Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-12-06

leadcr VINO Gun restore order, and then
their relief at being free from the in
tolerable burdens of class hatred, vlo-
lence and demagogy Is such that they
cannot for some time be aroused to in
dignnton against misdeeds by men of
wealth, so that they permit new
growth of the very abuses which were
in part responsible for the original out
break. The one hope for success for
our people lies in a resolute and fear
less but sane and cool headed advance
along the path marked out last year
by this very congress. There must be
stern refusal to be misled into fol
lowing either that base creature who
appeals and panders to the lowest in
stincts and passions in order to arouse
one set Of Americans against their fell
lows or that other creature, equally
base. but no baser, who in q spirit of
greed or to accumulate or add to an
already huge fortune seeks to exploit
his fellow Americans with callous dis
regard to their welfare of soul and
body. The man who debauches others
in order to obtain n high office stands
on an evil equality OF corruption with
the man who debauches others for
financial profit, and when hatred Is
sown the crop which springs up can
only be evil.
The plain people who thlnk-the me-
chanics, farmers, merchants, workers
with head or hand. the men to whom
American traditions are dear, who love
their country and try to act dccently
by their nelghbors-ow 1t to them
selves to remember that the most dam
| aging blow that can be given popular
government is to elect an unworthy
and sinister agitator on platform of
violence and hypocrisy.
Railroad Employees Hours.
I call your attention to the need of
passing the bill limiting the number of
hours of employment Of railroad en-
| ployees. Tho measure is very moder-
ate one. and | can conceive of no seri
Gus objection to 1t. Indeed, so far rs
1t Is in our power, 1t should be our aim
steadily to reduce the number of hours
of labor, with as goal the general in
PRODUCTION of an eight hour day. There
are industries in which il is not pos
sible that the hours OF labor should
be reduced, just as there are communi-
| ties not far enough advanced for such
n movement to be for their good, or, IL
in the tropics. so situated that there IL
no analogy between their needs and
ours in this matter. On the iSthmuS
Of Panama, for instance, the condi-
| tons are In every way so different
from what they are here that an eight
hour day would be absurd, just as It
Is absurd so far as the isthmus Is con-
cerned, where white labor cannot be
employed. TO bother rs to whether 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 i 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 direc-
ton Of securing the general observance
of an eight hour day
| Let me again urge that the congress
provide for thorough investigation
of the conditions of child labor and Of
! the labor OF women in the United
States. The horrors incident to the
employment of young children in fac
| tories or Mt work anywhere are blot
on our civilization.
In spite of all precautions exercised
by employers there are unavoidable ac-
cdents and even deaths involved i'm
nearly every line of business connect
ed with the mechanic arts. 1t is Il
great social injustice to compel the en-
ployee. or, rather, the family of the
killed or disabled victim, to bear the
entire burden of such an inevitable
sacrifice. In other words, society shirks
its duty by laying the whole cost on
the victim, whereas the injury comes
from what may be called the legiti-
mate risks Of the trade. Compensation
for accidents or deaths duo In any line
Of industry to the actual conditions I'M
der which that Industry Is carried on
should be paid by that portion Of the
community for the benefit of which
the industry is carried on-thnt Is, by
those who profit by the industry. If
the entire trade risk Is placed upon the
employer, be will promptly and prop
erly add it to the legitimate cost of pro-
ducton and assess it proportionately
upon the consumers Of his commodity
1t Is therefore clear to my mind TINT
the law should place this entire 'risk
Of trade" upon the employer.
Capital and Labor Disputes.
Records show that during the TWEEN,
ty years from Jan. /, 1881, to Dec. 81
1900, there were strikes affecting III,
500 establishments, and 6,105,694 EN-
ployees We're thrown out of employ.
ment. During the same period there
were 1005 lockouts, involving nearly
10000 establishments, throwing ovel
100000 people out of employment
These strikes and lockouts involved m
estimated loss to employees of $30I,
100000 and to employers of S143 600
COO total Of $45O,000,OOO. The public
suffered directly and indirectly prob
ably as great additional loss.
Many OF these strikes and lockouts
would not have occurred had the par
ties to the dispute been required tc
appear before an unprecedented body
representing the nation and, face tc
face, state the reasons for their con
tention. Tina exercise of judica
spirit by disinterested body repre-