The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-08-21

pense Of weak man; and to require them 10 b
fully accountable to the public for the service
which to their own profit they render the public.
The previous congress, by the enactment Of
the Elkins law and by the creation of the de-
partment OF commerce and labor, including the
bureau Of corporations had enabled US to make
great strides In advancing along the path Of
thus bringing the use of wealth in business
Under the personal supervision and regulation
Of the national government, for In actual &C.
ttce 1t has proved sham and pretense to ~
regulate it.
The Pure Food Legislation.
The strides taken by the present congress have ,
been even longer in the right direction. The
enactment Of the pure food bill and the passa "a
OF the bill which rendered effective the control
OF the government over the meat packing indus
tries are really along the same general line
as the passage OF the interstate commerce law,
and are second only to it In Importance
Perhaps the peculiar merit of these laws IN
best shown BY the fact that while they have
aroused the deepest anger Of the reaet.anaries.
OF the men who make fetish Of wealth. they
have not satisfied the unwise extremists: and
the present congress in achieving this merit
has acted In the exact spirit of Abraham Lin
coin, who was never to be frightened out OF
going forward by the cries of those who feared
progress, nor yet to be hurried into a precfnf.
tate advance by the demands of the crude think.
Ing, tho often well-meaning men who are not
accustomed soherly to distinguish between phrase
MAKING ana action.
Strength in Temperate Action.
To the men who come in the latter estegorv
all we need say is to bid them possess their
souls IN peace. They have advocated action,
but we have taken action; and the fact that this
action Las been sober and temperate has been
In no small degree the cause Of its far-reachins
efficiency. To the former classic the reaction
aries who seem to fear that to deal in proper
fashion with the abuses of property is some
now an attack upon property-we would recall
the words Of Edmund Burke: IF wealth
Is obedient ard laborious in the service Of viz.
tue and public honor, then wealth Is In its place
and has its uses. But If this order is changed
and honor is to be sacrificed to the conservation
OF riches, then riches, which have neither eyes
nor hands nor anything truly vital in them, can.
not long survive the well being of /" .
the1r legitimate masters. II we com.
mand our wealth We shall be rich and Free, II
our wealth commands are poor indeed"
For the Wageworkers. {
In addition to thus dealing with the proper
eontrol OF c,pitalistic wealth congress has also
| taken important steps in securing to the wage
workers certain great rights. At the session
that has just closed employers liability law
was enacted which puts the national government
An eight hour law was already on the statute
DOCKS, but, as Is almost inevitable with such
laws. there has at first been great confusion
as to whose duty It was among the different
pubic officials to enforce it. This confusion
mas now been remedied and the law is in process
OF thoro enforcement. If this enforcement DEM
onstrates the need Of additional legislation to
make this eight-hour law effective, I shall ask
congress TO put IN the permanent form of law
the provision have made by executive order
Tor securing to the wageworkers under the gov.
eminent half holidays during the summer
months. just as regular holidays are nou Sc.
cured by law for the salaried clerical workers
in the classified service.
No congress has ever more clearly shown fts
practical appreciation of the fact that the wei
rare OF tne wageworkers and the welfare Of thu
filters Of the soil make the real basis Of the
y, welfare OF the nation a whole. We viii
90 everything that can be done to further the
interests OF the farmer and the wage Garner,
and this declaration is subject only to one reser
vat1on-which is that for no man and no body
OF men will we do anything that is wrong.
i Justice for All.