The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1906-12-05

(COntinue | from Page One.
In our social and governmental condi
tons.
Corruption is eve so rife as in com
munities where the demagogue and thu
agitator bear full sway. because II
such communities all moral bands be
come loosened. and hysteria and sensa
tionalism replace the spirit Of sound
Judgment and fair dealing as between
man and man. In sheer revolt against
the squalid anarchy thus produced men
are sure in the end to turn toward any
leader who can restore order, and then
their relief at being free from the in.
tolerable burdens Of class hatred, VIC
lence and demagogy Is such that they
cannot for some time be aroused to in.
d%ignation against misdeeds by men of
wealth. so that they permit a 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
a 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
a set Of Americans against their fell
lows or that other creature, equally
base, but no baser, who in a 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 a high Office stands
on an evil equality of corruption with
the man who debauches others for
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 neighbors-owe 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 a platform Of
violence and hypocrisy.
Railroad Employer Hours.
l call your attention to the need of
the bill limiting the number Of
hours of employment Of railroad en-
ployees. The measure is a very moder-
ate one, and | can conceive of no seri-
GUS objection to it,. Indeed. so far as
It is in our power. 1t should be u aim
to reduce the number of hours
of labor. with as Il goal the general in
Of an eight hour day. There
are industries in which 1t Is not pos
sible that the hours Of labor should
be reduced, just as there are communi-
ties not far enough advanced for such
a movement to be for their good. or, II
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 as 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 a grade that alike from the
merely industrial standpoint and from
the civic standpoint 1t should be our
object to do what we a in the direc-
ton Of securing the general observance
of an eight hour day.
Let me again urge that the congress
provide for Il 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 at work anywhere are a blot
on our civilization.
In spite of all precautions exercised
by employers there are unavoidable ac-
cidcnts and even deaths involved In
nearly e'r"y line of business connect
cd 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 Oh
the victim. whereas the injury comes
from what may be called the legiti
mate risks of the trade. Compensation
for accidents or deaths due 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-that is, by
those who profit by the industry. II
the entire trade risk Is placed upon the
employer. he will promptly and prop
erly add it to the legitimate cost Of pro
duction and assess 1t proportionatcl,
upon the nsumc Of his commodity
It is therefore clear to my mind tina
the law should place this entire "risl
Of a trade" upOu the emDlOycr.