Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-03
Capital and Labor Relations
Not Easy of Adjustment

CdpItdl dnQ LABOR helatl0nS
Not Easy of Adjustment
1t is certain that for some time to como
there will be a constant increase abso-
lutely. and perhaps relatively, of those
among our citizens who dwell in cities or
towns of some size and who work for
wages. This means that there will be an
ever-increasing need to consider the prob
lens inseparable from a great Industrial
civlllzation. Where an immense and COM
pick business. especially in those branches
relating to manufacture and transporta-
ton, Is transacted by large number Of
capitalists who employ very much
larger number Of wage-earners, the
former tend more and more TO combine
into corporations and the latter into
unions.
The relations Of the capitalist and wage
worker to one another, and of each to
the general public, are not always easy to
ADJUST; and to put them and keep them
on a satisfactory basis Is one Of the most
important and one of the most delicate
tasks before our whole civilization. Much
OF the work for the accomplishment Of
this end must be done by the individuals
concerned themselves. whether singly or
IN combinat0n: and the one fundamental
fac that must never be lost track of il
that the character of the average man.
whether he be man Of means or a man
who works with his hands, is the most i'm
portant factor In solving the problem
Alright. But 1t Is almost equally impor-
tant to remember that without good laws
1t is also impossible to reach the proper
solution
1t is idle to hold that without good laws
evils sneh as child labor as the over
working OF women, as the failure to pro-
tect employees from. loss of life or limb
can be effectively reached, any more than
the EVILS of, rebates and. stoeK. watering
can be reached without good laws. To
faii TO stop these practices by legislation
means to force honeste men ito them be-
cause othe rwise the Glishonsst who surely
VIII take advantage OF them will have
everything their own way. If the states
but the nation must stand ready to aid
them. = /. ~ -
No question growing out of our rapid
and complex industrial development ia
more more important than that of the. employ
ment OF women and children The. pres
ence OF women in industry reacts with. ex-
IRENE directness upon the character of
the home and upon family life, and the
conditions surrounding the employment
of children bear q vital relation to our
future citizenship. Our legislation In
those areas under the control of the Con-
gress Is very much behind the legisla-
ton OF our more progressive states.
thorough and comprehensive measure
Congress relating to the employment of
women and children in the District of
Columbia and the territories. The investi-
gaton into the condition of women and
en-. Wage-earners recently author
lied and directed by the Congress is now
being carried on in the various states.
ana L recommend that the appropriation
made last year for beginning this work be
renewed, IN order that we may have the
thorough and comprehensive investigation
which the subject demands. The national
government has rs an ultimate resort for
control OF child labor the use of the in
terstate commerce clause to prevent the
proaucts OF child labor from entering into
TINS 1t ought certainly to enact model
laws on the same subject for the terrific.
RES under its own immediate control.
Ihere is one fundamental proposition
which can be laid down as regards ali :
these matters. namely: While honesty bv
use Will not solve the problem, vet the
insistence upon honesty-not merely tech
nicai honesty, but honesty in purpose and
spirHLls an essential element In arriving
at right conclusion. Vice in its cruder
and more archaic forms shocks eyery-
body; but there is very urgent need that
public opinion should be Just as severe
IN condemnation of the vice which hides
itself behind class or professional loyalty.
or which denies that 1t. is vice IL Il can
escape conviction in the courts
The public and the representatives of
the pubic, the high officials, whether on
the bench or In executive or legislative
positions. need to remember that often the
most dangerous criminals. SO far as the
life OF the nation Is concerned are NOT
those who commit the crimes known to
ana condemned by the popular conscience
Tor centuries but those who commit
crimes only rendered possible by the COM
pick CONDITIONS OF our modern Industrial
life. 1t makes not q particle Of dffrerence
whether these crimes are committed by q
capitalist or by !aborer; by a leading
banker or manufacturer or railroad man.
or; by a leading representative of a labor
union. Swindling ic stocks, corruptinR
legislatures. making fortunes by the in.
natlon OF securities. by wreckine rail-
roads. by destroying competitors through
rebates-these forms of wrongdoine In the
capitalist are far more Infamous than
any ordinary form Of endorsement or
forgery: yet 1t is a matter of extreme
dimcuity to secure the punishment of the
man most guilty. of them, most resnonsi
bic Tor them. The business man who con.
dones such conduct stands on n level with
the labor man who deliberately supports a
corrupt demogogue and ag.tator. WHETHER
head OF union or head of some mn
nicipality. because he IS said to hava
stood by the union"
The members OF the business conn,un,
". tn" educators or clergyman who con.
done and encourage the first kind ~
wrongdoinS are no more dangerous 70
the community. but are morally even
worse, than the labor men who are p,,iltv
of the second type Of wrongdoinP. becsuse
less Is to be pardoned those who have
no such excuse as IS furnished either INV
ignorance or by dire need