The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-08-31
NEW HAVEN MORNING JOURNAL COURIER FRIDAY AUGUST 3 1906

W 4IGlI l Sdy L4lStL NAlN PS4No
 for some years the bulwark or pre- datory wealth and that it even no" contains so many members Who o"e their election to favor seeking corpora tions and are so subservient to their masters as to prevent needed leglsla- ton. The popular branch of congress has four times declared in favor or tills reform by a two-thirds vote and more than tWo-thirds of the states have de- nanded it and yet the senate arrogant Iy and impudently blocks the way.
 The income tax which some in our country have denounced as sociallstlc attack upon wealth has, l am pleased to report, the endorsement of the most con- servative countries in the old world It is a permanent part of the tlscal system of most of the countries Of Europe and in many places 1t IS a graded tax, the rate being highest up- on the largest income. England has long depended upon the income tax Tor "a considerable part of her revenues and an English commission is now lnVestl- gating the proportion to change from d uniform to a graded tax, have been absent too long to speak Wlth any authority on the public sentiment in this country at this time but l am so convinced of the justice of the income tax that I feel sure that the people will sooner or later demand an amend ment to the constitution which Will specifically authorize an income tax and thus make it possible for the bur dens of the federal government to be Iapporttoned among the people accord ing to their ability. It Is little short of a disgrace to our country that while it is able to command the lives of it's citizens in time of war it cannot even in the most extreme emergency compel wealth to bear it's share of the expenses of the government which protects it.
 I have referred to the investigation of international controversies under a system which does not bind the parties to accept the findings of the court of inquiry. This plan can be used in dis putes between labor and capital; In | fact, it was proposed as a means of settling such disputes before it was ap- 1 piled to international controversies. It is as important that we shall have peace at home as that we shall live Ipeaceably with neighboring nations, and peace Is only possible when 1t rests upon justice, In advocating arbitra- ton of differences between large cor porate employers and their employees I believe we are defending the highest 1 interests of the three parties to | these disputes, viz the employ CTS, the employees and the public The employe cannot be turned over to the employer to be dealt with as the employer may please. The question some times asked: "Can 1 not con- duct my business to suit myself is a plausible one but when a man in con- ducting his business attempts to arbi- 1 trarily fix the conditions under which hundreds of employees are to live and to determine the future of thousands of human beings, I answer without | hesitation that he has no right to con- duct his own business in such a way as to deprive his employees of their right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness To support this position I need only refer to the laws reguat- ing the safety of mines, the factory laws fixing the age at which children can be employed and usury laws estab- fishing the rate of interest. The effort of the employer to settle differences without arbitration has done much to embitter him against those who work for him and to estrange them from Ihim-a condition deplorable from every standpoint,
 But ifitisu unwise to make the employ CT the sole custodian of the rights ant interests of the employees, 1t is equally unwise to give to the employees uncon, trolled authority over the rights and interests of the employer, The em. ployes are no more to be trusted to ac unselfshly and disinterestedly than the employer In their zeal to secure Q present advantage they may not only do injustice but even forfeit large future gain. The strike, the only wea pon of the employe at present is a two- edged sword and may injure tn, workman as much as the employer and even when wholly successful it iS apt to leave a ranking in the bosom of the wage earner that should not bC there
 Society, moreover, has something al stake as well as the employer and em ployes, for there can be no considerable strike without considerable loss t) tho public. Society therefore is justified tween capital and labor shall be set tied by peaceful means. If a perman ent impartial board is created t which either party of an industria dispute may appeal or which can of it own motion institute an inquiry, publi opinion may be relied upon to enforce
 the finding. If there is compulsor. submission to investigation it is no necessary that there shall be compul sorry acceptance of the decision, for full and fair investigation will in al most every case bring about a settle
 ment
 No reference to the labor question is complete that does not include som
 mention of what is known as govern ment by injunction. As the main pur pose of the writ is to evade trial b, jury, it is really an attack upon tn Ijry system and ought to arouse unanimous protest. So long as tn
 meanest thief is guaranteed a trial b, Ijury a jury ought not to be denied t,