The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-08-21
THE EIGHT HOUR LAW.
Mr.. Roosevelt Discusses Relations Of
Capital and Labor.

New York. Aug 21-In his letter to
Representative James Watson yester-
day, dealing win the political issues,
President Roosevelt said:
I hope and believe that the bills to
prohibit political contributions by cor
porations and TO lower the duties on inn
ports from the Philippine Islands, each
Of which mas been passed by one house,
VIII be enacted into law. I hope and I
have reason to believe that favorable
action will be taken upon the bill limit
ing the number of hours of employment
of railway employees.
The strides taken by the present con-
gresS nave been even longer in the right
direction. The enactment of the pure
food bin and the passage of the bill
which rendered effective the control Of
the government over the meat packing
industries are really along the same
general line as the passage of the inter-
state commerce law and are second only
to it in Importance.
To the reactionaries who seem to
fear that to deal in proper fashion with
the abuses of property is somehow an
attack upon property, we would recall
the words of Edmund Burke: If wealth
IS oDedient and laboricus in the service
Ct virtue and public honor. then wealth
Is IN its place and has its use. But If
this order is chenged end honor is to be
sacrificed to the conservation Ct riches,
riches which have neither eyes nor
hands nor anything truly vital in them
cannot long survive the we'll being of
their legitimate masters. If we COM
mand our wealth we shall be rich and
free If our wealth commands US we
are poor indeed.
The Eight Hour Law.
In addition to thus dealing with the
proper control of capitalistic wealth,
congress has also taken important steps
in securing to the wage workers certain
great rights. At the session that has
just closed an employers liability law
was enacted which puts the national
government in its proper place as re-
CARDS such legislation. An eight-hour
law was already on the statute books,
but as is almost inevitable with such
laws, there has first been great confus-
lon as to whose duty 1t was among the
different public officials 10 enforce it,
This confusion has now been remedied
and the law is in process Of thorough
enforcement
IF this enforcement demonstrates the
need OF additional legislation to make
this S-hour law effective, shall ask for
such legislation. may add that next year
shall ask congress to put in the perma-
nent form of law the provision / have
made by executive order for securing to
the wage workers under the government
half holidays during the summer months,
just as regular holidays are now secured
by law for the salaried clerical workers IN
the classified service.
I'VE will do everything that can be
done to further the interests Of the FAR
mer and the wage worker, and this dec
laration is subject only to one reserVa-
tion-which is. that for no man and no
body of men will we do anything that is
wrong We favor the organization OF Ia
Dor, as we favor the organization OF cap
ital; but on condition that organized la
Dor and organized capital alike act in a
spirit of Justice and fair dealing, and
with due regard to both the letter and
the spirit of the law. We heartily favor
trades unions and we recognize IN them,
as in the corporations, when properly
conducted. Indispensable instruments in
the economic life Of the present day; but
where either type of organization Is gull
ty of abuse we do not propose to weaken
the remedial powers of the governm ent to
deal with such abuse.
I'VE are anxious to help. alike by law
and by executive action, so far as our
power lies. every honest man, every
right dealing labor union, and, for that
matter. Of every right dealing corpora
ton. But as a corollary to this we in
tend fearlessly and resolutely to uphold
the law and to strengthen it SO that we
can put down wrong, whether done by
rich or poor; if done by the most power
full corporation or the most influential
labor union just as much as if done by
the humblest and least influential indi-
vidual in the land. The fact that we
heartily recognize an organization or a
kind of organization as useful will not
prevent our taking action to control it or
to prevent it's committing abuses when It
uses in wrong fashion the power which
organization confers-