Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1905-12-07
Tn labor Question.

The labor question Ii treated OF al cum
siderable length, and In this connection the
president says:
There has been demand for depriving
courts Of the power to issue injunctions
In labor disputes. Such special hmita-
tIon Of the equity powers OF our court.
would be most unwise. IL 10 Uue tna.
some Judges have misused this pvWHi,
but this does not Justify denial Oh .no
power any more than an improper SAet
r,.a ~ the power to call q strike by
iahor leader would Justify the denial OF
the right to strike. The remedy 10 to
regulate the procedure by recurring the
iudee 10 give due notice to the ADVERSE
nartIes before granting the writ. the hear
ine TO be ex parte II the adverse party
does mot appear at the time and place
ordered. What Is due notice must depend
unon the facts of the case; II ehoulu NOT
he used as a pretext to permit violation
of law. or the jeopardizing OF Ire OF
nronertv OF course this would not au-
thorize the issuing Of restraining order
or Injunction in any case In which II ID
not already authorized by existing law
renew the recommendation l made
In INV last annual message for an In
vestiRation by the department OF COM
merce and labor of general labor condi-
tions especial attention TO be paid to the
conf'tions Of child labor and child labor
legislation In the several states. such
an Investigation should take into account
the various problems with when tne
question of child labor Is connected. IL
is true that these problems can be actu-
ally met In most cases only by the states
themselves, but It would be well for lne
natiop To endeavor to secure and publish
"a a NhA r0Il-
ditions of the labor Of children In the DIFF
ferent states, SO as to spur up those that
are behindhand, and to secure approx
inately uniform legislation OF high
character among the several states. In
such a republic as ours the one thing
that we cannot afford 10 neglect 10 the
problem Of turning out decent citizens
The future of the nation depends upon
the citizenship of the generations 10
come: the children of to-day are those
who tomorrow will shape the destiny
Of our land, and we cannot afford TO neg
lect them. The legislature OF Colorado
has recommended that the national gov
ernment provide some general measure
for the protection from abuse OF children
and dumb animals throughout the United
states. / lay the matter before you for
what / trust will be your favorable con-
sideration.
The department of commerce and labor
should also make thorough investiga-
tion of the conditions Of women in In
dustry. over 100000 American women
are now engaged in gainful occupations;
vet there Is an almost complete dOarth
OF data upon which to base any trust
worthy conclusions as regards q subject
as important as II ls vast and cOmpil-
Gated. There is need Of full knowledge
on which to base action looking toward
state and municipal legislation for the
protection Of working vomen. The In
PRODUCTION OF women into industry Is
working change and disturbance In the
domestic and social life OF the nation.
The decrease In marriage and especially
in the birth rate, has been coincident with
IT. We must face accomplished facts,
and the adjustment to factory conditions
must be made but surely Y can be made
with less friction and less harmful effects
on family life than is now the ease
This whole matter in reality forms one
OF the greatest sociological phenomena
OF our time; II is social question OF
the first Importance, Of far greater I'M
portance than any merely political or
economic question can be; and to solve
II we need ample data gathered In a
OF an exhaustive investigation.
In concluding, with the subject Of labor
the president says:
In any great labor disturbance not only
are employer and employe interested, but
also a third psrty-the general pubic
Every considerable labor difhculty In
which interstate commerce is involved
should be Investigated by the govern
nent and the facts ofilcially reported 70
the public
Equal Rights for All.
The question Of securing q healthy,
self-rsspecting and mutually sympatheue
attitude as between employer and en-
ploye, capitalist and wage worker, Is
dlfficult one. All phases OF the laDol
problem prove dihlcult when approached
But the underlying principles, the rool
principles, in accordance with which the
problem must lbe solved are entirely sim
Die. We can get justice and right dealing
only n we put as Of paramount impor'
lance the principle Of treating q man on
his worth as a man rather than with
reference to his social position. his occu'
nation. or the class to which he belongs
There are selfish and brutal men in all
ranks Of life. n they are capitalists
their selhshness and brutality may TAXI
the form OF hard indifference 10 sufier'
ing. greedy disregard Of every moral re
straint which Interferes with the accum.
uiation OF wealth. and cold-biooded ex.
ploitatlon Of the weak; or, n they arr
iaborers, the form OF lazineas. Of suller
envy OF the more fortunate, ana Of viii
lnrnesa to perform deeds Of murderoui
violence Such conduct is Just ~ repre-
hensibls IN one case a. IN the other, and
ali honest and farteeing men should jolr
In uarrinE against IL wherever u b.
comes manifest Individual eapitaliHt and
individual wage worker. corporation ant
union. are alike entitled 10 the protec
don Of the law. and must alike obey tn
law.
The Insurance Scandal
q, N, sub,,et Of NE Insurance ths prssi