The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1906-12-07


newspaper or magazine are the worst
enemies of all men who are engaged in
an honest effort to better what is bad
In our social and governmental condi-
tons.
Corruption is never so rife as in COM
munties where the demagogue and the
Hgitator bear full sway. because la
g"r communities all moral bands be-
.nMc ls)scned. and hystera and sensa-
HonaliSm replace the spirit of sound
Judgment aud fair dealing IS between
man and Gan. IN sheer re-Olt against
the slCaild anarchy thus produced men
are SUR IA tho end to turn toward any
leader who can restore order, and then
their relief ct being free from tie in
tolrrable burdens Of class hatred. VIC
lence and deMag0gy is such that they
cannot for some tine be aroused II ia-
di-natiaa against mislccIs 10y men VI
wealth. 50 that they permit 4 new
growth Of lie very abuses Which were
IN part responsible for the original OCT
break. TIE one hope for success for
our people lies in Il g.solute aud fear
less l-. "..a a-d CO ! headed advance
along the l.-. marcel ont last yea
hy this vo'. .. gress. There must Ea
Stern refused to - misled into fol-
lowing e.r.." .aat Z. feature who
appeals and p. -Iyrs j t.. lowest in
stincts AID pa- OF in or1ar u arouse
one set 81 -Al.o. ia - .gaiGst their fel.
lows o" that ether creature. equally
base. bat 40 5asar. Who in spirit o.
g,ecd or 10 accumulate or add to an
already huge fortune seeks to exploit
his fellow Americans with cailous dis
regard 10 their welfare Of soul and
body. The man who debauches others
in order 10 obtain a high office stands
on an evil equality of corruption with
the man who debauches others for
financial profit, and when hatred is
sowu 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 it 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 Employees Hours.
call your attention to the need of
passing the biz limiting the number OF
hours Of employment Of railroad en-
plcyeeS. 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, it should be our aim
steadily to reduce the number of hours
of labor with as q goal the general in
production Of an eight hour day. There
are industries in which it is not pos
Sible that the hours Of labor should
be reduced. just as there are cOmmuni-
ties not far enough advanced for such
Il movement to be for their good. or. if
IN the tropics, 50 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 il
IS absurd. 50 far rs the isthmuS is con
Cerned. where white labor cannot be
employed. to bother rs 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 50 high a grade that alike from the
merely industrial standpoint and from
the civic standpoint it should be our
object TO do what we can 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 tie 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-
cldentS and even deaths involved In
nearly every line Of business connect
ed with the mechanic arts. 1t is
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 on
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. If
the entire trade risk is placed upon the
employer, he will promptly and prop
erlv add it TO the legitimate cost of pro
ductiOn and assess it proportionately
uDon the consumers Of his commodity.
It is therefore clear TO my mind that
1bo law ChDuId Mace this entire risk