Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-09-04

often more damaging than a change ol
policy promptly carried into effect
Would not the situation be improved
by a constitutional amendment con-
vening the session of congress within
a few months of the election and COM
Ipelling the second session to adjourn
several days before the following elec-
ton? Such a change would not only
serve legitimate business interests and
give the public the benefit Of thai
prompt relief through remedial legisla-
ton but 1t would protect the people
from the jobs that are usually reserv-
| ed for the short session which Is now
/ held after the election and when many
/ of the members feel less responsibility
because of defeat at the polls.
/ return more convinced than ever
before of the importance OF change
| in the method of electing United
States senators. There is noticeable
everywhere a distinct movement to-
ward democracy in its broadest sense,
In all the countries which have visited
there is a demand that the government
be brought nearer to the people
Throughout Europe the movement
manifests itself in various forms. In
the United States this trend toward
democracy has taken the form OF a
growing demand for the election OF
United States senators by a direct vote
of the people. 1t must be difficult to
overestimate the strategic advantage
of this reform. Since every bill must
receive the sanction Of the senate as
we'll as the house of representatives be-
fore 1t can become law, no important
legislation Of national character is
possible until the senate Is brought in
to harmony with the people. / am
within the limits Of the truth when
say that the senate has been for some
years the bulwark of predatory wealth,
and that II even now contains some
men who owe their elections to favor
seeking corporations and are so sub
servient to their masters as to prevent
needed legislation. The popular branch
of congress has four times declared In
favor Of the reform by two-thirds
vote and more than two-thirds Of the
states have demanded, it, and yet the
senate arrogantly and impudently
blocks the way.
The income tax, which some In our
country. have denounced as a social
istic attack upon wealth, has, / am
pleased to report, the endorsement OF
the most conservative countries in the
old world. 1t Is permanent part OF
the fiscal system of most countries
of Europe and in many places 1t is
graded tax, the rate being highest
upon the largest incomes. England
has long depended upon the income
tax for a considerable part Of her
revenues, and an English commission
Is now investigating the proposition
to change from a uniform to graded
tax. have been absent too long to
lie sentiment in this country at this
time, but I am so convinced OF the
justice Of the income tax that I feel
sure that the people will sooner or
later demand an amendment to the
constitution which will specifically
provide for an income tax and thus
make 1t possible for the burdens of
the Federal government to be ap-
portioned among the people in pro-
portion to their ability to bear them.
1t is little short of disgrace to our
country that while it is able to COM
mand the lives of its citizens in the
times of war, 1t cannot, even in the
most extreme emergency, compel
wealth to bear its share Of the. ex-
penses of the government which pro-
tects It.
I have referred to the investigation
Of international controversies under a
system which does not bind the par
ties to accept the findings OF the court
of inquiry This plan can be used In
disputes between labor and capital.
In fact, 1t was proposed as means of
settling such disputes before 1t was
applied to international controversies.
1t is as important that we shall have
peace at home as that we shall live
peaceably with foreign 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,
believe we are defending the high
est interests of the three parties to
these disputes, viz, the employer, the
employees and the public. Employee
cannot be turned over to the employ
er to be dealt with as the employer
may please. The question sometimes
asked: Can I conduct my business
to suit MYSELF" Is a plausible one,
but when a man in conducting his
business, attempts to arbitrarily fix
the conditions under which hundreds
of employees are to live and determine
the future Of thousands Of human be-
ings, I answer without hesitation that
he has no right TO conduct his busi-
ness in such a way as to deprive his
employees Of their right to life, liber-
ty and the pursuit of happiness. To
support this position ! need only to re-
fer to the laws regulating the safety
Of mines, the factory laws fixing the
age at which children can be employ
ed, the usury laws establishing the
rate of interest. The effort Of the en-
ployer to settle differences without
arbitration has done much to embitter
him against those who work for
him and to estrange them from
him-a condition deplorable from
every standpoint. But II 1t is un-
wise to make the employer the sole
custodian of the rights and interests
of the employees IL is equally unwise
to give to the employees uncontrolled
authority over the rights and interests
of the employer. The employees are
no more to be trusted to act unselfish-
ly and disinterestedly than the en-
ployers. In their zeal to secure a
present advantage they may not only
future gain. The strike, the only
weapon Of the employee at present, Is
two-edged sword, and may injure
the workman as much as the employ
er. and when wholly successful, it Is
apt to leave ranking in the bosom
of the wage Garner that should not be
| there.
Society, moreover, has something al
stake as we'll as the employer and
employees for there can be no consid-
cradle strike without considerable loss
to the public. Society, therefore, is
justified In demanding that the differ
ences between capital and labor shall
be settled by peaceful means. If q
permanent, impartial board is created
to which either party of an industrial
| dispute may appeal, or which can, OF
its own motion, institute an inquiry
public opinion may be relied upon tC
enforce the finding. If there is com.
pulsory submission TO investigation, l,
Is not necessary that there shall be
compulsory acceptance of the decision
for full and fair investigation will ir
almost every case bring about settle
ment.
No reference to the labor question
is complete that does not include
some mention of what is known a
government by injunction. AS the
main purpose of the writ is to eVade
trial by jury, it is really an attack up
on the jury system, and ought tc
arouse a unanimous protest. So Ions
as the meanest thief is guaranteed
trial by jury, jury ought not 10 bt
denied to wage earners. However, a:
the writ is usually invoked in case o.
a strike, the evil Of the subject woulC
be very much reduced by the adop
ton of a system of arbitration, be-
cause arbitration would very much re-
duce, even If it did not entirely re-
move the probability of a strike.