East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1906-08-31
,lI.tS.arAf's'


ment be brought nearer to the people.
/ am within the limits of the truth
when ] say that the senate has been
for some years the bulwark of perda-
tory wealth and that 1t even now con-
tains so many members who owe their
election to favor seeking corporations
and are SO subservient to their mas
ters as tc prevent needed legislation.
AS the popular branch Of congress has
four times declared in favor of this
reform by two-thirds vote and more
than two-thirds of the states have de-
manded 1t, and yet the senate arro-
gantly and impudently blocks the
way.
business of Income Tax.
The income tax, which some in our
country have defined as a socialistic
attack upon wealth, I am pleased to
reoprt, has the Endorsement of the
most conservative countries in the old
world. 1t is a permanent part of the
fiscal system of most of the countries
of Europe, and in many places it is
graded tax, the rate being highest
upon the largest incomes. England
has long depended upon the income
| tax for considerable part of her rev.
! enues and an English commission is
now investigating the proposition to
| change from a uniform to a graded
income tax. am so convinced of the
Justice of the income tax that l feel
sure that the people will sooner or
| later demand an amendment to the
| constitution which will specifically
| authorize an income tax and thus
make 1t possible for burdens of the
federal government to be apportionei
among the people in proportion to
their ability to bear them.
Labor and Capital.
The question is sometimes asked:
Cannot I conduct my business to
suit myself?" is plausible one, but
when a man is conducting his busi-
ness, attempts to arbitrarily fix the
conditions which hundreds of en-
ployes are to live and to determine the
future of thousands of human beings,
l answer with no hesitation that he
has no right to conduct his own busi-
ness in such way as to deprive his
employees of their right to life, liberty
and the pursuit of happiness.
But If it is unwise to make the en-
ployer the sole custodian of the rights
and interests of the employees, it is
equally unwise to give the employees
uncontrolled authority over the rights
and interests of the employer. The
employees are no more to be trusted
to act unselfishly and disinterestedly
than the employers. In their zeal to
secure present advantage they may
not only do injustice but even forfeit
a larger future gain.
Society, moreover, has something
at stake as well as the employer and
employe, for there can be no consid-
cradle strike without considerable
loss to the public. Society, therefore,
l. justified in demanding that the d'f-
ferences between capital and labor
shall be settled by peaceful means.
II the permanent impartial board is
created to which either party of an in
dustrial dispute may appeal or which
can of its motion institute an inquiry,
public opinion may be relied upon to
enforce the finding, If there is COM
pulsory arbitration it is not also nec-
pulsory arbitration 1t is not also ~
acceptance of the decision for a full
and fair investigation will In almost
every case bring about settlement
No reference to the labor question
Is complete that does not include some
mention of what is known as govern
ment by injunction. AS the main
purpose of the writ Is to evade trial
by jury, 1t is really an attack upon
the jury system and ought to arouse
unanimous protest So long as the
meanest thief is guaranteed a trial
by jury, jury ought not to be denied
to wage earners. However, as the
writ is usually invoked in case of