Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1906-09-08

future OF thousands OF human heinpe
un9Mri' without hesitation that he has
no right to conduct his own business In
sGcn y way as to deprive his employees
si,i ~ ~ lsH{ 70 me- liberty and the pur-
SUIT OI happiness. To support this hosi.
tloh, need only refer to the laws repii.
iatihB the safety of mines. the factory
Jaws hXing the age at which children On
~ elupIoyeu, ana usury laws establishing
ule rue OF interest The effort OF the
HittlIVHcr 70 selte differences without ar
nllIalloh mas done much to embitteF him
against those who work for him and to
eSuaIse them from nina condition de-
piordgie from every standpoint
me Strike Two Edged Sword.
bul II Is unwlse to make the en-
ployer the sole custodian Of the rights
and interests Of the employees, 1t is eur'allv
unNlSe to give the employees uncontrolled
authority over the rights and interests
OF inc employer The employees are no
more TO be trusted to act unSelhshly and
1ulslhtereStedly than the employers in
tneir zeal to secure a present advantage
they may not do Injustice but even for
ielt large future gain. The strike, the
ohly weapon OF the employe at present is
JWo-edgcd sword, and may iujure the
workman as much as the employer, and
oven when wholly successful is ant ia
leave rambling in the bosom Of the
wage Garner that should not be there.
Socetys Claim.
society moreover has something at
stake as well as the employer and en-
ploye for there can be no considerable
strike without considerable loss To the
public. Society, therefore is Justified in
demanding that the differences between
capital and labor shall b. settled by
peaceful means. II the permanent Impair
tlal board is created to which either
party Of an Industrial dispute may appeal,
or which can Of its motion institute an
Inquiry public opinion may be relied on
to force the finding, If there Is compulsory
submission to investigation, 1t is not nee
eSSary that there shall be compulsory
acceptance Of the decision for fun Hnd
tar inFestigatton Will In almost every
case bring about settlement
Government by injunction.
No reference 90 the labor question ia
complete that does not include some men
tion Of what Is known as government bv
Injunction. As the main purpose OF the
writ IS to evade trial by jury, it is really
an attack upon the jury system and
ought to arouse an unanimous protest
So long as the meanest thief is guAran-
tecd trial by jury jury ought not 20
be denied to wage caTneTS. However as
the writ is usually invoked in case of a
strike, the Importance Of the subject
would be reduced by the adoption Of A
system Of arbitration. because arbitration
would very much reduce, even if 1t aid
not entirely remove, the probability of a
strike,
The Eight. Hour Day
Just another word in regard TO the
laborlngman. The struggle to gecuse an
eight-hour day is an international strur-
gle. and it is sure to be settled in favor
of the workingman, The benefits of the
labor-saving machine have not been dis
trbuted with equity The producer has
enormously multiplied his capacity. but
so far the owner of the machine has re-
ceiyed too much Of the increase and the
laborer too little Those who oppose the
eight-hour day do 1t, | am convinced.
more because of ignorance Of conditions
than because Of lack Of sympathy with
those who toll. The removal of work from
the house to the factory has separated
the husband from his wife and the father
from his children. while the growth Of
our cities has put an increasing distance
between the home and the workshop.
Then, too, more is demanded Of the labor
ing man now than formerly, He is a citi-
zen as well as n laborer and must have
time to study questions il he is to be an
intelligent sovereign To drive him from
his bed to his task, and from his task
back to his bed is to deprive the family
Of his company, society OF his service,
and politics Of his influence.