Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1906-12-06

performing nothing bur evil. whs
rich. as from the crafty corruptionist.
who. for his own ends. would permit ]
the common people to be exploited by
the very wealthy. II we ever let this
government fall into the hands OF men |
OF either of these two classes. we shall
show ourselves false to Americas past.
Moreover, the demagog and .corrpp-
ZIONIST often work hand in hand. There
are at this moment wealthy reaction
aries of such obtuse morality that they
regard the public ervan who prose-
or who seeks to mails them bear their
proper share of the public burdens. as
being even more Objectionable than
the violent asita.or wno MOUNDS on
nothing to ch7ose between such a re-
dictionary and such an -agitator: funda-
mentally they are alike In their selfish
disregard OF the rights of others; and
1t is natural that they should Join in
opposition to any movement of which
the aim is fearlessly to do exact and
even Justice to ALL"
Railroad Employees Hours.
He asks for the passing Of the BIZ lin.
iting the number rn,s OF r h0urs .n Of
classes the measure as a very moderate
one. He says the aim of all should be
to steadily reduce the number Of hours
of labor, with IS a goal the general in
PRODUCTION of an eight-hour day. but in
sists that on the Isthmus of Panama the
conditions are so different from what
they are here that the introduction of an
eight-hour day on the canal would be
absurd, and continues, Just about as alb
surd as It Is, so far as the isthmus is
concerned, where white labor cannot be
employed, to bother as to whether the
work Is done by alien black men or alien
yellow men,"
He urges the enactment OF a drastic
child labor law for the District of CO.
lumbia and the territories, and a federal
investigation Of the subject of child and
female labor throughout the country.
appointed to investigate labor conditions
in the coal fields of Pennsylvania in 1902.
and refers to the wish of the commission
that the state and federal governments
should provide the machinery for what
may be called the compulsory investiga-
ton of controversies between employers
and employees when they arise.
In this age of great corporate and Ia
Dor combinations, neither employers nor
employees should be left completely at
the mercy of the stronger party to a dis
their respective claims. The proposed
measure would be in the line of securing
recognition of the act that in many
strikes the public has itself an interest
which cannot wisely be disregarded; an
interest not merely of general conven-
fence, for the question of a just and
proper, public policy must also be con,
sidered. In all legislation of this kind
it is well to advance cautiously, testing
each step by the actual results; the step
proposed can surely be safely taken, for
not bind the parties in legal fashion, and
yet would give a chance for public opin.
ion to exert its full force for the right"
Control of Corporations.
A considerable portion of the message
is devoted to the subject of federal con-
troll of corporations in what ne refers 10
the passage at the last session of the
rate, meat inspection and food laws, and
says that all Of these have already justi-
fed their enactment, but recommends
law so as to put dates on the labels OF
meat products, and also to place the
cost of inspection on the packers rather
han on the government. Continuing on
this subject of the control of corporations
by the fedora, government he says:
at cannot too often be repeated that ex-
possibility of securing by the actions of
nearly half a hundred different state
legislatures, anything but ineftective
chaos in the way Of dealing with the
exclusively within the limits of any one
state. In some method, whether by a
national license law or in other fashion,
we must exercise. and that at an early
date, "a far more complete control thar
at present over these great corpora
tions-a control that will among other
overcapitalization, and that will compel
the disclosures by each big corporation
of its stockholders and of its properties
and business. whether owned directly or
This will. tend to put a stop to the secur.
ing. of inordinate profits by, favored
individuals at the expense whether OF
the general public. the stockholders or
the wageworkers. Our effort should be
not so much to prevent consolidation, as
such. but so to supervise and control II
as to see that 1t results in no harm 10
the people. The r~eactionary or ultracon.
sentative apologists for the misuse of
wealth assail the effort to secure such
control as a step toward socialism. AS ,a q
and ultraconservatives who are them
selves most potent in increasing socialis.
tic feeling; One OF the od most emcsen of
a dangerous agitation, which Is 10 per
cent. wrong. is to remedy the 20 per cent;
Of evil as to which the agitation Is well
undesirable move for the governmental
ownership of railways Is to secure by
the government on behalf of the people
regulation of the great interstate COM
mon carriers as will do away with the
evils which give rise to the agitation
against them. So the proper antidote
20 the dangerous and wicked agitation
against the men of wealth as such Is to
secure by proper legislation and execu-
tive action the abolition of the grave
abuses which actually do obtain in con-
nection with the business use of wealth
under our present system-or rather no
system-of failure to exercise any ade-
quate control at all. Some persons speak
as If the exercise of such governmental
control would do away with the freedom
OF individual initiative and dwarf indi-
vidual effort. This Is not a fact. 1t
would be a veritable calamity to fail to
put a premium upon individual initiative,
individual capacity and effort; upon the
energy, character and foresight which
individual. But as a matter of fact the
%deadening and degrading effect of pure
socialism, and especially of its extreme
form communism, and the destruction Of
individual character which they would
bring about, are in part achieved by, the
wholly unregulated competition which
alton rising at the expense of all others
until his or its rise effectually checks all
competition and reduces former compete
tors to a position Of utter inferiority and
inheritance and Income Tax.
1t was expected that the president
would refer In some way to his belief
in the necessity for the curbing of enor-
nous fortunes, and he has done so by
recommending legislation for both in
come and an inheritance tax. He be-
lieves the government should impose a
graduated inheritance t v, and, If possi-
Bile, a graduated income tax. He says:
II am well aware that such a subject
as this needs long and careful study In
order that the people may become famil-
lar with what is proposed to be done
may clearly see the necessity OF proceed
ing with wisdom and self-restraint. and
may make up their minds just how far
they are willing to go in the matter
while only trained legislators can work
out the project in necessary detail. But
/ feel that In the near future our nation
al legislators should enact a law provid'
Ing fN a graduated inheritance tax by
which a steadily increasing rate of duty
should be put upon all moneys or Other
%valuables coming. by gift. bequest, OF
! devise to any Individual or corporation
. It may be we'll to make the tax heavy
! in proportion as the individual benefited
! Is remote Of kin. In any event, In my