The Elbert County tribune., 1906-12-06

they are here that the introduction OF an
absurd. and continues. Just about as alb
surd as 1t Is, SO far as the isthmus is
concerned. where white labor cannot be
employed, to bother to whether the
work is done by alien black men or allen
yellow men,"
Investigation of Disputes.
He urges the enactment OF drastic
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
uon of controversies between employers
and employees when they arise" After
referring to the fact that bill has al
ready been introduced to this end he
SAYS:
Many of these strikes and ioclSouts
would not have occurred had the parties
70 the dispute been required to appear
before nm u1prejudlced body representing
the nation and. face to face, state the
reasons for their contention. In most
instances the dispute would doubtless be
found to be due TO MISUNDERSTANDING
by each OF the others rights, aggravated
by an unwillingness OF either party TO ac-
cept as true the statements of the other
as to the Justice or Injustice OF the mat
ters In dispute. The exercise OF Ju-
dicial spirit by a disinterested hody
representing the federal government.
sion conciliation and arbitration
would tend TO create IN atmosphere OF
friendliness and Cancellation between con-
tending parties: and the giving each side
an equal opportunity to present fully its
case in the presence of the other would
prevent many disputes from developing
into serious strikes lockouts and In
other cases. would enable the commls-
sion to persuade the opposing parties to
come to terms.
In this age OF great corporate and Ia
Dor combinations. neither employers nor
pInnlnNgag should he a. n
the mercy of the stronger party TO dis
pute, regardless of the righteousness of
measure would be in the line Of securing
recognition of the fact that in many
which cannot wisely be dlsregarded an
interest not merely of general conven-
ience, for the question OF n 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
the decisions OF the commission would
not bind the parties in segal fashion. and
yet would give 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 he refers TO
the passage at the last session of the
rate meat inspection and food laws, and
says that all of these have already justi-
fled their enactment, but recommends
law so as to put dates on the labels of
meat products, and also to place the
than on the government. Continuing on
this subject Of the control OF corporations
by the federal government he says:
"It cannot too often be repeated that ex-
perlence has conclusively shown the I'M
possibility of securing by the actions OF
chaos in the way Of. dealing with the
great corporations which do not operate
exclusively within the limits of any one
state. In some method, whether by
national license law or in other fashion.
we must exercise, and that at an early
date, far more complete control than
at present these great corpora
things prevent the evils of excessive
overcapitalization, and that VIII compel
of its stockholders and of its properties
and business, whether owned directly or
thru subsidiary or affiliated corporations.
ing of inordinate profits by favored
individuals at the expense whether of
the general public, the Stockholders, or
such but so TO supervise and control II
the people. The reactionary or ultracon-
servative apologists for the misuse Of
control as step toward socialism. As a
matter of fact II Is these reachonaries
and ultraconservatives who are them
selves most potent in increasing socialis-
tic feeling. One of the most efficient
methods of averting the consequences OF
dangerous agitation, which is 30 per
cent. wrong is to remedy the 20 per cent
Of evil as to which the agitation Is well
founded. The best way to avert the very
undesirable move for the governmental
ownership of railways is to secure by
the government on behalf OF the people
a whole such adequate control and
regulation of the great interstate com
mon carriers will do away with the
against them. So the proper antidote
to 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
control would do away with the freedom
Of individual initiative and dwarf indi.
would be a veritable calamity to fall to
put a premium upon individual initiative,
Individual capacity and effort; upon the
energy, character and foresight which
II is so important to encourage In the
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
results in single Individual or corpor-
alton rising at the expense of all others
until his or It's rise effectually checks all
competition and reduces former competi-
tors TO position OF utter lhleTlority ana
subordination.
'In enacting and enforcing such legis-
lation as this congress already has to its
credit, we are working on coherent
plan, with the steady endeavor to secure
the needed reform by the joint action of
the moderate men. the plain men who
do not wish anything hysterical or
dangerous. but who do intend to deal
In resolute commonsense fashion with
the real and great evils of the present
system. The reactionaries and the vio-
lent extremists show symptoms of join
ing hands against US. Both assert, for
Instance that If logical, we should go
to government ownership of railroads
and the like; the reactionaries, because
on such an issue they think the people
would stand with them. while the ex-
tremists care rather to preach discomfort
and agitation than to achieve solid re-
suits. AS matter of fact, our position
Is as remote from that of the bourbon
reactionary as from that of the imprac-