Palestine daily herald. [volume] (Palestine, Tex.) 1902-1949, 1906-04-21

earners of Texas should be abolished.
/ believe that they can be profitably
employed upon the public roads and
| favor legislation to that end. The
need of better public roads is beeonI-
ing more important and it is idle TO
say that our craftsmanship is un-
! equal to the task of providing an eff
J fectiye system of working public
roads with convict labor. Good roads
| enhance the value of farms, make
| life in the country more attractive
and increase the trade of the towns
and cities Those confined within
| the walls should be employed in the
manufacture of goods in competition
with the trusts. They should never
be used to drive free labor from the
mines, the factories. and farms of
| Texas. 1t should be the policy of our
State to take them out of competition
with the free and honest tOiler who
loves the law and obeys it.
Public Health.
The health of the people and the
| physical well-being is a question of
tremendous import. Measures of pro-
/ lection against disease, and all just
[
promotion of the science of medicine
and surgery and the protection of the
| public against incompetency, should
receive suitable legislation and execu-
| tive sanction. Provision should also
be made for relieving our border cOun-
ties from the heavy expense incident
to maintaining and enforcing qqaran-
tine at State lines. The people of
III. lafA
upon them so much of this burden.
All the people are benefited and a
just policy would more properly dis
tribute the expense. A case of vel
low fever in Newton County, in Gray
son County in Webb, Ell PasO, Bowie
or any other border county. is Just as
important to all Texas as a case of
yellow fever in Travis County. A
danger threatening the entire State
should be the concern of all the peo-
pie.
Farmers Union.
Cooperation in legitimate pursuits
is praisewOrthy and should receive
commentator. As I understand the
Farmers Union, it is founded in the
broadcast principles of patriotism and
fraternity. 1t has for it's objects CO
operation and educational principles
looking to the protection of the farm
er. the promotion of agricultural in
terests and the welfare of all the peO-
Pile. Indeed the farmers constitute
the great reserve force in every
emergency. They supported the
strong right arm of the immortal
Hogg when he wrote the Railroad
Commission law and the Stock and
Bond law. The Grange and the AL
lance did much good. The Farmers
Union has, by battling with the or
ganized spectators and other profit
takers" saved millions of dollars to
the toilers on the farm, and is des-
tined to save many more. They ma
terially aided in securing the passage
of the tax reform measures enacted
by the last legislature, Known as the
Love. Williams and Kennedy bills.
and if the Union should fail in every
thing else its membership deserves
the gratitude of the people of Texas
for the part it took in establishing
that principle of taxation in this
State. | do not understand that the
Farmers Union is a political organi-
cation. 1t has no political platform.
dominates no candidates for office,
but the members are free to act on
all public questions They owe a
duty to their government which it is
believed they will always perform as
they see it. Notwithstanding the
sOlicitude of certain political and cor
poration self-appointed advisers who
seem alarmed lest they get into poll
tics. The Farmers Union has a wor-
thy mission to perform, and every
good man and woman should bid them
God speed. The farmer demands a
fair deal and good government, and
he is right.
Capital and the Unions.
The respective obligations of the
employer and employee should curtail
no right incident to the broadcast in
dependence and freedom. There
should be no conflict between capital
and labor These two important fac
tors in the worlds economy should
move i'm harmony each representing
the rights of the other and both hav-
ing due regard for the general well
fare.
In promoting legitimate business
capital may organize and
when within the law that right cannot
De uenleQ. w UeH WOfklnSIHen law
fully organize for the sake of labor's
dignity and to promote the interest
Of those who toll, such organization
is fair in its inception anu purpose.
II is loosely charged sometimes that
labor organizations, the Farmers
Union and other agricultural assOcia-
tons are trusts. In no sense can this
be true. A trust in its very nature is
unlawful. Its purposes are contrary
10 law, contrary to the general good
md antagonistic to the principles of
free government. Its original and in
lerent intent is to destroy competi-
ion. to establish monopoly and to
individual ambition and
affort Without such purpose the
rust would not be created as there
would be no reason for its existence.
L is per Sc unlawful and contrary to
public policy. Not so with Labor and
Farmers Unions. and other agrieul-
ural associations. Their purposes
ire for the moral and intellectual de-
'elopment and the material prosper
ty of its members and all mankind
Self preservation and the general up
fitting of mankind are inherent in
heSe organizations