The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1906-12-07

eAhBa VI thV " aia q ndbt
escaped one danger avails nothing
whatever II we sucuumb to the other.
In the end the honest man. whether rich
or poor. who earns his own living and
| tries to deal justly by his fellows, has
as much to fear from the ~insinccre
and unworthy demagog, promising
much n performing nothing. or else
performing nothing but evil. who
would set on the mob to plumber the
rich, as from the crafty corruptionist.
who. for his W ends. would permit
the common people to be exploited by
the very wealthy, II we ever let this
OF either of these two classes, we shall
show ourselves false to Americas past.
Moreover, the demagog and corrup-
Zionist often work hand in hand. There
are at this m wealthy reaction
aries of such obtuse morality that they
regard the public servant who prose-
cutes them when they violate the law,
or who seeks to make them bear their
proper share of the public burdens. as
being even more Objectionable than
the violent agitator who rounds on
the mob to plumber. the rich. There is
nothing to choose between such a re-
dictionary and such an agitator; funda-
mentally they are alike In their selfish
disregard of the rights of others: and
it is natural that they should join In
opposition to any movement of which
the aim is fearlessly to do exact and
eve Justice to ALL"
=
He asks for the passing of the bill lin
iting the number of hours OF
employment of railroad employees, and
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 as 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 sthmus 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,"
Investigation Of Disputes.
He urges the enactment Of a drastic
child labor law for the District of CO.
lumbia and the territories, and q federal
investigation of the subject of child and
| female labor throughout the country.
He reviews the work Of the commission
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
referring to the fact that a bill has al
ready been introduced to this end he
says:
MANY OF these strikes and lockouts
would not have occurred had the parties
to the dispute been required to appear
before an unprecedented 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 a 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 a Ju-
dicial spirit by a disinterested body
representing the federal government,
sion on Cancellation and arbitration
would tend to create an atmosphere of
friendliness and Cancellation between con-
tending parties; and the giving each side
case in the presence of the other would
prevent many disputes from developing
into serious strikes or lockouts, and in
other cases, would enable the commits
sion to persuade the opposing parties 10
come to terms.
I'm this age of great corporate and la
Dor combinations, neither employers nor
employees should be left completely at
the mercy Of the stronger party to a dis
pute, regardless Of the Righteousness OF
their respective claims. The proposed
measure would be in the line OF securing
recognition Of the fact 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. ior
not bind the parties in legal fashion, and
yet would give a chance for public optn,,
ion to exert Its full force for the right
Control Of Corporations.
n.1tda,ohJo rnrtto, ~ Tho maasac a
Is devoted to the subject of federal con-
troll of corporations In that he refers to
the passage at the last session of the
rate, meat inspection and food laws, ano
fed their enactment. but rscommends
the amendment of the meat inspection
law so as to put dates on the labels or
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:
at canhot too often be repeated thar ex-
p~erience has conclusively shown the IN.
possibility of securing by the actions OF
nearly half a hundred different state
legislatures sSass IN The a Ws1 81 dealing eat 'R wits tSe
great corporations which do not operate
exclusively within the limits Of any
state. In some method, whether by
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
things prevent the evils OF excessive
DISQUALIFICATION. and that will compel
the disclosures by each big corporation
Of its stockholders and OF It's 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 genera 5 s : Rsslic' 6 tas stoft shoaid Be- Se
not so mach to prevent consolidation a >
such, but so to supervise and control "
as to see that 1t results In no harm TO
the people. The reactionary or ultracon-
sentative apologists for the misuse OF
wealth assail the effort to secure such
control as a step toward socialism. AS a
matter Of fact 1t is these r~eactonaries
and ultraconservatives who are them
selves most potent in increasing sooialis.
tic feeling. One of the most eficient
methods OF averting the consciousness OF
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 g~overnmehial
the government on behalf of the people
as q whole such adequate control and
| regulation of the great interstate COM
evils which give rise to the agitation
against them. So the proper antidote
to the dangerous ar wicked agitation
against the men OF wealth. as sucn - 10
secure by proper legislation and execu-
i've action the abolition Of the grave
| abuses which actually do obtain In con-
nection with the business use OF wealth
systcm-of failure to exercise any ade-
quate control at all. Som persons speak
as II the exercise of such governmental
control would do away with the freedom
OF Individual initiative and dwarf indi-
yidual EFFORT. This is not q fact. II
would be q veritable calamity. to fall to
put 4 premium upon individual Initiative.
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
| form communism, and the destruction Of
| Individual character which they would
bring about, are in part achieved by, the