The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1906-06-09
HIGHER STANDARD OF
AMERICAN MANHOOD
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Continued from. page ono.
famous for its radicalism concerning
the rights Of organized labor, and that
which inspired him upon the occasion
Of the recent visit of Mr.. Gompers and
his associates to the White House.
1 wonder If the President assumes
such attitude when the representatives
Of organized capital pay him a visit.
Does he tell Mr.. Morgan that he must
he controls, from violating the inter-
state and antitrust laws? Does he
tell Mr.. Rockefeller that he must quit
driving out competitors in the oil
business, through illegal and immoral
methods, such as those which were
brought to light at the sitting Of the
recent Interstate Commerce Commits
sion in Chicago? Does he question
the duty of magnates as American
citizens? Or did he tell the insurance
companies. when they made their cam
paign donations, that they were not
doing right in giving away the money
which belonged to the policyholders?
The chances are that he did not.
When the President made that
statement to the delegates, reminding
them Of their duties to their country,
he did not seem to realize who were
the real defenders Of this republic
whenever the occasion required it.
He did not think Of how small an
amount of capital was ever invested,
or how few were millionaires, or the
sons of millionaires, that ever took
part In preserving the honor and in
tegrity Of the American nation.
I wonder If he ever figured on how
many Rockefellers, Morgans, Wander
bits, Goulds or Astors were with him
when he made his so-called famous
charge at San Juan Hill? How many
Of them risked their lives to free the
C'ubans from the servility Of Spain?
How many were with Dewey at Man
liza Bay? Apparently the President
did not think Of these things, for if
he did. 1t would seem that he would
never question the duties of the work
ing classes as citizens of this repub-
lie.
The President did not think of these
facts when year ago he spoke to the
anthracite miners in Pennsylvania.
There. also. but in m1lder manner.
he reminded the miners of those spe-
cific duties. There he should have
! taken a lesson from the words of Car
! dinal Gibbons, who spoke from the
same platform, when the Cardinal
said that labor was essential to CAPT.
tai, that without labor capital could
not exist, and therefore labor was en-
titled to the first consideration.
The President should spare the
time to weigh the words Of Thomas
Watson when he heard that Presi
dents and cabinets may plan, and
fnanciers may scheme, and the Pana-
ma canal may be drawn with blue
pencil across the face of the map un-
til every dollar of it's cost Is estimat-
ed, but without the natural forces of
labor their plans and specifications
are as worthless as the paper upon
which they are written.
I may be drifting into rhapsody and
this subject may be taking my very
limited conception into spheres to
which they do not belong, but 1t IS
hard to stand idly by and listen to
such remarks made to the toilers of
this land. Those brave, liberty loving
wealth producers, treated with such
1nsign1ficance, chided like children;
those men who were they to take the
| advice of Wendell Phillips could
place their own in the Presidential
chair. They could as good as Oslerize
Joe Cannon, Aldrich, Plat, Depew
and the rest of tho stumbling blocks
to industrial progress.
| I hope the day is not far distant
when the wage earners of this coun-
| try will see that there is another way
| to prove their fealty to their country
other than exposing themselves 70 xn>
vicissitudes and privatlons of war,
when, with the pen, which is mightier
than the sword, they will mark their
ballots without allowing themselves to
be hoodwinked by corporate influence:
when they will once and forever
throw off the yoke which now encYr-
cles the greater part of them-that is,
the fear of their employers. When
that day shall come there VIII be no
necessity for delegations to call upon
their grievances. Il.
That day will see the abolition OF
child labor. No more sweatshops. Nc
more shall we see the child of 10
and IL years going home from a fac.
tory In tho evening after hard days
labor and young girls with pinched
and sallow faces wearing their young
lives away for the miserable pittance
/ Of from 81 to $3.50 per week. / -.
+ I. wonder II President oRosevelt Il
\ ignorant Of these condi lions, or IL not,
X dOes he not know that H:Or9ar1izad Il,