The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1906-09-08
stake as wei, as the employer and EN-.

JuSlluSQ III Oemhu0luS tudI tno QluCuis
ties between capital and labor shall
be settled by peaceful means. II
permanent impartial board is created.
to which can. Of its motion. institute
an inquiry. public opinion may be re.
lied upon to enforce the findings. II
there lie compulsory submission to In
vestigation II is not necessary there
should be compulsory acceptance of
the decision for full and fair investi-
cation will In almost every case bring
about a settlement.
No reference to the labor question
Is complete that does not include some
mention OF what Is known as govern
ment by Injunction. As the main pur-
pose of the writ Is to evade trial by
jury. 1t Is really an attack upon the
judicial system and ought to arouse
an unanimous protest.
So long as the meanest thief Is
guaranteed trial by Jury, jury
ought not be denied to wage-earners.
However, as the writ is usually In
voked In case of strike the impor.
lance of the subject would be very
much reduced by the adoption of the
system of arbitration. because arbi.
tration would very much reduce. even
II 1t did not entirely remove. the prob
ability Of strike.
Just another word In regard to the
iaboring man. The struggle to secure
an eighthour day Is an international
struggle and It Is sure to be settled In
favor OF the working mans conten-
ton The benefits of the labor saving
machine have not been distributed
with equity. The producer has enor-
mously multiplied his capacity. but so
far the owner of the machine has re-
ceived too much of the increase and
the laborer too little. Those who op-
pose the eight-hour day do 1t. l am
convinced, more because OF Ignorance
OF conditions than because Of lack OF
sympathy with those who toll. The
removal Of work from the house to
the factory has separated the husband
from his wife, and the father from his
children while the growth Of our cities
has put an increasing distance be-
tween the home and the workshops.
Then, too, more Is demanded OF the
laboring man now than formerly He
is a citizen as well as laborer, eSd
must have time for the study OF public
questions II he Is to be an intelligent
sovereign. To drive him from his bed
to his task and from his task to his
bed Is to deprive the family OF his
companionship, society OF his service
and politics Of his influence.
The Investigations which have been
IN progress during the past year have
disclosed the business methods OF
those who few years ago resented
Df Hcfr
hid their rascality under high sounding
phrases. These Investigations nave
also disclosed the source OF enormous
campaign funds which have been
used to debauch elections and corrupt
the ballot.
The people see now what they
should have seen before. namely. that
no party can exterminate the trusts so
long as it owes its political success TO
political campaign contributions Sc
cured through the trusts. Great cor
porations do not contribute then
money to any party except for immu-
nifty expressly promised or clearly
implied The president has recon-
mended legislation on this subject. bat
60 far his party has failed to respond.
No import ant advance can be made
until this baneful influence is elirp-
mated. and hope that the Democratic
marty will not only challenge the Pc
publican party to bring forward Ell
fectiya LEGISLATION on this subject, but
will set an example by refusing to re-
ceiye campaign contributions from cor
porations and by opening the books so
that every contributor of any ccnsid-
cradle sum may be known to the puo'
Tic before the election. The great ma
iority OF corporations are engaged IN
legitimate business and have nothing
to fear from hostile legislation and
the officers should not be permitted TO
use the money of the stockholders 10
advance their own political opinions
Contributions should be Individual. NOV
corporate. and no party can af1ord 10
receive contributions even from indf
viduals when the acceptances o. cnese
contributions secretly pledge the party
to a. course which 1t cannot openly
avow. In other words. politics should
be honest, and l mistake political CON
ditions in America II they do not pre-.
sage Improvement In the conduct OF
campaigns.
While men may differ as TO the rela-
tive Importance Of issues, and while
the next congress will largely shape
the lines upon which the coming pres
identiai campaign will be fought
think II is safe to say that at present
the paramount issue IN the minds OF
Z large majority of people the trust
issue. Icongratulate President Roose-
welt upon the steps which he has taken
to enforce the antitrust law. and my
qualification Is not lessened by the
fact that he has followed the Demo
craic rather than the Republican plat
form In every advance he has made.
II has been q great embarrassment to
him that the platform upon which he
was elected was filled with praise OF
the Republican party record rather
than with promises Of reform. Even
the enthusiastic support given him by
the Democrats has enabled the cham
pions of the trusts to taunt him with
following Democratic leadership. He
has probably gone as far as he could
without mourning the hostility OF the
leaders of his own party The trouble
Is that the Republican party is in a
position to apply effective and thor
ough-going reforms. because II has
built up through special legislation
the very abuses which need to be Grad
heated.