The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1906-12-13

less DQt sane anu COof ucaoCu oo'oA>S
along the path marked out last year
by this very congress. There must De
Il stern refusal to be misied into FOL
lowing either that base creature VINO
appeals and panders to the lowest In
Stincts and passions in order to arouse
one set Of Americans against their EEL
lows or that other creature, equally
base. but no baser. who in spirit OF
greed or to accumulate or add to an
already huge fortune seeks to exploit
bis fellow Americans with cailous dls-
regard to their welfare of soul and
body. The man who debauches others
in order to obtain 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 think-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 decently
by their neighbGrs-Owe it to them
selves to remember that the most dam
aging blow that can be given popular
government Is to elect az unworthy
and sinister asitator on a platform OF
violence and hypocrisy.
Railroad Employer HOurs.
call your attention TO the need or
passing the bill limiting the number OK
hours Of employment OF railroad EN-
ployees The measure is q very mCder-
ate one. and ! can conceive OF no serl-
Gus objection to ii. Indeed. so far as
it is in our power. it should be our aim
steadily to reduce the number Of hours
Of labor. with as Il goal the general In
PRODUCTION of all eight hour day. There
are industries In which it IS not POS
| sibie that the hours OF labor should
| be reduced, just as there are communi-
| ties not far enough advanced for such
| q movement to be for their good, or, X
| 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 cOndi.
| tons are in every way so different
| from what they are here that an eight
| hour day would be absurd. just as 1t
| 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
wag"workers Of the United States are
Of SO high 4 grade that alike from the
merely industrial standpoint and from
the civic standpoint 1t should be our
object to do what we can in the direc-
ton Of securing the general observance
Of an eight hour day.
| Let 1ne 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 tho
employment of young children in fac
tories or at work anywhere are blot
on our civilization.
In spite of all precautions exercised
by employers there are unavoidable &C
cidents and even deaths involved il
nearly every line of business connect
| ed with the mechanic arts. 1t Is ;
great social injustice to compel the EN-
| 49,
killed or disabled victim, to bear thu
entire burden of such an inevitable
sacrifice. IN other words. society shirk
its duty by laying the whole. cost Oh
the victim. whereas the injury come
from what may be called the legitl
mate risks of the trade. Compensated
for accidents or deaths due in any lin
l
der which that industry - carried o.
| should be paid by that portion of tn
| community for the benefit of whic
| the industry Is carried On-that Is, b
those who profit by the industry.
. | the entire trade risk Is placed upon tn
employer he will promptly and prov
erly add it to the legitimate cost Of pro
ductIon aud assess it proportionatel
upon the consumers Of his commodit!
1t is therefore clear to my mind thn
| the law should place this entire iris
Of trade" upon the employer.
: Capital and Labor Disputes.
} Records show that during the twel
ty years from Jan. l. 1881. TO Dec. .
1900, there were strikes affecting III
I 500 establishments. and +, 105,694 en-
ployees We're thrown out of emplo.
ment. During the same period thel
were 1,OO5 lockouts. involving nearl
10000 establishments. throwing ov'
100000 people out Of employment
" These strikes and lockouts involved d
| estimated loss to employees of $780,
100000 and to employers Of $143,OOt
600, a total of $500 100000. The publ
suffered directly and indirectly pro
ably as great additional loss.
Many of these strikes and lockou
would cot have occurred had the pa
=. ties to tue dispute been required
:. appear before IN unprecedented box
representing the nation and. face
. face, state the reasons for their CO