in business and politics and in a
measure outlines his lifewOrk and indi-
Gates his personal ambition.
After expressing his belief in the
power Of education over the American
people and declaring that the basis Of
right success is fairness and justice,
Senator Hanna writes:
There is no more engrossing Ques.
ton than that OF the relation between
labor and capital, which seems the
paramount issue today. The instinct
of workingmen to band together tC
protect themselves is no more to be
wondered at than the same instinct
when shown on the part Of capital.
Now, my plan is TO have organized I'M
ion labor Americanized in the best
sense and thoroughly educated to an
understanding OF its responsibilities
and in this way to make it the ally Of
the capitalist rather than foe with
which to grapple.
ut is often asked what is to become
Of the nOnorganiZed consumer If an
amicable alliance is made between la.
Dor and capital. But every man be.
longs either TO the one or the other
group. For that matter, he is likely
to belong to both.
II took some time to consider the
work Of the Civic Federation and am
firmly convinced that it Is the object
TO which / desire to consecrate the re,
naming years of my life, | fully ap.
preclate that 1t is long struggle, 5ut
the progress already made under the
motto of the Civic Federation, the
Golden Rule, has surpassed even my
most sangUne expectations, and | am
sure that the American people will
sustain a policy, based upon the high
est moral and social impulse, which
will eliminate the passionate prejudices
that now exist between capital and
labor.
Labor organizations may be open to
sharp criticism at times, but it cannot
be fairly stated that they are always
wrong. If every man is treated as a
man and an appeal made TO his heart,
as well as TO his reason, it will estab-
lish a bond of confidence as a sure
foundation to build upon. While labor
unions may have been a curse to Eng
land, l believe that they will prove a
boon to our own country when a prop
er basis Of confidence and respect is
established,
1.-THE menace of today, as view it,
is the spread of a spirit of socialism,
one Of those things which is only half
understood and is more or less used to
infame the popular mind against all
individual initiative and personal en-
ergy, which has been the very essence
of American progress. There is a spir-
il of cooperation or community OF in
terests which some people may con-
found with socialism that Is making
Roadway with us, but when any one
attempts for political or financial rea-
sons to advocate the whole programme
OF European socialism he will find lit
tie prospect of the seeds taking root in
American soil This, think. was dem
onstrated very conclusively in the Ohio
campaign, where higher socialism was
brought forth as an issue.
Fairness and justice will never agree
to the confscation of the products Of
one mans toll in order to insure COM
fort to the idle and worthless. No
ism is wanted by the American peo-
pie that will take from any citizen the
just and equitable reward of his labor,
Both capital and labor must yield in
time to the great law of fair dealing,
man to :2an. wish l could impress
upon every American the individual re-
sponsibility that rests upon each one
of us. Every year of experience, ev-
cry dollar of accumulated capital ev-
cry talent we possess, should be re-
garded as a sacred charge for the good
of the nation to help in uniting the in
terests of rich and poor, learned and
unlearned."