Albuquerque evening citizen., 1905-08-10
THE PRESlDENT's SPEECH
Continued from PAGE IL

iiqUOi anu LOT VICIOUS pleasure, we
have feeling of anger and contempt
| mixed with our pity; but for his un-
fortunate wife and little ones we feel
only pity, and that of the deepest
and tenderest kind.
Everything possible should be done
TO encourage the growth of that spirit
OF selt-respect. self-restraint, self-re-
nance, which If IL only grows enough
is certain to make all those in whom
II shows itself move steadily upward
toward the highest standard of Am
erican citizenship. II is a prouu and
responsible privilege to be citizens of
this great seif.governing nation: and
each of us needs to keep steadily be-
fore his eyes the fact that he is who'll
ly UNIT to take part in the work of
governing others unless he can first
govern himself. re must stand up
manfully for his own rights; he must
obey the law. and he must try to live
up to those rules of righteousness
which are above and behind all laws
This applies just as much to the
man OF great wealth as to the man of
small means; to the capitalist as to
the wage-worker. And as one practic-
al point, let me urge that in the event
of any difficulty especially If it is
what is known as a labor trouble,
both sides show themselves willing to
meet, willing to consult, and anxious
each to treat the other reasonably and
fairly, each to look at the others side
of the case and to do the other Just
ice. If only this course could be gem
orally followed, the chance of indus
trial disaster would be minimized.
Now, my friends, want to read you
an extract from a letter | have just
received from a Catholic priest whom
know well and whom | know to be
as staunch a friend of the laboring
man as there is to be found in this
country. Now and then-not too Of
tent is good thing for all of us to
hear what is not perhaps altogether
palatable, provided only that the per-
son who tells the truth is our genuine
friend, knows what he is talking
about (even though he may not see
all sides of the easel. and tells us
what he has to say, not with desire
TO hurt our feelings, but with the
transparent purpose TO do us good.
With this foreword, here is a part of
the letter;
Il would humbly recommend that
you lend your entire weight to the
cause which the Catholic Total Alb
stinence Union of America represents
and especially so in its relation to the
working classes of this country, for
whom it is doing so much good You
know that the temperance move.
ment is a potent auxiliary to the in
stitutions of our country in building
up a better manhood and a truer
Christianity among our citizens. 1t
played very important part in the
two coal strikes of 1900 and 1902, re-
spectivey, by keeping the men sober,
and thus removing the danger of
riotous and unbecoming conduct.
There Is one discouraging feature
connected with the upward tendency
of the wage scale among the work.
men of this country. The higher the
wages, the more money they spend in
saloons. The shorter the hours. the
more they are inclined to absent
themselves from home. An apparent
disregard for family ties is growing
among the poorer classes which will
eventually lead to a disregard for the
blessings our country affords them.
ence, with an increase of wages a
corresponding movement for better
manhood, nobler citizenship, and
truer Christianity should be set on
foot. The dignity of labor should
be maintained, which can be done
only through the love that man
should have for his work, and through
the intelligence which he puts into It..
A steady hand and sober mind are
necessary for this. Hence, the neces-
slty or the temperance cause and of
the efforts which organized abstainers
are putting into the movement"
Now, in what is here written this
priest does not mean that the tend
ency is to grow worse; but he means
that with shorter hours and Increased
wages there is a tendency to 20
wrong which must be offset by moye-
ments such as this great temperance
movement and similar efforts for So
cial and civic betterment, or else the
increase in leisure and money will
prove a curse instead of a blessing. |
strive never 20 tell anyone what | do
not thoroughly believe, and | shall
not say to you that to be honest, and
temperate, and harworking, and thrift
ty VIII always bring success.
The hand of the Lord is sometimes
heavy upon the just as well as upon
the unjust, and in the life of labor and
effort which we must lead on this
earth 1t is not always possible either
by work. by wisdom, or by upright be-
hayior to ward off disaster But it is
most emphaticaly true that the
chance for leading a happy and pros
porous life is immensely improved If
only the man is decent, sober, indus
trious and exercises foresight and
Judgment. Let him remember above
all that the performance of duty is
the first essential to right living, and
that a good type of average family |
life is the corner stone of national
happiness and greatness. No man can
be good citizen, can deserve the re-
spect of his fellows, unless first of all
he is a good man in his own family,
unless he does his duty faithfully by
his wife and children.
/ strongly believe in trades unions
wisely and justly handled, in which
the rightful purpose to benefit those
connected with them is not accompa-
MED by a desire to do injustice or
wrong 20 others. | believe in the
duty Of capitalist and wage-worker to
try TO seek one another ont, to under
stand each the others point Of view,
and 10 endeavor to show broad and
kindly human sympathy one with the
other.
/ believe in the Worl, Of tbaso or-aat