Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-12-06

danger avails nothing whatever If We
succumb to the other. In the end the
honest man, whether rich or poor, who
earns his own living and tries to deal
justly by his fellows, has as much to 1
fear from the insincere and unworthy
demagogue, promising much and per-
forming nothing or else performing g
nothing but evil, who would set on
the mob to plumber the rich as from
the crafty corruptionist who for his
own ends would permit the common
people to be exploited by the very
wealthy. If we ever let this govern
ment fall into the hands of men .ot
either of these two classes we shall
show ourselves false to America s past
Moreover, the denagogue and the cor.
ruptionist often work hand | in hand
There are at this moment wealthy re-
dictionaries of such obtuse morality
that they regard the public servant
who prosecutes them when they vic.
late the law OF who seeks to make them
bear their proper share of the public
burdens as being even more objections
able than the violent agitator who
hounds on the mob to plumber the rich
There is nothing to choose between
such a reactionary and such an agita.
tor. Fundamentally they are alike in
their selfish disregard of the rights of
others, and it is natural that they
should join in opposition to any move
ment of which the aim is fearlessly to Z
do exact and even justice to all.
Railroad Employees Hours and Eight
Hour Law.
I call your attention to the need of
passing the bill limiting the number
of hours Of employment of railroad en-
ployees. The measure is a very mod. q
crate one, and can conceive Of no Sc.
rious objection to it. Indeed, so far
as it is in our power, 1t should be our
aim steadily to reduce the number of
hours of labor, with as a goal the gen.
eral introduction Of an eight hour day.
There are industries in which it is
not possible that the hours of labor
should be reduced, just as there are
communities not far enough advanced
for such movement to be for their
good or, If in the tropics, so situated
that there is no analogy between their
needs and ours in this matter. On the
isthmus of Panama, for instance, the
conditions are in every way SO differ
ent from what they are here that an
eight hour day would be absurd just
as it is absurd, so far as the isthmus
is concerned, where white labor cam
not be employed, to bother as to wheth-
er the necessary work is done by alien
black men or by alien yellow men. But
the wageworkers of the United States
are of so high grade that alike from
the merely industrial standpoint and
from the civic standpoint it should be
our object to do what we can in the
direction of securing the general OBJ
servance Of an eight hour day. Until
recently the eight hour law on our
federal statute books has been very
scantily observed. Now, however,
largely through the fundamentally of :
the bureau of labor, it is being rigidly
enforced, and shall speedily be able
to say whether or not there is need of
further legislation in reference there
to, for our purpose is to see it obeyed
in spirit no less than in letter. Half
holidays during summer should be es-
tablished for government employees.
1t is as desirable for wageworkers who
toll with their hands as for salaried
officials whose labor is mental that
there should be reasonable amount
of holiday.
Labor of Women and Children.
The congress at it's last session wise
ly provided for a truant court for the
District of Columbia, a marked step in
advance on the path of properly caring
for the children. Let me again urge
that the congress provide for thor
ough investigation of the conditions
of child labor and of the labor of wom-
en- in the United States. More and
more our people are growing to recog-
nize the fact that the questions which
are not merely of Industrial but of So
cial Importance outweigh all others,
and these two questions most emphat-t.
ically come in the category of those
which affect in the most far reaching
way the home life of the nation. The
horrors incident to the employment of
young children in factories or at work
anywhere are blot on our civilizat a
ton. 1t is true that each state muse
ultimately settle the question in its
own way, but thorough official in
vestigation of the matter, with the re-
suits published broadcast, would great
ly help toward arousing the public con-
science and securing unity of state
action in the matter. There is, how
ever, one law on the subject which
should be enacted Immediately, be-
cause there is no need for an inyestiga.
ton in reference thereto, and the fail.
| ure to enact it is discreditable to the
national government. A drastic and
thoroughgoing child labor law should
be enacted for the District of Column
bia and the territories.
| Employers Liability.
Among the excellent laws which the
congress passed at the last session was
Il