Free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1888-1908, 1905-12-09


'wnership OF railroads is highly undesir-
Ible and would probably in this country
ntail far rea ching disaster. that | wish
see such supervision and regulation
IF them in the interest of the public as
will make it evident that there is no need
or public ownership The opponents of
government regulation dwell upon the
iifhcultieS to be encountered and the
intricate and involved nature OF the prob
en- Their contention is true. 1t is a
COMPLICATED and delicate problem. and all
inds of difficulties are sure TO arise in
connection with any plan of solution
while no plan will bring ali the benefits
hoped for by its more optimistic adher-
ants. Moreover. under any healthy plan
apldly. Finally. we must clearly under
stand that the public servants who are
ielicate work must themselves be of the
lIghest type both as regards integrity and
'rnclency. They must be well paid, for
otherwise able men can not in the long
'un, be secured; and they must possess
ly at the thought of pandering to any
gust of popular prejudice against rich
-emotely resembling Subserviency to rich
men. But while fully admit the diff
admit that these difHcuifies warrant us
IN stopping in our effort to secure wise
other eeef than to sSuE 9s on h1 to he
exercise of the resolution, the even hand
ed Justice. and the fertility of resource.
American. and which will in the end
achieve good results in this in other
one and underlies the task OF dealing
with the whole industrial problem. But
the fact that 1t is a great problem does
not warrant us in shrinking from the
tempt to solve it. At present we face
such utter lack OF supervision. such
excellent men have often been literally
forced into doing what they deplored
because otherwise they We're left at the
mercy of INSCRIPTIONS competitors. To
rail al and assail the men who have done
accompIishes little What We need to do
is to develop an orderly system; and
The gradually increased exercise of the
right of efficient government control
The necessity for safety appliances
on railroads. recommended in the
Presidents message to the last Con
gross. is emphasized. together with
the necessity for a law regulating the
hours of labor OF railroad men
On the labor question, the mes
sage says:
There has been demand for depriving
courts of the power to issue injunct ions
in labor disputes Such special limita ton
of the equity powers of our courts would
judges have msused this power: but this
does not justify Il denial of the power
the power to call strike by labor
leader would Justify the denial of the right
procedure by requiring the judge to give
| due notice to the adverse parties before
granting the writ, the hearing to be eX
| parte if the adverse party does not APP
| pear at the time and place ordered
| What is due notice must depend upon the
| facts of the case: it should not be used
as a pretext to permit viola ton OF law.
| or the jeopardiZing OF life property
| OF course. this would not authorize the
| issuing of a restraining order or njunr
| ton in any case in which it is not already
authorized by existing law.
| l renew the recommended ton I made III
my last annual message for an inVestisa =.
| Labor general labor
| attention to be paid to the conditions of
| the several states Such an inVeStiga ton
| should take into account the various prob
lens with which the question of child
problems be actually met in most
cases only by the states themselves. but
| or to secure and publish comprehensive
| information as to the conditions of the
so as to spur up those that are behind
| hand. and to secure approximately uni
among the '' several s states In such "a a
| Republic as ours the one thing that we
Of turning out decent citizens The
| future of the nation depends upon the
the children OF to-day are those who to-
| morrow will shape the destiny of our land.
and we can not afford 10 neglect them
| mended that the national government
provide. some general measure for the
| protection from abuse of children and
| dumb animals throughout the United
| States. l lay the matter before you for
what ! trust Will be your favorable con-
| SideratiOn.
In any great labor disturbance not only
! are employer and employe Interested. but
Every comsfderabIe labor difticulty in
which Interstate commerce is involved
| should be investigated by the government
and the facts officially reported TO the
public.
The question OF securing a healthy self
! respecting. and mutually sympathetic at
| utude as between employer and employe,
capitalist and wage worker. is difficult
one. All phases OF the labor problem
prove difficult when approa ched. But the
| underlying principles. the root principles
must The be solved arr entirely simple We
| can get justice and right dealing only il
| We must face accomplished facts. and the
principle of treating a man his worth
as Il man rather than with reference to
class to which he belongs There are
| selfish and brutal men in all ranks of life
! If they are capitalists their seltishnesS
| and brutality may take the form of hare
| Indifference to suffering greedy disregard
of every moral restraint which interferes
| with the accumulation of wealth. anC
cold hlooded exploitation of the weak: or
if they are laborers- the form of laziness
! Of Willingness TO perform deeds of muir
derous violence Such conduct is jus
other, and all honest and farSeeing mer
should join in warning against it Wherevel
list and Individual wage worker, corpora
tion and union. are alike entitled to the
| protection OF me law. ana must alike
obey the law. Moreover. in addition Il
mere obedience to the law. each man
if he be a really good citizen. must show
genuine desire to look at any question
arising between them from the standpoint
of that neighbor no less than from hi:
own; and to this end it is essential tina
capitalist and wage worker should con
| suit freely one with the other. should eacl
strive TO bring closer the day when botf
shall realize that they properly part
nerS and not enemies To approach th'
questions which inevitably arise bctWeeT
them solely from the standpoint which
| treats each side in the mass as the EN-
wicked and foolish. In the past the mos
direfu among the influences which have
brought about the downfall of republic:
has ever been the growth of the elias
spirit. the growth OF the spirit which
tends to make man subordinate the wei
fare OF the public whole to the vel
fare of the particular class to which hS
belongs. This inevitably brings about
tendancy to treat each man not on HI:
merits as an individual. but on his posi-
! tion belonging TO certain class II
in this Republic II will ultim tely prove
| fatal 10 US. in the past il as proved
IA tai 10 every community in which Il has
become dominant Unless we con
tinGe to keep quick and lively
sense OF the great Fundamental
truth that our concern is with the Individual
worth OF the individual man. this govern
ment cannot permanently hold the place
which il has achieved among the nations The
Vitai lines OF cleavage among our people do
not correspond aud indeed run al right an
II liz II -5a u-ff .zh "