The semi-weekly messenger., 1907-12-06

t1ere VIII De an ever lEcISASiuS HtSA
10 consider the problems inseparable
from a great industrial civilization.
Where an immense and complex busi-
ness, especially in those branchs relat
ing TO manufacture and transportation.
is transacted by Il large n1nher OF
capitalists who employ very large
number OF wage eaTners, the former
| tend more and more TO combine into
corporations and the latter into un-
icns.
The relations OF tie capitalist and
| wage-worker TO one another, and OF
each TO the general public, are not al
ways easy TO adjust; and 10 put them
and TO keep them on a satisfactory
basis is one OF the most important
and the most delicate tasks before our
whole civilization. Much OF the WORK
| tor the accomplishment of this end
must be done by the individuals con-
cerned themselves, whether singly or
jill combination; and the one funda-
mental fact that must never be los.
| track of it that the character of the
average man, whether he be man of
means or man who works with his
| hands, is the most important factor
in solving the problem Alright But
it is almost equally important to re-
member that without good laws it is
also impossible to reach the proper So
| luton.
/ It is idle to hold that without good
laws evils such as child labor, as the
| ver-working of women, as the failure
! TO protect employees from loss of life
Or limb, can be effectively reached, any
more than the evils of rebates and
! stock-watering can be reached without
! good laws. To fail 10 stop these prac-
| tices by legislation means to force
| wise the dishonest who surely
will take advantage of them
| will have everything their own way.
If the states will correct these evils,
| we'll and good; but the nation must
stand ready to aid them.
No question growing out of our rap
! id and complex industrial development
! is more important than that Of the EN-
plCyment of women and children. The
presence of women in industry re-
acts with extreme directness upon the
{ character Of the home and upon family
life,an conditions surrounding the
employment OF children bear a vital
! relation to our future citizenship
| Our legislation in those areas under the
control of the congress is very much
| be hind the legislation Of our more pro-
gresSive states. A thorough and COM
prehensive measure should be adopted
al this session Of the congress re-
lating to the employment of women
and children in the District of COlum-
| bia and the territories. The investi-
cation into the condition of women and
children Wage-earnerS recently au-
thorized and directed by the congress
is now being carried on in the various
states, and | recommend that the ap-
preparation made last year for begin
ming this work be renewed, in order
that we may have the thorough and
comprehensive investigation which the
subjects demands.
The national government has as an
ultimate resort for control of child la
Dor the use Of the interstate commerce
clause to prevent the products of child
labor from entering into interstate
commerce. But before using
this it ought certainly to en-
ho
the territories under it's own immediate
control
There is one fundamental proposition
which can be laid down as regards ali
these matters, namely. While honesty
by itself will not solve the problem,
yet the insistence upon honesty-not
merely technical honesty, but honesty
IN purpose and spirit is an essen
tial element in arriving at a right con-
c1usion. Vice in its crude and more
archaic forms shocks everybody; !
but there is very urgent need that !
public opinion should be just as Sc !
we're in condemnation Of the vice which |
hides itself behind class or profess |
siOnal loyalty, or which denies that it |
is vice if it can escape conviction in |
the courts. The public and represent |
atives of the public, the high Officials, |
whether on the bench or in executive !,
Or legislative positions, need to re-
member that often tine most danger
Gus criminals, so far as the life of the |
nation is concerned, are not those
condemned by the popular conscience |
for centuries, but those who commit |
crimes only rendered possible by the |
complex conditions Of our modern in
dustrial life. 1t makes not a particle
OF difference whether these crimes are /,
committed by a capitalist Or by a Ia |
torer, by a leading banker or man